“It would be easy to look at Oregon State’s 38-0 win Saturday against Idaho and say that the Beavers have arrived. It also would be a mistake.
Sure, OSU came back from a disappointing loss at Boise State to dominate coach Dennis Erickson’s Vandals, but it was hardly a surprise. Idaho of the Western Athletic Conference is 1-3 and has been outscored 145-54. The Beavers’ other win this season, a 56-17 rout of Eastern Washington in the season opener, came against a Division I-AA school. The Eagles are 1-3 and have been outscored 139-53. So don’t be misled by OSU’s 2-1 record. A more accurate indicator is the 42-14 debacle against Boise State. But the Beavers get another chance to show that they can be a Pac-10 contender instead of pretender Saturday against No. 20 California. It is the Pac-10 opener for the Beavers and could set the tone for the remainder of the season. A victory would validate the Beavers and prove that they can play with the elite teams in the conference. Anything less than an impressive performance in front of the home fans at Reser Stadium could erode confidence and place OSU in also-ran status.”
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