Beavers: Non-Conference Schedule Creates Excitement

With the 2008 season nearing and two-a-days in full effect, Oregon State looks to build on their two year success story.

This team has transformed from cellar dweller to two time third place Pac-10 finishers and has players and fans alike excited for what's to come. The Beavers are 19-8 in the last two years (including bowl games) and 12-6 in the Pac-10, second only to perennial conference power USC. 

A decent record by everyday standards, but an incredible achievement when considering OSU's dismal history.

How a team is viewed by the sports world is largely due to scheduling and performance. Some may argue because the SEC's relatively "easy" non conference opponents don't necessarily reflect negatively on the conference. The most common response to this argument is that conference play is tough enough to gain respect and push for BCS bids. 

The SEC seems to have solved this problem by scheduling tougher early season games this year and in years to come. The Pac-10, in my opinion, continues to schedule tough non-conference games to prove they belong amongst the best in the nation.

In the past, OSU has floundered in early season non-conference games; losing big to Boise State, Louisville, LSU, and Cincinnati. The years OSU played these teams, their combined records were 34-9.  Not too shabby. 

So where does the blame fall?  Was OSU outmatched at Louisville? Were they intimidated by a rowdy Baton Rouge crowd, thus missing three extra points which would have sealed a victory? Were they blinded by the smurf turf in Boise? 

No matter what the reason, OSU has started slowly in the past two seasons and looks to change that in 2008.  The road will be difficult, OSU has scheduled Utah, Penn St., and Hawaii. Let's take a look at their out of conference match-ups.

Pac-10 vs. Big Ten, two storied conferences who more often than not meet on the first of the year in the Rose Bowl Game.  Oregon State looks to dip into the upset pool when they visit Beaver Stadium for a match up against last years Big 10 fifth place finishers, The Penn State Nittany Lions. Penn St. finished 4-4 in conference play and 9-4 overall.  Losses included Michigan St, Ohio St, Illinois, and Michigan. 

Pre-season reports are shedding light on a new-look spread offense under Joe Pa.  Players and coaches are likening the new offense to that of their 2005 offensive scheme in which they went 11-1, beat Florida St. in the Orange Bowl, and finished third in both post season polls.  Paterno was quoted in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette as saying, "It's really a glorified wishbone offense."

The Nittany Lions have speed at the skill positions and are looking to take full advantage of it with short patterns and many different formations. Penn St. returns 16 starters from last year's squad, but has run into a lot of off field trouble this off season. 

With the release of two defensive tackles and the graduation of linebacker and Chuck Bednarik Award winner Dan Connor, the middle of the Nittany Lion defense looks to be of great concern. Oregon State will pound the ball inside with 6'1", 236 lbs. Ryan McCants, and the shifty Jacquizz Rogers. 

With so much attention paid to the void in the middle, OSU should also be able to suck the defense in and use the Rogers Brothers on the edges.  Look for an offensive explosion from OSU if they can piece together their offensive line.  This could also be a breakout game for Sr. WR Sammie Stroughter, who seems to flourish in big game scenarios. (See USC 2006)

OSU's second non-conference opponent is on a mission for revenge. Last year's opener pitted the Mountain West Conference's Utah Utes vs. OSU at Reser Stadium in Corvallis. While Utah did finish 9-4 with a victory over Navy in the Poinsettia Bowl, versus OSU, quarterback Brian Johnson and running back Matt Asiata were injured in the first half and the game wasn't a contest.

OSU's defense shut the door and OSU ran away in the second half winning 24-7. 

Utah looks to reach a better bowl with their veteran squad, and beating OSU will only increase those chances. Rice-Eccles Stadium stands 4,657 ft. above sea level and will prove to be a difficult atmosphere for the visiting Beavers.

The Utes have offensive starters returning at each position who at one point in their career earned All Conference honors.

OSU fans have labled this game as a possible "trap" or upset and Utah fans expect their team to be ready from the opening kick off. I think the game goes back and forth and truly am unsure what the outcome will be. Optimistically I say OSU pulls it out with the ground game.

Finally a rematch of 2006 has Hawaii traveling to Corvallis to take on my Beavs. While I have respect for Hawaii, I do not feel they are close to the same team they were last year before they got embarrassed in the Sugar Bowl by Georgia.

Here's a look at the production lost with the graduation of all four receivers and new all-time NCAA TD record holder Colt Brennan: 

Brennan - 4,343 yards passing, 38 TD, 361 ypg

Grice-Mullen, Bess, Rivers, and Hawthorne - 4,671 recieving yards and 44 TD

An incredible amount of production is lost to graduation and this will prove to be a rebuilding year for the Warriors. Hawaii's defense has never been the focal point of the team, OSU put up 35 points in their house in 2006. 

This year should follow those lines as well. OSU's first home game of the season has the Beavs ready to play and the fans loud. Sources around OSU report that there are only 2,000 tickets left for the home opener. 46,000 crazed fans decked out in orange and black properly welcome home the Beavs and secure the first home victory of the season fairly easily.

Oregon State will be tested early this season in their Pac-10 opener at Stanford. The tone of that game very well might give a gilmpse into what the rest of the season may hold. 

If the Beavs can handle business down at the farm, they will take great momentum into State College. With a 2-0 start and a victory over Penn St. on the road, the Beavs undoubtedly will have squashed any notion that they are the same team that started 2-3 the previous two seasons. 

But of course, Utah and USC still loom large in the first five games of the season. 

My optimistic prediction after first five weeks of the season is that Oregon State will be 4-1, with the only loss coming to USC at home.