For the Rose Bowl journey to continue for the Oregon State football team the Beavers must swing by Washington State this afternoon and win another Pacific-10 Conference game.

The Beavers are favored by 31 points and this should be a formality. But outcomes are sometimes surprising.

There's no specific matchup concern for the Beavers so they must focus on themselves and on the intangibles.

Coach Mike Riley likes his players to work on getting better each week. This is a game where that comes into play as they need to work on the little things to make sure they are habits.

So here are the five aspects of the game the Beavers must concentrate on to win the contest.

1. Get in, get out

The Beavers should overmatch the Cougars in every way. Washington State is the worst team in the Pac-10 in nearly every statistical category.

The Cougars have talent, but are young and have been decimated by injuries. However, they are competitors and will try.

If everything comes together for the Cougars, or the Beavers are unlucky or take the victory for granted, Washington State could come away with a win.

OSU needs to jump all over the Cougars early and take away any suspense.

2. Stay healthy

Even in a win, the worst thing that could happen is getting anyone hurt. Everything the Beavers have worked for could be derailed with a serious injury to a starter.

This sounds odd, but this is where they have to go in aggressive like they usually do and not worry about getting hurt.

Playing tentatively or being lax because there's little concern in the outcome leads to freak injuries.

3. Work the backups

If the Beavers can jump out to a big lead quickly they should work more of the backups into the game. This is an opportunity to have them ready just in case this season and for next year.

Quarterback Ryan Katz got some work last week against the Huskies, but he needs as much as he can get as a potential new starter next season. Running back Jovan Stevenson is another player who needs time in the game.

While they got some playing time last week, the backup offensive line didn't. The Beavers substitute the line as a unit, and the second group hasn't seen much time at all this season.

4. Fine-tune the game

While the Beavers are building a big lead they must fine-tune their basic plays. They'll need to be playing at their peak to have a chance in the Civil War.

This game won't need any Wild Beaver gadgets or fly sweeps, just simple plays to get the job done. And they don't want to waste any surprises here.

Confidence is built up in games like these by just doing what you do well. OSU already has plenty of confidence, but you can never have too much.

5. Have fun

The Beavers are playing for the Rose Bowl at the end of the regular season. A win here creates one of the most important Civil Wars in history.

Playing with the mindset that each contest is like those played in the school yard as children has been vital to staying focused. The Beavers haven't been too high or too low during the season.

If they can accomplish the above four things it allows them to do No. 5. For all that rides on these outcomes, it's still a game.