Utah State and Oregon State both bolted for the reborn Pac-12 hoping for a fresh start — this late-November clash is where we find out how that's actually going.
Bush’s Picks
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Best BetUtah State
Utah State brings more coaching continuity into this one, with Mendenhall entering year 2 versus a first-year staff still figuring out its identity in Corvallis. The Aggies were already bowl-eligible last season while Oregon State finished with 2 wins, and that gap in recent success is worth respecting even on the road. Take Utah State to win outright as the more established program right now.
Utah State
+Mendenhall enters year 2 with real continuity
+Bowl eligible in debut season at 6-7
+Nine defensive transfers brought in to fix D
−Defense allowed 440.1 ypg, worst in MW
−Untested starter in Hillstead behind center
−First road trip against new Pac-12 competition
Oregon State
+New OC/DC hires bring fresh schemes
+Transfer QB Murphy has power-conference reps
+Deeper receiver room via Butler, Hampton additions
−Finished 2-10, used 3 different QBs in 2025
−O-line lost key starter Jacob Strand to Auburn
−11 empty red-zone trips sank drives last year
Oregon State enters its first full Pac-12 season under first-year head coach JaMarcus Shephard, an offensive-minded hire tasked with cleaning up a 2-10 disaster. Transfer quarterback Maalik Murphy, who came over from Texas by way of Duke, is the guy tasked with steadying a Beavers offense that burned through 3 different starters last season. Utah State, meanwhile, is in year 2 under Bronco Mendenhall, who got the Aggies to bowl eligibility at 6-7 in his debut before losing the program's old Mountain West address entirely.
Both programs leaned hard on the transfer portal to fix what broke last year. Mendenhall brought in 9 defensive transfers after Utah State finished dead last in the Mountain West in total defense, giving up 440.1 yards a game. Oregon State went the other direction, restocking its receiver room with Aaron Butler (Texas) and Aeryn Hampton (Alabama) while trying to patch an offensive line that lost Jacob Strand to Auburn.
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USU Utah State
ORST Oregon State
Neither roster looks anything like it did a year ago, which makes late-season form as much a guessing game as anything else. Junior McCae Hillstead takes over at quarterback for Utah State after limited action in 2025, running an offense that at least protected the ball well last year with just 11 turnovers. Oregon State's issue was never protecting the ball so much as finishing drives — 11 empty trips inside the red zone a year ago is the kind of number that sinks a season on its own.
Utah State Aggies
Nov 14?@ San Diego State—
Nov 7?vs Fresno State—
Oct 31?vs Colorado State—
Oct 24?@ Texas State—
Oct 9?vs Washington State—
Oct 3?@ Boise State—
Sep 26?vs Troy—
Sep 19?@ Utah—
Sep 12?@ Washington—
Sep 5?vs Idaho State—
Oregon State Beavers
Nov 14?@ Boise State—
Nov 7?vs Texas State—
Oct 30?@ Fresno State—
Oct 17?vs Washington State—
Oct 10?vs San Diego State—
Oct 3?@ Colorado State—
Sep 26?@ UTEP—
Sep 19?vs Montana—
Sep 12?vs Texas Tech—
Sep 5?@ Houston—
Recent form.
By late November both rosters will have had a full Pac-12 slate to figure out who they actually are, for better or worse. Utah State's calling card is supposed to be a defense that got a full offseason makeover, while Oregon State is banking on Shephard's scheme and a deeper receiver room to finally support Murphy instead of forcing him into hero-ball. Whichever team has actually fixed its biggest 2025 problem by this point in the schedule should have the edge.
Utah State Aggies
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Oregon State Beavers
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Fully healthy — no injuries on ESPN's report
Injury report — info via ESPN.
This isn't a game with conference-title stakes, but it says plenty about which rebuild is actually working. A Corvallis crowd will be desperate for any sign Shephard's plan is real, while Mendenhall's Aggies are trying to prove their Mountain West success can travel to a tougher league. Neither team wants to be the answer to 'who finished last in year one of the new Pac-12.'
