Oregon State is ranked for the first time since 2013, and this week is easily the biggest singular game of Jonathan Smith’s tenure in his fifth year at the helm for the Beavs.

Washington is enjoying a successful (though imperfect) Year One turnaround under Kalen DeBoer, and they also have a chance to remain in the running for a Pac-12 Championship appearance.

Which team has more on the line on Friday night?

On today’s episode of Locked On Pac-12, Spencer McLaughlin is joined by Carter Bahns of BeaverBlitz.com to give a full breakdown of the game of the week in the Pac-12.

One element that makes this matchup so fascinating is the battle of strengths vs strengths and weaknesses vs weaknesses that will take place between these two teams.

How can Oregon State slow down Washington’s high-powered, pass-first offense with their secondary which has played at a very high level this year?

That’s a classic battle of “best on best,” while the Beaver offense against an iffy (at times) Washington defense poses the opposite challenge for both teams.

All in all, it figures to be the biggest game of the week and the most important either team has played in several years.

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—More from Spencer McLaughlin—

• McLaughlin: Is Kenny Dillingham the Right Hire for ASU?

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• McLaughlin: Pac-12 Football at Its Best in Nearly a Decade

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• McLaughlin: How the Ducks Fell Apart against Oregon State

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• McLaughlin: Rivalry Week Delivered Season-Altering Thrills

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• McLaughlin: Ducks Collapsed but Sky Not Falling in Eugene

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• McLaughlin: Biggest Questions in Every Game on Saturday

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• McLaughlin: Friday Night in Pac-12 the Best Part of CFB

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• McLaughlin: USC in Playoff Good for Future of Pac-12?

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• McLaughlin: The Challenge OSU Football Presents to Oregon

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• McLaughlin: Examining USC Football’s Path to the Playoff

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• McLaughlin: Big Week in Pac-12 Football Doesn’t Disappoint

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• McLaughlin: Bo Nix Shines in Oregon’s Gritty Win over Utah

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• McLaughlin: Biggest Question for Pac-12 Teams in Week 12

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• McLaughlin: Pac-12 Still Disrespected in CFP Rankings

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• McLaughlin and Analyst Yogi Roth on State of Pac-12

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• McLaughlin: Oregon Still Pac-12 Championship-Caliber Team

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• McLaughlin: Good News and Bad News for Pac-12 Football

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• McLaughlin: Washington, Arizona Upsets Stir Pac-12 Race

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• McLaughlin: Oregon’s One Clear Culprit in Loss to Huskies

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• McLaughlin: How Washington can beat the Ducks in Autzen

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• McLaughlin: How Ducks can Beat UW by Double Digits

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• McLaughlin: Is USC Overrated in the Latest CFP Rankings?

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• McLaughlin: Duck Recruiting, Dante Moore, Surprise Visitor

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• McLaughlin: Could the Pac-12 Place 2 Teams in NY6 bowls?

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• McLaughlin: Oregon-UW Rivalry Preview with Rob Moseley

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• McLaughlin: Dan Lanning’s comments and CFP Outlook

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• McLaughlin: Some Teams Shined & Some Shrank in Week 10

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• McLaughlin: Ducks Show Growth vs. CU, Can Still Improve

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• McLaughlin: Big 12 Media Rights Deal Good for Pac-12

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• McLaughlin: Can Colorado Present a Challenge for Oregon?

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