The Beavers are 7-2 at Arizona Stadium since 1999, including three wins over Arizona teams that finished the season with a winning record
It’s been a while since Oregon State truly had to concern itself with resume-building wins.
Laugh if you’d like, but with five games left in the regular season, the Beavers are in the College Football Playoff discussion.
It’s a long shot to be sure. OSU needs some resume-worthy wins. And even if it’s not the College Football Playoff, finishing among the top 12 in the final CFP rankings means an NY6 bowl berth. Oregon State hasn’t played in an NY6-type bowl since the 2001 Fiesta.
Oregon State has the start of a good resume. The Beavers have wins over top 25 teams Utah and UCLA. But like the 1976 hit song said, OSU needs “More, More, More.” Two types of wins carry significant weight with the CFP committee: a win anywhere over a ranked team, and a road win over a team that finishes the season with a winning record.
Oregon State’s next two games could potentially resonate with the CFP committee, at Arizona on Saturday, and Nov. 5 at Colorado.
Arizona and Colorado are 4-3, and while neither is guaranteed to finish the season with a winning record, both teams have a shot. An OSU win over both will significantly boost the Beavers’ CFP and NY6 bowl stock.
Oregon State doesn’t have much in the way of recent success in road wins over winning-record teams. The Beavers have checked the box just twice since 2013: Fresno State in 2022, and California in 2019.
During the past 20 seasons, OSU has road wins over teams with winning records 12 times. One of their most successful stops is Tucson.
Since 2008, Arizona has had a winning season record three times that included a loss to Oregon State in Arizona Stadium.
To recap:
2012: Oregon State wins 38-35 in a game that had five lead changes. The Beavers took the lead for good with 69 seconds when Sean Mannion threw a 9-yard touchdown pass to Connor Hamlett.
2010: Losing standout receiver James Rodgers midway through the second quarter with a knee injury, Oregon State persevered and beat 4-0 Arizona 29-27. Ryan Katz threw for a career-high 393 yards and two touchdowns.
2008: Kicker Justin Kahut made amends for missing a fourth-quarter extra point when his 24-yard field as time expired to give OSU a 19-17 win over Arizona.
The Wildcats, in general, have been a favorite target of Oregon State during the past three decades. Since 1999, the Beavers are 14-5 vs. Arizona. That record includes a healthy 7-2 record against Arizona in Tucson.
Here are Oregon State’s road wins over teams that finished the season with winning records (since 2004):
2022: Fresno State, 35-32 (10-4 record)
2019: California, 21-17 (8-5)
2013: San Diego State, 34-30 (8-5)
2012: Brigham Young, 42-24 (8-5)
2012: Arizona, 38-35 (8-5)
2010: Arizona, 29-27 (7-6)
2009: California, 31-14 (8-5)
2008: Arizona, 19-17 (8-5)
2007: Oregon, 38-31 (9-4)
2007: California, 31-28 (7-6)
2006: Hawaii, 35-32 (11-3)
2005: California, 23-20 (8-4)
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