Can Oregon State Beavers make it to the Civil War undefeated?

After a massively disappointing 3-9 season in 2011, the hopes were not high for the Oregon State Beavers football team coming into this year. The defense couldn't stop much of anyone, especially on the ground, and the team suffered an embarrassing season-opening home loss to Football Championship Subdivision Sacramento State which set the tone for their entire season. The Beavers were picked to finish last in the Pac-12 North, and many (including myself) would have been pleased enough to see the team become bowl eligible.
Fast forward to the end of October, and the 7th-ranked Beavers are 6-0, and the much-maligned defense has turned into one of the nation's best, allowing just 16.5 points (17th in nation), 80.8 yards per game rushing (5th) and 2.9 yards per carry (t-9th). Senior cornerback Jordan Poyer is second in the nation with five of Oregon State's 12 interceptions (t-3rd), while sophomore defensive end Scott Crichton has eight sacks (t-5th nationally).
The offense is also much improved, as the return of redshirt junior tackle Michael Phillip has improved the pass protection. Sophomore quarterback Sean Mannion has been the main beneficiary, as he's averaged 339.5 yards per game through the air, with seven touchdown passes against four interceptions in four games. The receiving duo of senior Markus Wheaton (48 receptions, 654 yards, 6 touchdowns) and sophomore Brandin Cooks (35-667-2) are one of two receiving tandems in all of the FBS to average 100+ receiving yards per game, and would become the first Beavers duo to crack 1,000 yards in the same season since James Newson and Mike Hass accomplished that in 2003.
It's not as though the Beavers have played a particularly soft schedule, as they have a over then #13 Wisconsin (currently 6-2 and ranked 25th), as well as three road wins against UCLA (5-2), Arizona (4-3) and Brigham Young (4-4). Perhaps the most impressive win out of those three is BYU, as the 18-point win was a bigger margin than their other three losses combined (3 points at Utah, 1 point at Boise State and 3 points at #5 Notre Dame).
The team doesn't have an easy schedule leading up to their Pac-12 regular season finale against the Ducks, as they play a scrappy Washington team today, and have a tough road contest against #17 Stanford sandwiched by home games against Arizona State and California. The good news for Beaver fans is that the team is mentally tough, which is likely due to the number of true freshmen and first-time starters who played during their trying 2011 campaign. Mike Riley has also done a great job of keeping his players focused, as the Beavers have done a great job of dealing with adversity, including winning two games with backup quarterback Cody Vaz after Mannion had to recover from a knee procedure (including their road win over BYU).
While the Beavers could potentially still drop a game or two on their way to the Civil War, the one season turnaround has been a welcome sight for supporters of this football team, and proves to those who doubted Mike Riley (including me) that he's still the right man for this program. Despite the almost constant rain here in the Pacific Northwest, the present and future for the Oregon State football team is once again bright.