Oregon State’s Andy Alfieri celebrates after the Beavers upset Washington State on Nov. 23.

So you’re saying there’s a chance?

The old Jim Carrey line is getting a workout this week when it comes to Oregon State and the opportunity to become bowl eligible. The Beavers, 5-6 after last Saturday’s 41-38 win over Washington State, need one win to qualify for a bowl.

All it will take is a road win as a 20-point underdog against an opponent on a mission to earn a College Football Playoff berth.

Stranger things have happened. So, let’s say the Beavers beat Boise State and get to 6-6. Then what?

This is a unique year for Oregon State and all legacy Pac-12 schools when it comes to 2024 bowl assignments.

Even though the former Pac-12 schools are scattered throughout the country in the Big 10, Big 12, ACC and Pac-12 this season, they come together when it comes to bowl qualification. Bowl contracts in place before the conference broke up a year ago take precedent.

The pecking order was tweaked for 2024 and 2025, the final two years of the conference’s bowl contracts.

Seven former Pac-12 schools are bowl eligible: Oregon (11-0), Arizona State (9-2), Colorado (8-3), Washington State (8-3), Washington (6-5), USC (6-5) and California (6-5).

Four are out: Utah (4-7), UCLA (4-7), Arizona (4-7) and Stanford (3-8).

All that’s left is Oregon State.

Let’s assume Oregon is in the CFP. Arizona State could be CFP-bound if it beats Arizona and then wins the Big 12 championship game. Colorado isn’t eliminated from CFP, but it’s a long shot. The Pac-12’s bowl pecking order is Alamo, Holiday, Las Vegas, Sun, LA and Independence. With Oregon in the CFP, it’s a tidy setup for the Pac-12 if ASU comes up short of the playoff.

Six available teams, six bowl berths. What if Oregon State also becomes eligible?

If Oregon is the only CFP team, and there are seven bowl-eligible schools fighting for six bowls, Oregon State won’t get left out in the cold. A Pac-12 spokesman said the conference has relationships with other bowl games that will help OSU find a landing spot.

Realistically, the Pac-12’s contracted bowls are likely to pick other six-win teams – USC, California, Washington – over the Beavers. One, all three could get to seven wins this weekend. Two, USC and Washington are more attractive as a brand than Oregon State. California has a 44-7 win over the Beavers.

Here are Oregon State’s bowl possibilities:

INDEPENDENCE: if Arizona State (or Colorado) earn a CFP berth, this becomes the Beavers’ bowl destination. It is December 28 in Shreveport, La., played against an AAC school. Kickoff is 6:15 p.m. Texas Tech beat California 34-14 in the 2023 edition.

GASPARILLA: A pre-Christmas bowl in Tampa? Yes, please. The Gasparilla is played December 20 against an SEC or ACC school at Raymond James Stadium. Great kickoff time of 12:30 p.m. Central Florida defeated Georgia Tech 30-17 in last year’s Gasparilla.

ARMED FORCES: A good landing spot for the Beavers, as it’s a bowl game played in Fort Worth, Tex. on December 27, likely against a Big 12 opponent. Potentially early kickoff time, either 9 a.m. or 12:30 p.m. (Pacific time, add two hours for actual time in Fort Worth). In 2023, Air Force beat James Madison 31-21.

BOCA RATON: One of the early bowl games, played December 18 in Boca Raton, Fla. at Florida Atlantic Stadium. The opponent is unclear, but likely to come from one of the Power conferences. Kickoff time is 2:30 p.m. South Florida crushed Syracuse 45-0 in last year’s Boca Raton.