The 2-7 Washington State Cougars will face the 4-4 Oregon State Beavers on Saturday, and these two teams appear to be heading in very different directions. The Cougars are coming off three consecutive blowout losses, ending any hopes of playing in a bowl game. The Beavers are still very much alive, and a win this week would be a big boost to their hopes of going bowling.

Here are my keys to the game:

1. Injuries - Some teams are capable of overcoming an injury to their starting QB, but it's unlikely that Washington State can compete without Connor Halliday. Their entire offensive game plan was based on Halliday's arm. He leads the nation in passing by a margin of more than 750 yards. His backup Luke Faulk threw for 346 yards on 38-of-57 passing with a pair of TDs and an INT against USC last week.

2. Home Cookin' - The Beavers have won the last three meetings in this series, and the last time the Cougars came to Corvallis they lost by double-digits.

3. X-Factor - The Cougars are 3-10 ATS in their last 13 versus Oregon State.

Selection: This is a play on the Oregon State Beavers (8*)