Oregon Football: 3 bold predictions for Washington State battle in Week 11

For the second week in a row, Oregon football sits in the playoff’s top four and the Ducks are in control of their own destiny.

If Oregon wins out, it will make the College Football Playoff field. It’s one of just a handful of programs that can truly say it controls its own destiny. The Ducks will have to avoid an upset at home against a Washington State team without a head coach and that’s easier said than done.

Plus, style points are fairly important at this point in the season. Oregon needs to assert its dominance against inferior opponents like Washington State.

Let’s get bold ahead of Saturday’s big game.

3. Ducks win turnover battle 4-0

If there’s something these two teams have in common, it’s that they usually win the turnover battle every week.

Oregon ranks No. 12 in college football with a +8 turnover margin while Washington State isn’t far behind with a +6 margin, ranking No. 27 in the nation. Both teams like to shift the momentum with turnovers, but there’s one thing that Washington State does more than Oregon and that’s cough the ball up.

Washington State has coughed the ball up 14 times this season compared to just nine turnovers for Oregon. That’s going to come into play on Saturday night.

The Ducks’ defense is going to take advantage of a serious talent differential and turn the Cougars over four times while being careful with the ball and avoiding a single cough-up.