Pac-12 CFB: How Sean Mannion and the Beavers Can Save Their 2011 Season

Apparently, the time is now for Sean Mannion and the Oregon State Beavers.

Head coach Mike Riley announced Tuesday that Sean Mannion will be the one and only starting quarterback for the Beavers, ending without a doubt the strangest quarterback controversy this season in college football. The question now is how can this season be saved?

Oregon State has started off 0-2 and given how the Beavers have played so far, the upcoming schedule looks daunting. The most winnable game on the schedule appears to be the next one, a match up against UCLA in Corvallis on September 24.

The schedule only gets tougher from there on out with each team seemingly on their way to a successful season. Even Washington State appears to have turned things around and leads the country in scoring offense at 61.5 points per game.

With that in mind, a bowl game seems like a stretch for the Beavers. While Mike Riley and co. have done stranger things, it's time to look towards the future.

With Mannion stepping in, the Beavers will start a redshirt freshman QB, and a true freshman at both running back (Malcolm Agnew) and flanker (Brandin Cooks). If they all remain healthy and perform the way everyone believes they will, this could be a fantastic trio of offensive weapons in years to come.

In addition to these three, there are other freshman who are already receiving playing time on offense—Obum Gwacham (WR), Terron Ward (RB), and Connor Hamlett (TE) all look to have tremendous potential.

On the defensive side of the ball, redshirt freshman Scott Crichton and true freshman Dylan Wynn look like they have the potential to make game-changing plays from the defensive end positions—something that has been missed desperately in previous seasons.

The future is bright for the Beavers and while there may not be much hope for this season, if Beaver Nation takes a look at the big picture, there is a lot to be hopeful for. This season can be saved by developing these freshmen and preparing them for the bright future that lies ahead of them.

After all, the last time Oregon State started a freshman at both quarterback and running back in the same season, their names were Jonathan Smith and Ken Simonton. Two years later, they were the key players on perhaps the best Oregon State team ever.

If I were a Beaver fan, I would start putting some money away for those 2014 Rose Bowl tickets right now. You just never know.