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Thanks to another strong performance from its potent offense, Southern California is back in the Top 25 after a two-week absence.
Oregon State's offense helped it crack the Top 25 last month, but it has suddenly fallen on hard times.
The 20th-ranked Trojans look to win their third in a row Saturday night when they visit a Beavers team trying to avoid losing three straight Pac-10 games for the first time in eight years.
USC (7-3, 4-3) climbed into a tie with Arizona for third in the Pac-10 with a 24-21 victory over the then-No. 18 Wildcats last Saturday night. The Trojans were facing an Arizona team that was ranked 10th in the FBS in scoring defense at 17.4 points per game, but they still rushed for 206 yards and had a 15-minute advantage in time of possession.
It was the first victory in three attempts against ranked foes this season for USC, which is ineligible from bowl participation.
"Our offensive line has taken a lot of criticism, especially from me, but we ran behind them for 200 yards and they didn't give up a sack," coach Lane Kiffin said.
The line allowed Marc Tyler to rush for 160 yards on 31 carries, both career highs, and Matt Barkley to pass for one touchdown and run for another.
Barkley, first in the Pac-10 with 25 TD passes and second with 2,518 yards, leads an offense that is third in the conference in scoring at 35.2 points per game.
Oregon State (4-5, 3-3) was putting up similar scores in its first four league games with an average of 32.3 points, and it vaulted into the rankings with a 29-27 victory over then-No. 9 Arizona on Oct. 9. Since the calendar flipped to November, however, the Beavers' offense has stumbled in losing twice against seemingly beatable opponents.
After falling to UCLA 17-14 on Nov. 6, the Beavers suffered a 31-14 loss last Saturday to Washington State, which snapped a 16-game conference losing streak.
"Obviously, this team's confidence is way down," coach Mike Riley said.
The Beavers haven't lost three straight conference games in a single season since 2002, and time is running out for them to become bowl eligible for a fifth straight year. After this game, Oregon State visits No. 7 Stanford next Saturday and hosts top-ranked Oregon in its season finale the following week.
"We better do something real quick, man, or we're going to have an early break," running back Jacquizz Rodgers said.
Rodgers is third in the league in rushing with an average of 99.2 yards and tied for second with 13 rushing TDs, but he's been held to an average of 78.0 yards without a score in his last two games. The two-time all-conference first-team selection rushed for 113 yards and a TD on 20 carries in a 42-36 loss to USC last season.
Barkley completed 15 of 25 passes for 202 yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions in that game, USC's 32nd victory in the last 35 meetings.
The Trojans have lost their last two trips to Corvallis, however, and in the last meeting at Reser Stadium in 2008, Oregon State stunned top-ranked USC 27-21 for its first victory over the nation's No. 1 team since also knocking off the Trojans in 1967.
Because of expansion in the Pac-10, this will be the last meeting between these programs until 2013.
