Oregon State should drop Nike now

I was having call with a buddy of mine who went to Nike's corporate campus in Oregon and I asked him to buy me something OSU related at the Nike store there. This store is known to have pretty cool gear at good prices. Nike does Oregon St's gear, I figured they had to have something special. He called me to tell me that the store had virtually nothing for OSU. There were two shirts bookending a boatload of UofO gear. They sucked. He told me the store was loaded with Oregon gear now that the Civil War had passed, which I understand Oregon is playing for the National Championship against Auburn. But still. 2 sh*tty t-shirts? Really?

I laughed it off as the reality that Phil Knight funds Oregon sports. He is not going to pub OSU gear on Nike's corporate campus store, let alone any other venue. Come on. Duh.

My question is why doesn't Oregon State use Under Amour?? Or Reebok or Adidas? Do we have to be Phil Knight's bitch? Really?

I am going to start something here, maybe go on YouTube. Nike needs to get punted, now.

BTW- OSU's uniforms sucked in the Civil War. If the "Combat Gear" was so great, why didn't UofO were that shit?

The other OSU

Today Ohio St got dinged for some pretty serious infractions in a way that made the NCAA look compromised.

Apparently there is a market for college kids memorabilia, and Ohio folks will pay for it. There are also tattoo parlors that will trade autographs for free tat's.

Read this article for some disturbing quotes from all sides. This whole situation is really troubling. The amount off bullsh*t flying around is telling.

Oregon St is par with Idaho

Desmond Collins is a talented high school kid who changed his commit from Idaho to OSU this week. Below is a quote. Is this supposed to be a positive? The only difference was that Oregon St was in a BCS conference. WTF. Howabout 1st round draft picks? Howabout beat downs against USC? Howabout bowl appearances? Howabout current NFL players? Howabout OSU's academics? Idaho was close? Really? W-T-F

“All along, my feeling was the two schools were pretty equal and the one difference was Oregon State played in a BCS conference,” Collins told ESPN. “I was OK with that but lately, I started hearing more and more talk about a lot of schools jumping out of the WAC conference and it made me think a little more. I know Fresno State, Hawaii and maybe even Nevada could all leave and I don’t know what that would do for the conference. I didn’t know if Idaho would stay or if there would even be a conference any more.”

Read More

Here is some video containing Collins gameplay this year:

Season Opener- Sac St. Thank God

Finally Bob De Carolis is thinking. BYU and Wisonsin are still on the schedule for 2011, which is damage that can't be undone. Oh well.

Read More from the Oregonian

In other news, the OSU recruiting effort seems to be going well. It should since the coaches have more time on their hands(dig). Dylan Wynn from De La Salle body slammed an opponent on TV saturday night- it was impressive and likely worth a fine in the NFL because of it's brutality. I am going to keep an eye on this kid.

(source Oregonian)

37-20 Civil War FINAL

OSU kept it relatively close....

This game was over in the 3rd, maybe 2nd quarter, but was still worth watching. I have lots more comments and opinions about the game and the season, but I've had too many cocktails to write coherently.

Civil War ain't so civil

This years edition of the Civil War (12:30 PST kickoff) is probably the most torturous ever for the Beaver Nation. The fact that ESPN is at the game, the odds of OSU winning are 1 million to 1 at least, the game is nationally televised, OSU injuries are prevalent, the last game was a blowout loss(albeit to a top 5 team), OSU's Pac-10 and national stats are bottom tier on offense and defense.

These are conditions for disaster for OSU. Friends of mine keep saying that it's the Civil War and records and stats don't matter, but I am not buying that BS. ESPN is doing it's job in hyping the game as much as they can, but they know OSU is going to get plastered. In interviews Chip Kelly has done an incredible job being diplomatic about the ass whupping he is about to administer. Mike Riley is being Mike Riley.

If the Beavers keep it close they can save some face. If they win then they shock the world and at least go to a bottom tier bowl and have a better chance in the recruiting wars.

Building the Dam has an inspirational video that we hope the Beaver players watch over and over tonight. Perhaps they'll gain some initiative to play out of their minds. I don't think trying hard will affect the final outcome however. Ryan Katz won't inspire anyone based on this vid. Quizz comments on fighting hard. I don't think the OSU players will react well when they are down 3 scores early. I also don't think that an early lead will hold given the explosiveness of Oregon's offense. Oregon has a ton at stake in this game, do you think they will come out flat? I don't.

My prediction: 63-14 Oregon. The first half might be close, but in the 3rd and 4th quarters it gets ugly.

PS to OSU players- feel free to prove my prediction wrong... xoxox OSUBFBB

24-0 Stanford

Game over. Stanford is good at making average teams look horrible, which they did tonight to the Beavers.

Mistakes by everyone on the football team have contributed to this embarrassing game.

Besides lacking talent, the Beavers have demonstrated that they are mentally weak the entire year.

Stanford is punking the Beavers

It's starting to get ugly with 9 minutes left in the 2nd quarter. 17-0 is the score. Stanford is playing smarter and harder. It seems like the offensive line for Stanford is using Beaver defenders as punching bags. The Beavers are not playing smart at all, they keep racking up critical penalties on offense and defense. Stanford keeps blitzing and Katz can't adjust at all.

This year's team is a "try hard" team, meaning they have to try extra hard to be successful due to a lack of talent.

The coaches deserve much of the blame for this year's erratic play.

14-0 1st qtr

Stanford is manhandling the Beavers in the first 10 minutes. The Beavers are also making boneheaded play after boneheaded play it seems. The Beavers penalties are ridiculous. False starts, holding, personal fouls, etc. It's embarrassing.

The Beavers look physically out classed tonight. Let's see if they can rally to keep it close.

36-7! OSU applies an ass whuppin'

Katz to Hulahani for a TD with 2 minutes left.

Game over. Better special teams and better defense allowed the Beavers to beat the Trojans tonight. Quizz produced as usual, Katz didn't turn the ball over.

Congrats to the Beavers for showing that they are a football team with a mental problem.

It's great to beat USC, and it's better than a loss, but it also makes the losses to UW, UCLA, and WSU all the more painful.

29-7 OSU

3 minutes left.

23-7 Beavers, 9 minutes left

While this is not the same as previous USC victories, it's always nice to beat the Trojans.

The Beavers look like the aggressor tonight for a change.

Barkley is out due to an ankle sprain. The Beavers just need to not make mistakes to win this game.

What does this potential victory mean to OSU? They have to win out to go to a bowl. That is a respectable goal for this year's team in my opinion.

20-0 OSU

Special Teams + Good Defense = Victory

So far, so good. 40 seconds left in the half.

Kiffin went for it on 4th down twice, got lucky once, second time failed. Both times OSU capitalized.

10-0 Oregon State over USC

The Beavers are playing inspired(no pressure) football tonight. The score was 3-0 OSU after the 1st quarter, but on the first play of the 2nd quarter- Jordan Poyer picked Matt Barkley for 6.

31-14 Cougars win

OSU is beyond sorry. WSU punished the Beavers. 226 yards rushing for the Cougars. Are you kidding me? The first play set the tone of the game when Quizz got tackled 10 yards outside the lines and the Beavers acted like little bitches subsequently. There was no uptick in intensity, instead they cowered.

OSU has lost to the weakest teams in their Pac-10 schedule, USC/Stanford/Oregon are upcoming.

This is one of the most embarrassing loses for the Beavers in a long time.

Here's my report card:

RB- B
QB- D
TE- C
WR- D
OL- D

DL- F
LB- F
DB- F

KR/PR- C
Kicker- D
Punter- D

Coaching- F

24-14 Cougars

Katz converted to Halahuni on 4th and long, and two plays later Katz connected with Wheaton for a TD.

9:45 left in the game.

Even if the Beavers pull this one out(which I doubt), this performance has made it's mark. They are a below average squad this year.

Stanford, USC, and Oregon will destroy OSU......nice way to end the year.

Washington St is taxing the Beavers like the Gov't

With 12 minutes left OSU is down 24-7 against the sorry Washington St Cougars. The Cougars have been talking shit, hitting after the play and basically playing harder than the Beavers.

The Beavers defense is probably the worst edition since the character building years.

I don't know what to say about this game except that the Beavers are not very good in any facet of the game.

Beaver Phil's take on the UCLA game

There are many observations one can make about the Beaver/Bruin game but one sticks out to me.

We can't stop the spread/pistol/revolver or whatever they want to call it. Other than the UW 2OT loss we have been abused by the spread QB and it's running game. Brehaut looked like Andy Dalton and Kellen Moore. He is not that good. We can defend the pro set ok and that will help the next few weeks. The Civil War might be ugly.

Really disappointed with the personal fouls. Dwight Roberson hit Brehaut out of bounds on a 3rd and goal after he ran out of bounds on what would have been 4th down. Two plays later they tied the game. Early in the 4th quarter The late hit by Mike Remmers after a 7 yard first down run by Quizz really hurt. We had momentum after the Dockery pick and that made it 2nd and 18. With 48 seconds left they gave Remmers "Diamond in the Rough" status as a team leader. Not tonight. One play makes a difference. I LOVE Dwight, but both of those guys should know better.

The offense big not make mistakes but did not help themselves. Quizz needed more carries and yards.

Don't care about the last play when they put time on the clock. It was a good call. What I do have a problem with is UCLA getting an extra second on the second to last play. Giving them 4 vs. 3 seconds means the game would have gone to OT.

This game was not decided by the last two plays. We let a marginal team beat us.

Our bowl eligibility is in question with the loss. We should handle WSU next week but that gives us 5 wins. Need to beat USC, Stanford or the Ducks. Should squeak one of those out but don't like to have to.

Go Beavs.

Leadership

The Beavers are facing their first losing season in awhile. This loss to UCLA really hurts. There are many problems for the Beavers to overcome. I don't think there is a major coaching problem unless you are talking about recruiting.

A commenter here brought this subject up- and I thought it deserved it's own post. It's clear there is a field leadership problem at OSU. There just aren't enough players who qualify to be called a leader- even Quizz. Quizz doesn't seem to have the "Brett Favre" personality traits to be a real leader on offense, plus he is stoppable. Katz is getting by, not throwing INT's, but missing tons of open WR's and big plays. Giving Katz a title as leader is not fitting right now.

Leaders tend to dominate whenever they are on the field. Occasionally they get stopped or beat, but 90% of the time they kick ass. They also have supreme self confidence because they deliver the goods-consistently.

You can't assign a leadership title to someone who doesn't make plays against any level of competition consistently. The Beavers do not have a player who I would consider really dominant. Quizz is good, but he is starting to remind me of Yvenson Bernard. Paea is not the guy either. None of the defensive players look the part this year.

Here are some general guidelines for being a leader:

1)you should be a recruited player- not a walk-on- Mike Hass is the only exception
2)you should dominate the opposition consistently- even against the top 25 teams
3)you have to be able to be enthusiastic but not a spaz
4)you have to be able to motivate your teammates
5)you have to walk the walk/talk the talk

Just with those guidelines I don't see anyone fitting that description on the Beavers. Maybe James Rogers when he was healthy. But he's out and the Beavers don't have a replacement.

Heartbreaking loss

OSU lost to UCLA tonight 17-14 on a last second 51 yd FG. There is no point in my mind for analyzing the details of this game. It had huge ramifications for OSU's season.

At this point, OSU will be lucky to breakeven this year. A bowl is a long shot. OSU will not beat all 4 of it's remaining opponents. USC, Stanford, Oregon are likely losses.

So how did scheduling TCU and BSU work out for the Beav's this year? Was it worth it? Maybe the Beav's could've been 6-2 instead of 4-4.

Losing James Rogers has turned into a really big deal, the lack of defensive stars is also glaring.

I am not a blogger interested in ripping on Riley or the rest of the coaching staff. OSU's players played hard tonight. They've played hard all year- which I am proud of.

2011 Football Schedule Commentary

Brutal. That's all I can say. Wisconsin, BYU, Utah + the Pac-10 schedule. There is still one slot open- maybe DeCarolis can schedule Alabama or LSU.....

I've said it a dozen times on this blog, OSU needs to stop scheduling Top 25 non-conference teams.

It makes no sense at all. I am so tired of the people who say "it helps recruiting" when we play tough non-conference teams. That is BS. If I am a baller and I see OSU get it's ass kicked on national tv, I am NOT going to be inclined to go to OSU over another Pac-10 or Big 12 or even Mountain West team that wins and goes to good/meaningful bowl games. I am also tired of the people who say "tough games make the Beavers better", that is total BS. The Pac-10 games are tough enough. Every year there are high profile/pressure packed games that can toughen the Beavers for what really matters- A BCS BOWL GAME.

Listen, when I was at OSU the team/program sucked. Scheduling Nebraska for a payday made sense. The risk reward ratio worked in OSU's favor.

Now, this program doesn't need paydays or exposure to losses that kill a season before it even starts.

Here's the full 2011 OSU Beaver football schedule:

Sept. 3 TBD (non-conference home game)
Sept. 10 at Wisconsin (non-conference)
Sept. 17 Bye
Sept. 24 UCLA
Oct. 1 at Arizona State
Oct. 8 Arizona
Oct. 15 BYU (non-conference)
Oct. 22 at Washington State
Oct. 29 at Utah
Nov. 5 Stanford
Nov. 12 at California
Nov. 19 Washington
Nov. 26 at Oregon

Why I am proud of OSU these days....

I am happy that today's OSU FB program looks nothing like the program I played for- these guys are competitive nowadays, most of all the academic record is getting better. Strangely, OSU tends to take fringe qualifiers every recruiting season but they still have turned out some great scholar athletes lately. Football only lasts so long, academics pave the way for long term opportunities. Below is an excerpt from osubeavers.com for this week's game against UCLA-which is a must win game BTW.

ACADEMICALLY SPEAKING: Every Oregon State senior will graduate (or already has) this academic year. The following players have already graduated; TE Brady Camp (sociology/master's program), OT Timi Oshinowo (engineering/master's program) and TE John Reese (communications/master's program). Fall graduates include LB Keo Camat (liberal studies), CB James Dockery (business), OL Nathan Hannah (exercise and sport science), DE Mitchel Hunt (economics), PK Justin Kahut (engineering), C Alex Linnenkohl (business), OL Wilder McAndrews (pharmacy), DE Gabe Miller (engineering), WR Aaron Nichols (pharmacy), DT Brennan Olander (anthropology), DT Stephen Paea (sociology), OL Ryan Pohl (engineering), LB Dwight Roberson (liberal studies), WR James Rodgers (communications), S Suaesi Tuimaunei (sociology), LB Walker Vave (ethnic studies). Winter term graduates include DT Evan Hull (communications) and LB Keith Pankey (geology). Nichols and McAndrews have been accepted into OSU's Doctor of Pharmacy Program - only 10 percent of the applicants are admitted.

35-7 FINAL, Beavers beat the Bears

This was a royal ass whupping.

Not sure it's worth analyzing. The Beavers played great. Did what they were supposed to.

Is it just me or does Quizz seem kinda cold towards his own teammates? After his TD's he seemed indifferent. I have seen this for awhile. My BFF was at the TCU game and said he was aloof.

Any which way he balled. I am just not sure about the attitude.

I am glad they won. They are 3-1 in the Pac-10. The rest of the schedule is brutal.

35-0 3rd Qtr, OSU is spanking the Bears

OSU is taking advantage of Kevin Riley's injury. They are just punishing the Bears. Cal has 1 yard rushing with 4 minutes left in the 3rd.

I feel bad for Riley, the play he got hurt on was like Carson Palmer's injury in the NFL playoffs a few years ago. Olander fell onto his knee after rushing up the middle.

Quizz is making Cal's defense look foolish. He's got 3 TD's running and 1 TD passing.

Hopefully the Beavers will put in 2nd team guys on offense and let them get some playing time.

14-0 OSU after the 1st

The Beavers are kicking Cal's ass all over the field. Cal's starting QB has been knocked out of the game.

Quizz is going postal. He's run and passed for a TD so far. He is carving up Cal's defense with spectacular runs. He has 8 carries for 74 yards in the 1st Qtr!

Katz is still locking on to WR's, but is still gaming. Since Quizz is going off, Katz hasn't had to do much.

Cal Analysis

Win: the chances of a decent bowl for OSU is still a possibility.

Loss: bowl chances are out the window. The season is now reclassified as a rebuilding year.

Cal is unpredictable. The Nevada loss was unrecoverable for them, yet they rally. OSU has more to lose in this game.

My other Black and Orange team

Congrats to the San Francisco Giants for winning the National League Pennant!

They beat the super tough Phillies(my third favorite in the MLB next to the A's).

I am a big baseball fan, and tonight is one of the greatest nights of my life. I've been a SF Giants fan since I was a kid, I've been passionately watching their progress this year. I've taken my kids to multiple games at AT&T park and it's really magical.

This year's Giants team is amazing. I hope they win the WS!

Oregon...are you kidding me?

It's hard to knock the University of Oregon these days, as much as I loathe OSU's top rival, they are really good this year. #1 in points scored, #3 in rushing, #15 point against, and #29 in passing- yes passing- these guys run the ball better than they pass. Which is weird given the scheme.

UofO has done an amazing job recruiting Pac-10 talent into their spread offense. Even losing their starting QB from last year doesn't matter, Masoli is an after thought these days. I am not sure about the defense except to say they don't spend much time on the field. The defenses' stats will always be skewed because of the offense.

Oregon has an offensive system that is damn near unstoppable. The only way they fail is by player error, major error. The system makes up for most mistakes and makes the game simple. That's what impresses me the most, they keep it simple and execute. Players can be plugged in, and there is no drop off. Yes, James is really good, but I think a lot of talented backs could produce in Oregon's system.

OSU is going to have it's work cut out for it in this year's civil war.

Quizz vs Barry

Ok, I know it's not a fair comparison. But both are small RB's. Both cut on a dime. OSU did hype Quizz for the Heisman for awhile this year....

UW game is on ESPN

I am not sure if anyone caught this, but ESPN replayed the UW game tonight.

Damn hard to watch.

I am thinking about doing a break down of the last play of the game if I can gather the time. Spoiler- the TE ran the wrong route on the play. A soft curl route would have won the game. Katz thought that was the route. Hulahani drifted into the Safety.

BTW- Hardin needs to be replaced by Poyer asap. I feel really bad for Hardin- he is a good kid giving 110% effort. He is more of a Safety than a corner. He got used...repeatedly. He is a good athlete in the wrong position.

PS- I hated Mike Bellotti's commentary on the game- did you too? Leave comments....

Your love is a rollercoaster

A lot of folks are talking about the loss against Washington, it was a tough one. The bye is going to help me recover from this emotionally draining first 6 games. At 3-3 apathy is starting to set in.

This season has been a rocky one from a fan's perspective. There have been a lot of highlights to get excited about, and there have been some clear deficiencies made apparent.

It is not easy being an Oregon State football fan. It seems like every year, even when the team is winning, you have no idea what to expect. When you expect them to lose, they win. When you expect them win, they find a way to lose.

Cal fans have been going through this for years. I am friends with lots of Cal grads and their apathy is unreal. It doesn't matter if Cal is 7-0 or 11-0, they expect an implosion one way or the other. This year's Cal team is no different. Totally psycho. Nobody knows witch team will show up.

Is Oregon State going to be Cal from now on?

3 Pac-10 teams in the BCS

Oregon(#2), Stanford(#12), Arizona(#18).

If you include Utah(#9), you've got 4 teams in the top 20 BCS rankings.

That's quality. The Pac-10, soon to be Pac-12, is looking really good.

Here is the full BCS rankings published today.

Oklahoma is #1

Here is a video of one of my favorite TE's when I was a kid:

Beavers lose 35-34

The pass was dropped in the endzone.

This was a tough loss.

The Beavers should have beat the Huskies. 3 INT's won't do it. Especially on the road.

Oh no.

The Beavers score. Riley calls a timeout during the extra point. He is considering going for it.

I hope he doesn't....

35-28 UW

Hardin gets burned yet again and UW takes the lead. The Beavers must score a TD to continue this game.

The pressure is on the OSU offense to make plays right now.

UW scores, 28-28

Locker connected on a slant on 3rd and 2, 20 yard TD. On to 2nd overtime.

UW goes first on offense now. OSU on defense.

TD Quizz Rodgers! In OT!

28-21 Beavers! Katz tosses a nice pass to Quizz for a 10 yard score.

If the defense stops UW here, game over!

Beavers are killing themselves

3 penalties in a row. 2 and 25 yds. 3rd and long. Punt.

UW has two timeouts left. 1:25 left.

UW starts at their 10 yard line.

The Beavers need a pick 6 bad.....

Beavers get a huge 3rd down stop thanks to replay

Beavers got a lucky break on 3rd down. On the return the Beavers managed to get a block in the back penalty. 70 yds to paydirt.

Let's see if Katz can show some character and make a drive happen.

Beavers get fumble then stall again

UW has the ball at their 10 yard line with 4 minutes left.

Katz looks rattled. Locker is not much better.

UW misses FG, 8 minutes left

21-21 still! The OSU defense made a huge sack on 3rd down stopping UW.

The Beavers need a game winning drive right now. Quizz has got to get the ball.

Washington stops OSU

UW is playing better, the OSU offense found a way to stop themselves.

UW is now driving for a TD.

The turnovers by OSU are killers.

Katz throws his 3rd INT!

The Beavers were on the 10 yard line and Katz again throws a bonehead pick. The defense is holding, but Katz is melting down.

Quizz is on fire. He needs to get the ball. Katz is really having a bad game even though his 3rd down conversion rate is good. The turnovers are killing the Beavers.

If the Beavers lose the turnover stat, UW will win 98% of the time.

Brennan Olander makes a huge play on 4th down

UW looked like they were driving and Brennan Olander made a huge play driving the UW center back into the RB on 4th down.

Olander doesn't look like an athlete but he is making plays. Paea is hurt, he's been out since taking a shot to his knee.

Katz promptly threw another INT. UW has the ball at the 10 yard line.

2 INT's is going to haunt the Beavers.

21-21! Beavers tie it up

The Beavers got the ball and drove it down Washington's arse. Quizz is on fire. TD Beavers.

PS-Mike Bellotti is a donkey, and why ESPN put him on the OSU game tonight is beyond me.

21-14 Halftime

Here are some stats:

OSU offense: 133 total yds

UW offense: 274 total yds

Turnovers:

OSU: 1

UW: 2

QB's:

Katz: 6/13 54 yds, 1 TD rushing, 1 INT

Locker: 12/19 189 yds, 3 TD's, 1 INT

RB's:

Quizz: 14/64 yds, 1 TD

Polk: 14/55 yds

The Beavers will need to stop UW's offense in order for them to mount a comeback. OSU's offense is starting to click.

21-14, Quizz is mad

This game is now interesting. The Beavers seem really pissed off. Each player is giving second effort.

Quizz just ran around and over the entire Washington defense for a TD. The whole drive was Quizz. He is like a smaller Jim Brown. Just mad. At everyone and everything. Yikes.

Beavers score! 21-7

The Beavers look pissed and ready to make a comeback. Katz scored on a nifty scramble.

Poyer intercepted Locker and now the Beavers have the ball at the UW 10.

The Meltdown continues, 21-0

The Beavers are getting bitch slapped by the Huskies. It figures, we've beat them too many times in a row.

Analyzing this mess is pointless. It begins and ends with the Defense which is horrible. Just because the offense gets stopped once or twice doesn't mean you give up TD's like this defense does. It's scary how bad this year's squad is.

Katz has had opportunities, but a combination of bad breaks is hurting. Quizz has had nowhere to run so far. Wheaton dropped an easy TD.

This is looking like a really bad blowout. Kudo's to UW for being ready to play.

The Beavers are getting manhandled

Washington is taxing the Beavers so far, the score is 7-0 Washington but the Huskies are at the Beaver 3 yard line at the start of the 2nd quarter.

It looks like Washington is taking a physical strategy against the Beavers and so far it's working. The Beaver defense has been on the field way too long, and the Husky O-line is starting to push them around. UW has 11 1st downs and 165 yards already!

PS- My other favorite Orange/Black team just beat the Phillies so I am in a good mood.

Oops, UW just scored again 14-0.

Pac-12 Breakdown

(photo source: SBNation)

Brooks Hatch at the Gazette Times gives a good argument as to why the new Pac-12 north has an economic advantage over the south. This whole new conference is going to be interesting if not compelling. Larry Scott is going to be considered the "man" once the dust settles.

Read More

Washington Prediction

At the beginning of this season I didn't think I could say this, but the Beavers can win without James Rogers.

It sucks not having him, but a lot of kids have stepped up. Wheaton is nursing a bum knee too now, but he is supposed to be able to play Saturday night. Catchings, Poyer, Bishop, Hulahani, Reese, Darkins, and of course Quizz can pick up the slack. Give credit to Katz for dishing out the rock to so many players this year, they all have made plays and should feel confident.

I thought Jake Locker was very overrated going into this season, and he hasn't disappointed. He could put on his "try hard" attitude and make a statement. He hasn't faired well against OSU so far.

Sarkasian seems to have it in for his old employer and he gets his team up for them every year. He doesn't seem to have the same fire for other teams in the Pac-10 and it shows. Washington is a wild card to me, they could win or lose.

Riley is of course steady Eddie. Each game is the biggest game of the year. Every game the Beavers play hard. You have to give Riley credit for that.

Vegas has the Beavers favored by 2.5. Kahut is a major question mark, will he get back on track or continue to choke? The good news is that Washington's special teams haven't been that special this year either.

I think the Beavers come out swinging in this one, Katz is the difference to me. He is better than Locker right now.

28-21 Beavers.

Here's a clip of the UW vs BYU game earlier this year:

James Rodgers is out for the year

At least he has his medical redshirt and can comeback next year. He is such a great kid. He and Quizz will have a great year next year.

The blogger who posted this first was Angry Beavers.

Backed up by The Gazette Times.

Good job AB.

San Jose Mercury Writer has OSU at #10

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

From Jon Wilner at the SJ Merc:

* Moved Oregon State up 12 spots, to No. 10, after the Beavers won at Arizona.

Yes, they’re a two-loss team in my top 10, but the two losses are to No. 2 Boise State (road) and No. 3 TCU (semi-neutral) and the games were competitive in the fourth quarter — the Beavers were within a touchdown in both.

READ MORE

James Rodgers qualifies for Medical Redshirt

Here's some good news- James Rodgers qualifies for a medical hardship from the NCAA since he has played in 30% or less of the Beavers games this year. We could have the Rodgers Bros back again next year, which wouldn't suck.

There is a chance that he might have only torn his cartilage, which means he could get scoped and be back in two weeks.

Rodgers was quoted by Oregon Live that he didn't hear a pop and that it just tightened up on him. I've messed up my knees before, 2 scopes, sprained ligaments,etc. Usually when you tear ligaments you hear a pop, and it's usually loud enough to hear in a stadium packed with fans. If he partially tore ligaments he wouldn't hear a pop. If it's a partial tear he will probably redshirt since fixing partial tears are the same as full tears. If it was late in the season, he could play on a partial tear, but would need surgery after the season. In that scenario James would have a hard time getting drafted by the NFL since he would be rehab'ing well into the spring.

Here's a video of the play Rodgers got hurt on:

Beavers Win! 29-27

(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Arizona made a comeback but the Beavers held on for the victory!

Katz played a great game. 30/42 was fantastic. He put up 398 yds passing tonight. 3rd down conversions were 11-16. Katz looked like a baller this afternoon. A real leader. He is going to do great things at OSU.

The defense bent but didn't break. OSU gave up 540 yds of offense tonight. Okay, calling that bending is a stretch but they won. They only gave up 100 yds rushing, which is good, unless the offense is passing at will.

James Rodgers loss is huge, he was on fire until he got hurt. So frickin' sad. Wheaton stepped up huge with 7 catches for 113 yds and a TD.

Great win for the Beavers.

PS- Arizona was overrated. Although they were ranked #9, they weren't that good. The Beavers still have lots of room for improvement. This Pac-10 race is going to be interesting. I have a feeling the UofO vs OSU game is going to have grand importance for the 3 year in a row. We shall see...

2 minute Arizona offense takes it's toll

Arizona drove down the field and scores with 1:52 left. The OSU defense was clueless against the U of A offense. A couple key penalties helped.

29-27 OSU

Kahut's misses are huge.

If the Beavers can get one first down, the game is over.

2 INT's almost

Foles folds. 3rd and 10 Hardin has a long pass hit him in the face through his hands. Next play, 4th and 10, Cameron Collins drops an easy pick. Oh well, the Beavers have the ball at Arizona's 43 yard line, 4 minutes left.

If OSU scores, it's game over. It's also a great example of how to close a win on the road against the #9 team in the country.

Kahut misses another PAT!!!!! 29-20 OSU

After Dockery's amazingly lucky tackle the Beavers drove to a TD, and frickin' Kahut shanks another PAT!!!

This kinda shit will lose a close game. Foles has 2 game winning comebacks this year already.

WTF? 5:43 left in the game.

James Dockery stops Arizona

With a shoestring tackle on 3rd down. HUGE.

The Beavers got the ball back and are driving. 6:13 left. 3 point lead.

Beavers fall short on a critical series

The Beavers pushed down to the Arizona 40, then stalled. Now Arizona is driving. The Beavers drive could be the turning point in the game. Arizona is moving the ball at will on offense now.

23-20 OSU.....

Arizona uses OSU's defense to score

Arizona wastes no time and drives for a score. 23-20 OSU.

Momentum is on Arizona's side. Katz and Quizz need to stop this track meet.

Kahut is a donkey

Oregon State just orchestrated a fantastic drive for a TD and Justin Kahut misses the extra point. WTF???

The snap was fine. What is with kickers??? They have the easiest job on the team. One job, no reads, no mysteries. Point and shoot.

Ryan Katz looked great on the drive. So did Quizz.

Arizona starts the 2nd half with a sense of urgency, 17-13

The defense got worked on a couple plays. 33 yd TD by Arizona. Arizona is trying to lose this game, they got the extra point blocked! Arizona looks worried and they are trying harder now.

Markus Wheaton is going to get more shots to make plays, James Rodgers is out.

17-13 Oregon State

Halftime prediction

The Beavers are lucky to have a 10 pt lead, but that isn't going to be enough to win this game. They need to pile it on in the second half. I am concerned that Arizona is going to get fired up and make a comeback, taking advantage of OSU's historically lackluster closing skills.

James Rodgers was playing a huge game until he got hurt. It remains to be seen if the back-ups can pick up the slack.

The second half of this game is going to be a season defining 2 quarters for the Beavers. If they win, they are on a roll. If they lose this season looks like a "moral victory" season.

OSU 17 Arizona 7

Arizona ran nearly every play at Brandon Hardin to drive to the 25 of OSU, and missed the FG with 2 seconds left in the half.

OSU's defense is playing great for the most part. I feel bad for Hardin, there is not much he can do, he is not athletic enough to play corner in the Pac-10 and Arizona is trying to exploit this fact. Give Banker credit, he is scheming a good plan so far.

OSU's offense is making plays, they've gotten some bad breaks that stopped drives. Katz is playing great, 19 of 28, 257 yds, 2 TD's, 1 INT.. Even with the INT. He is making plays, starting to look more comfortable. Quizz is not a factor, 9 carries for 26 yds.

Foles is 14 for 19, 207 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT.

James Rodgers had 7 catches for 102 yards in the first half before getting hurt.... damn that pussy ass DB!!!!!!!

Katz records his first INT

In the redzone, Katz makes his first bad decision of the year. 159 passes went before he threw this pick. He has been having a great game. Arizona gets the ball at the 2 yd line at least.

This game is a hard hitting affair.

James Rodgers has a blown knee, the extent of the injury is unclear- but he can't put any weight on it and is in the locker room.

OSU's defense is playing it's best so far this year. Hardin is still the weak link tho. He gave up a pass interference that gave Arizona a chance to score before the half..

17-7 OSU

Douchebag DB hurts James Rodgers

The Beavers are playing the Cats tough, and James Rodgers was having a great game until he got tackled in the endzone after an apparent touchdown. The play was called back because of an illegal man downfield.

The Arizona DB didn't need to tackle James 5 yards into the endzone but did and twisted James' knee.

OSU is leading 17-7.

3 minutes of boneheaded plays

I was watching the replay of the OSU vs ASU game, and it was kinda painful to watch. There were sprinklings of great plays, and heavy doses of stupidity.

With about 4 minutes left OSU had the ball on offense and a 11 point lead. They had 3rd down and long, the play gets in late from the sideline, Katz rushes the team to the LOS. The offensive line breaks down against a 4 man rush, Phillip in particular misses a simple chip block, then watches a DL run by and blast Katz as he scrambles downfield. Then as Katz gets up Burfict from ASU head butts Katz, within a split second Phillip pushes Burfict and the ref's pull their flags. The Beavers could have gotten a first down by Burfict's dumb move, but Phillip stepped in, instead it's 4th down.

The next play is a punt and it's blocked by ASU. Next play ASU runs it up OSU's ass for a TD, then a 2 point conversion.

This kinda BS is bad. 8 pts in 1:30 of game play. OSU needs to learn to finish strong. They didn't against Louisville and they didn't against ASU.

UofA is better than ASU. Shit, ASU nearly came back from 11 pts in 3 minutes.....

Nick Foles scares me- sorta

Foles is third in the nation in completion percentage (74.5, 102 of 137) and ranks 26th in passing efficiency (149.84). He only has 6 TD's and has 4 pic's tho. Over a dozen different players have caught passes from him this year, which means they don't have a go-to guy or he's just democratic.

His competition so far has been Toledo, Citadel, Iowa and Cal. Iowa is a quality team and a tremendous win. Cal is good, Toledo and Citadel are weak, so it's hard to read. I think the Beavers can find a scheme to screw him up. Iowa probably played vanilla D and paid the price.

OSU stats recap

Oregon State 2010 Statistics

Scoring offense: 27.8 points per game (T-7th in Pac-10)
Total offense: 306.8 yards per game (10th in Pac-10)
Passing offense: 185.8 yards per game (9th in Pac-10)
Rushing offense: 121.0 yards per game (8th in Pac-10)

Oregon State Opponents:

Scoring offense: 30.8 points per game (8th in Pac-10)
Total offense: 434.8 yards per game (8th in Pac-10)
Passing offense: 240.0 yards per game (8th in Pac-10)
Rushing offense: 194.8 yards per game (8th in Pac-10)

Team Leaders:

Passing: Ryan Katz - 55-106, 720 yards, 7 TD, 0 INT
Receiving: Jordan Bishop - 9 receptions, 173 yards, 1 TD
Rushing: Jacquizz Rodgers - 84 carries, 398 yards, 6 TD
Tackles: Two tied with 33
Interceptions: James Dockery - 3
Sacks: Stephen Paea - 3

OSU holds on for a victory!

(photo source: ESPN/AP)

FINAL SCORE: 31-28

This was an exciting game. Turnovers were key. Katz played his best game, 2 TD's and no TO's. Nice.

Quizz simply went off this game. His first TD was an ESPN top 10 play, then busted 75 yarder too.

The defense bent but didn't completely break. The DB's made a couple nice plays. ASU racked up a boat load of yards, but less than their season avg.

BOX SCORE

Quizz goes 75 yds for a TD

The OSU D kept banging with ASU, gave up 3.

Next posession OSU gets the balls back and boom. Quizz makes his longest run ever.

OSU 31, ASU 20

Stanford is kicking Oregon's ass

As I mentioned before, Stanford is the most dangerous team in the Pac-10- short term and long term. They are rolling over Oregon AT OREGON!!!

ASU kicked a FG to get within 7. OSU promptly punt. 24-17

Beavers fail on 4th and 5

The Beavers have little confidence in Justin Kahut.

ASU's RB- Lewis is running up and down, right and left against the Beavers today. He's got 12 carries for 80 yards so far.

Halftime stats

Total Offense:

ASU- 188
OSU- 277

Turnovers:

ASU- 1
OSU- 0

Time of Possession:

ASU- 14:01
OSU- 15:59

QB's:

C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT
Ryan Katz 13/19 214 11.3 2 0


C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT
Steven Threet 5/12 107 8.9 1 1

24-14 OSU Halftime

Katz makes some great throws against ASU with minimal time left. Bishop, Halahuni , all made plays.

So far the Beavers are proving me wrong- prediction wise. The defense is bending, but not breaking.

James Rodgers is out of this game

Sorry I forgot to mention this. James is not playing against Arizona State because of his concussion suffered against Boise State.

17-14 OSU

The Sun Devils drove down the Beavers throat and scored. Dockery got called for holding on 3rd down near the goal line. The Oregon State defensive line needs to pick it up and start pushing. The offense needs to continue to score each drive. The defense is not going to stop anyone.

17-7 Oregon State

Awesome drive. Katz hits Nichols on a long slant for the TD. He had all day.

1st Quarter Analysis

OSU is gaming today. The OSU defense is competing, as well as the offense. This looks like a track meet so far.

The OSU players who impress- Quizz. Cameron Collins, Doctor.

131 yds for OSU vs 119 for ASU.

1 TO by ASU, 0 TO by OSU.

Katz is still only 50% comp.

Quizz has 55 yds on 10 carries- IN THE FIRST QTR!

Quizz scores on an unbelievable run!!!!

WOW. Two changes of direction, stiff arms, speed. Quizz just went off. You will see this on highlight reels.

10-7 OSU.

Dockery makes another INT

He saved Bankers' ass with this one. It's still 7-3 ASU.

7-3 ASU

The Beavers put together a nice drive but stalled at the 10 yard line. Kahut hit the chip shot.

7-0 ASU

The ASU QB throws a knuckle ball to his WR crossing the middle of the field. He gets hit by two OSU DB's and shrugs it off into the endzone.

If OSU's offense doesn't perform, this could get ugly. The OSU D is looking unprepared.

This Dude lost his Fiesta Bowl ring at the TCU game

Wow. Brutall story. Losing your ring like that sucks. Having all the other issues sucks too.

Oregon State's Mitch White savors good memories, shuns chronic pain in return for Fiesta Bowl reunion (Oregon Live)

SF Giants are more important than the Beav's

Is that wrong? For some reason my attention has been focused on the SF Giants playoff run. Gotta luv the Orange/Black of pro baseball. The Giants have had a great season, they sucked the first few months, and now they are about to win the Division and make the playoffs. Can the Beavers follow this same storyline? They have for the past few years, but this year feels different.

I am just not interested in the ASU/OSU game as much. The Erickson led OSU team tribute at halftime is kinda cool, but weird because I want the Beavers to crush his team into oblivion the same day I am paying tribute to his efforts in 2000. WTF?

It seems like it's all been said about the Beavers this fall, and there is not much more to point out when it comes to OSU's flaws.

Duh, the defense is not good this year.

Duh, there is a new QB who isn't as efficient as they need when the defense is crap.

Duh, the lack of roster depth/talent-stemming from uncoordinated recruiting efforts, is a huge issue.

The ASU game is not a toss up. James Rodgers is still hurt from his concussion, and concussions are not easy to return from. The Beavers get +3 for being the home team. But ASU is better statistically and against good opposition.

My prediction- ASU 35-21. Please prove me wrong Beavers.

Boys of Fall

I'm not much a country fan, but this a great song. It reminds me of how wonderful high school and college football was for me.

They are who we thought they were

Scariest team in the Pac-10

I think Stanford is standing out as the scariest team in the Pac-10. Why? Because they are good right now. Their coach makes a difference.

If I were a recruit who could qualify for Stanford and they offered a scholarship, it would be a done deal assuming my support network understood the value of a degree from Stanford. If they are in my ear about other schools it might be a problem. But if they have half a clue, they will correctly choose Stanford.

If Harbaugh leaves, then all bets are off. Chances are that he will get offers like his brother in the NFL.

If he is smart he stays put, he will build Stanford into a college football juggernaut.

OSU needs to re-position itself to compete. Although OSU has some great academic credentials, most are only relevant in the NW. And honestly, I don't live in Oregon and I see zero value add with my degree from OSU. I work in tech/venture capital/finance and there are minimal OSU grads to network with. OSU will need to pull kids because of the head coach 90% of the time. The network/credentials won't cut it. USC and UCLA are not at Stanford's level. Cal is, but they are too left wing.

Stanford is not geographically challenged as OSU is. If you wanted a job in Indiana and had a Stanford undergrad degree- the odds are in your favor. Even against Purdue/Notre Dame grads. A USC degree is only valuable in LA. Same for UCLA.

This is not about kissing Stanford's ass, it is a wake up call to OSU coaches/admin. They have to come up with a strong value proposition to get the top talent. Smart and athletic talent. Yes, having an aggressive coach who demands winning would help, but until Riley is gone and there is an option- the Beav's need some PR. And perhaps a coach who can take things to the next level.

That sad part is that most of the $$ folks in OSU's network still remember the 28 year drought and will be happy with a winning program. I can't say I blame them.

37-24 Boise St Wins

The Beavers gave it a good effort. This game can be disected all you want. The Beavers had to press to win. I mean they where "try hards". Making plays took exceptional effort. The effort is great. The fact that the Beavers competed was good. But this team needs some help.

James Rodgers suffered a concussion and will be out. How long? Who knows.

Until the Beavers start making plays without having to try hard, this will be a tough season.

Stanford is my favorite team in the Pac-10 right now. I will discuss more about why I think they should be the most dominant program in the Pac-10.

BSU is running the ball down the Beav's throats

It's getting ugly.

6 minutes left.

Beaver's offense sputters with 10 minutes left

34-24. BSU has the ball. The Beavers are going to need to get some miracle plays to win this game.

Katz is sub 50% completion rate again. It seems like he is pressing.

TD Beavers!

Unreal play. Katz lobs a ball in the middle of the field, Catchings gets it somehow, fumbles, and Halahuni covers the ball.

31-24 BSU. 32 seconds left in the 3rd.

Wow.

Game over

This game is over. I am calling it with 1:41 left, then boom the Beavers get the ball back on a fumbled punt return.

Will the Beav's comeback?

31-17.

Collins gets robbed

BSU has been getting too many home calls tonight. On a critical play Cameron Collins got called for pass interference when he clearly made a good play.

Two plays later, BSU 31-17.

Two TD's is the difference.

Penalties help the Beav's come back

BSU killed themselves with multiple penalties, and the Beavers took advantage. Quizz scored on a broken play- thank god.

24-17 BSU

3 min left in the 3rd.

Rogers walks off the field

Thank god. Tempers are flaring.

Katz is trying way too hard. He is missing open receivers on ever play. He is pressing.

James Rogers is hurt

The Beavers stopped BSU, got the ball back, and on a huge 3rd run by Katz James Rogers got blasted on the blindside.

It looks like a stinger to me. But it could be worse. This reminds me of Jahvid Best last year.

(update: James Rogers is out of his mind, he is walking up and down the sideline trying to get in the game. The trainers took his helmut away from him. )

Halftime Stats

Ryan Katz: 5/12 71 yds

Kellen Moore: 13/18 235 yds 2 TD's

Quizz has 39 yards rushing. James produced an awesome punt return, but little else.

The total stats are too scary to print. Let's just say OSU is getting worked on both sides of the ball statistically.

The Beavers will have a hard time keeping it close in the second half unless they start making some plays. So far, they look like they can't compete athletically.

Mike RIley

4th and 5, his team is down 24-10. He calls for a FG. The kicker misses an easy FG. Mike Riley...WTF

I am really disappointed with this play call. This was weak and the players knew it.

Aggression is needed. Now. This was the second huge coaching mistake. First was not taking the ball first at the second half. The Beavers decided to take ball first in the game and got punked. When you are the away team you want your defense on the field first. This is coaching 101.

Hardin is getting used

Apparently BSU watched game film and deduced that Brandon Hardin wasn't a competent CB. I have to admit he looks more like a Safety than a CB. Anyway BSU has had multiple big plays against him tonight. He is getting punished.

Score- 24-10 BSU.

Hopefully OSU can keep this close....

17-10 BSU

The Beavers got a big play from Katz to the Haulani. This put them in FG range. The rest of the plays where crushed.

Kahut kicked a 41 yarder.

The Beavers need to make a defensive stop asap.....

BSU 17-7

The Beavers are playing hard and trying to keep it close, but the lack of execution on offense and defense is costing them.

James Rogers made an unreal special teams play, but the other sides of ball are getting worked.

Special Teams for the Beav's is making plays....

Weather Forecast for Saturday in Boise

It's supposed to be in the 80's. Low of 55 at night. Sunny and beautiful.

Blue Turf Nation is in da house!

My friend Cliff at Blue Turf Nation has agreed to do a Q&A swap with the OSU Beaver Football Blog! Blue Turf is a comprehensive BSU FB blog with multiple bloggers adding stuff all the time. Check it out.

Here are Cliff's answers to my questions:

1) What is the best way for a visiting team to overcome BSU's homefield advantage, besides practicing on blue turf?

Boise State is know for it's FAMOUS BLUE TURF and it has become the staple of their program. But what you must realize is that its just that a field. As with any field how do you prepare is depending on the surface, not the color. It is a new surface this year and OSU will be the first team to play on the new surface. I would recommend preparation starting with a artificial surface and put less focus on the actual color.

2) What weaknesses do you see in BSU's defense this year?

Confidence. If you watched the Va Tech game there were many exposed weaknesses. I believe if you can rattle the DB's confidence you can work from that angle. If you get burned and the backfield is firing on all cylinders it will be tough. With that said it is the first home game and there are many distractions that will come into play, likebeing back home with friends and family, ESPN College Game Day, ABC, etc. Target the emotional aspect and rattle the confidence and you can win the defensive battle.

3) What weaknesses do you see in BSU's offense this year? Is it possible to stop them?

Depth in the backfield is solid, depth in the receiving corps is solid, we have a QB that will soon be playing on Sundays that doesn't leave much other than the O-Line and the rotation and depth is solid there as well. Short answer, I think it is possible to stop the passing game with a team approach to your defense plan. But controlling the run? Now that's a field of a different color. So, I guess I should have just said no.

4) Is there a chance BSU might be overconfident after watching film of OSU's defense this year?

The one thing the coaching staff puts a great deal of emphasis is the overconfidence factor. I think OSU is a formidable Top 25 competitor and will not be overlooked. If film shows weaknesses you can expect Kellen to take every advantage they may find.

5) What will it take for OSU to pull the upset?

Start fast and have a couple of quick strikes and then battle it out in the trenches and hold on to that lead for all four quarters. Every time Boise State scores you will have to counter and then it will come down to the last man with the ball. Be prepared for Boise State to follow similar advice and that will be to strike fast, hard and often.

Blue Turf Nation Prediction:

41-17 Boise State. I really think some of what you have based your questions upon will be too much for Oregon State to handle and The Broncos will put some points on the board early and play three effective quarters and the second and third string will give up a few points in the fourth quarter.

Pissing into the wind

Here's a good example:



Thanks Building The Dam for the vid.

Dockery INT seals the deal

Louisville was driving and DL pressure caused a bad pass towards Dockery and he made the pick.

35-28 is the final.

OSU's defense gave up 453 yards to Louisville. There will be a lot of discussions about the D this week.

Boise is probably salivating at this point....

1:42, the Beavers can't convert 3 and 2

Wow. The Beavers couldn't convert on 3rd and 2, giving the Cardinals the ball back. Luckily they got it back at the 8 yard line.

OSU should not be winning

35-28, Louisville scores

OSU's defense continues to show how average it is and gives up the TD on a short field.

Katz gets the wind knocked out of him

Oh shit. Katz was in the OSU endzone, scrambling left and got drilled by a Louisville LB. It looks like a shot to the ribs. Probably just the wind getting knocked out of him.

Cody Vaz is coming in....

35-21,Louisville comes back

It's not hard to do against OSU's defense. Louisville keeps stopping themselves. Which is expected for a road team from the south. It's typical Corvallis weather- gray and drizzle.

Hekker is way over rated(sucks) BTW.

Katz is the real deal.

35-14 OSU

Markus Weaton scored on a wildcat sweep. It was kinda funny, he looked surprised throughout his run that nobody was touching him.

OSU's defense set up this score by shutting down Louisville's offense. It looks like the D actually made some adjustments and started attacking.

28-14, Beavers take it down the field

James Rogers delivers a 45 yd KO return, and Katz shows touch. TD Quizz.

There is no doubt that Katz is going to be really good. The Rogers Bros. are doing their part.

Now, can the OSU defense make some plays and let the offense take control?

21-14 OSU halftime

Quizz is making plays. He scored a TD after the Beavers had a short field.

The Louisville defense is not stopping the OSU offense, they are stopping themselves.

The OSU defense needs to step up. I am going to drink more beer. That's my commit for this game.....

14-14, Louisville scores

OSU's defense is having issues. Louisville has 240 yards- in the 1st half!!!!

This game is hard to watch

The score is now 14-7.

The Beavers just scored. Quizz ran it in after a couple good passes by Katz. Still, this is not a good performance by the Beavers. OSU's defense is horrible. The special teams are crap. Kahut can't kick the ball past the 20 yard line on kickoffs. Hekker looks average.

OSU's offense looks pathetic, missed blocks, missed reads. They are scrappy, not well tuned. The Defense is still garbage.

The Beavers are moving the ball sporatically because the Rodgers Bros. are getting things done-sorta.

Without a defense this game looks in jeopardy. I can't believe how bad OSU's defense is at this point. Banker is playing everybody on the depth chart.

Lessons learned in the 1st qtr

OSU's defense is getting punished so far. Louisville is running at will. The Louisville QB is outrunning our LB's.

OSU's offense is a joke. I don't know what to focus on as far as leaks. Every position is playing subpar football. OSU had two weeks to prep for this game, and they look like shit.

Louisville sucks BTW. They should be up 14-0. They keep killing themselves left and right.

OSU managed to score a TD, but of course they get an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty after the TD.

This really sucks. At least it's only the first quarter. 7-0 OSU.

Game on

Louisville is on their first drive, and they are running the ball well against OSU already. Louisville is also throwing with ease. Louisville is about to score. Not good.

But its only the first drive.

I am watching this game on standard definition, which sucks....once you have watched HD TV the normal def hurts your eyes.

My prediction for Louisville

The spread is now 20 pts, and I think the Beavers will cover.

Why? Louisville is an average team that's travelling to bumfuck eqypt to play a game in extremely hostile quarters. I expect Louisville to turn the ball over early and the Beavers should take advantage. With the crowd into the game and the Beavers eager to prove they have skills, they should roll.

Final score- 35-7.

Oregon Live cool videos of recruits

Click Here to see the vid's

Louisville game is a sellout

45k+ will be in attendance- NICE!

Kickoff is at 2:32pm Saturday. FSN is broadcasting.

Source: OSU Sports Information

Rankings

OSU is ranked #25 this week, which is generous at this point. 1 game doesn't make a season, but it does say a lot about the team and it's potential. The Beavers were tied with 1 minute left in the 3rd qtr against TCU, and if not for a blown snap with 4 minutes left, the Beavers could have come back. Yes there was still 3:50 left after the free punt, but OSU's defense couldn't make the critical stop at the end.

This year's team is going to be competitive, but not dominant. I don't care how much the OSU defense improves statistically, they don't have the ponies to kick ass with. I remember last year when the Beavers went on a roll, and everyone was all happy and go-lucky, like the Beavers might beat UofO. If anyone dug into the stats of the OSU defense, they would've have seen that the OSU D didn't stand a chance. The OSU offense helped the defense more than they helped themselves.

This year will be more of the same. I don't think OSU needs to change it's defensive scheme as much as recruit better. Fundamentally the OSU defense modifies itself against each opponent, the problem is talent- and what the coaches have to work with. Riley needs a recruiting coordinator badly.

Anyway, OSU could win 35-7 against Louisville and have a great statistical game defensively, but it won't matter. Against quality opponents the weaknesses will show eventually(lack of speed and athletes at LB and DL). OSU has a bunch of ballers on offense this year, and they need to control the clock. The O-line is the question mark. I think the offense will improve more over the course of this season than the defense.

The Beavers registered 17 sacks last year, second to last in the FBS. They had 8 picks last year, tied for 95th.

OSU registered 1 sack in the TCU game. At least they got 2 picks.....

18.5 favorites

OSU is currently favored by 18+ points against Louisville Saturday. OSU has a lot to improve on this game, and a loss could be catastrophic going into the BSU game. OSU needs confidence going into Boise's home turf. Boise is going to be especially motivated given Virginia Tech's recent demise. BSU will try and blow out the Beavers guaranteed.

OSU typically performs well after bye weeks, what is your prediction for the Louisville game?

Will OSU cover the spread?

(UPDATE: The spread is ranging 17-18.5 depending on the book runner)

Watching the BSU v V Tech game

Boise is putting an ass whupping on Virginia Tech tonight. V-Tech's QB is in a state of shock. So is the whole team. V-Tech's QB is playing like a retard to be honest. Boise is good, but the QB is melting down. Credit to Boise for that.

OSU is going to have their work cut out for them after the Louisville game. OSU better win against Louisville. BSU will be brutal.

The Beavers play BSU at BSU BTFW......

Nice scheduling by De Carolis......

(UPDATE)

BSU delivered in the clutch to win the game against Virginia Tech.

The Beavers need to deliver against Louisville, then hope for a rash of BSU injuries....

Reflections

I am not psyched about a lot of things that went down in the TCU game, but there were some bright spots that should lead OSU to a decent season.

Positives:

Katz's performance (sorta)- for his first game it wasn't too bad, but his audible screw up cost OSU 2 pts and effectively ended the game.

Bishop's TD- Nice pitch and catch.

Nichol's 3rd down catch in the 1st half

Negatives:

Run Defense- 278 frickin' yds by TCU. OSU's safeties lead the team in tackles- 'nuff said.

Special Teams- one fake punt was a bright spot. Kahut missed a makable FG, and Hekker shanked a punt at the end of the 1st half that gave TCU a short field- which lead to a TD.

Run Offense- Quizz got a whopping 18 carries for 75 yds- WTF? OSU's o-line needs to hit the weightroom harder. They looked soft. The Beavers had 73 yds rushing for the whole game.

Pass efficiency- Katz was 9-25. This kind of efficiency will not cut it. Especially against teams that have good offenses, the Beavers need to control the clock.

Offensive Third Down Conversions- TCU owned the clock all game. The Beav's only converted 4 out of 11 ops. TCU was 11-17.

Summary:

At least the Beavers did not embarrass themselves. The OSU defense, especially the LB's looked lost against an offense they've seen before. Arm tackling, over pursuing, added to a losing recipe. The pass defense was okay, two INT's were great. But the DB's had to make way to many tackles. The OSU offense got pwned at the line of scrimmage the whole game. Besides taking away the running game, they pressured Katz. Luckily Katz did not turn the ball over with a pick. The OSU coaches called an okay game, not great. The defensive scheme was hard to judge because a lot of the plays made by TCU were made because OSU was out of position and unable to recover. LB's are supposed to produce in Mark Banker's scheme, and they were AWOL. I think the Beavers will improve over the next two weeks, Louisville will be an interesting game the Beavers should win.

LINKS TO OTHER REFLECTIONS:

Miller(ESPN)

Kirkpatrick(Gazette Times)

Angry Beaver

Building the Dam

The spread offense owns OSU's defense again

I don't need any stats.

This feels like the early 90's again.

30-21 game over

At least the Beavers covered the spread. Actually there are tons of positives about the Beavers after this game. I will discuss them more after I've had a chance to sleep.

Game over

QB snap. Unreal.

21-14 TCU

OSU is going toe-to-toe with a very good TCU team. OSU is very close to being very good on offense, however Quizz is not performing. Whether it's because of a lack of blocking or good defense.

Katz looks like the real deal. He has missed 4 passes that were huge, but he also made some nice passes.

As I mentioned, special teams is a critical component to this game. Hekker made a play then blew a play. His crappy punt gave TCU a short field with 2 minutes left. His great play was the fake punt. I hope he didn't blow his load on that fake punt. He needs to make punts in the second half.

Kahut is not reliable. He missed a makable kick.

This game will either get ugly in the 3rd quarter for the Beav's or they start making plays and win the game.

14-7 OSU

Hekker hits a fake punt pass, next play Katz goes deep to Bishop for 6.

14-7.

TCU is pissed and feeling the pressure.

7-7 After the 1st quarter

OSU and TCU are throwing punches like heavyweights so far. OSU's offense has no running game, and the passing game looks out of sync. Luckily TCU's offense is not perfect. Dalton is the real though, he is making plays. His INT was a fluke gimme that OSU took advantage of.

Quizz is not getting any holes, TCU's rush defense is legit. No turnovers by the Beav's is the key so far.

Paea ended the 1st qtr with a sack of Dalton on 3rd down. Nice.

The Big Screen

TCU pre-game- Katz

Pre-game TCU- Quizz

At this time tomorrow

At this time tomorrow the Beavers will be getting it on with the Horned Frogs of TCU. I am psyched!

I have a friend who is at OSU's afternoon practice today, traveling with the team. I will post pics and vid's as I get them.

As for my prediction for the game, I sadly think that TCU is going win, and will probably cover the spread. Final score 42-21. Senior, productive QB's go a long way for me. So does OSU's horrid record against pre-season top 20 teams, I think it's 0-5. This is my analytical prediction.

My emotional prediction is that the Beavers show spunk like they did against LSU years ago, except this time the kicker doesn't miss and the Beavers win. Final score 30-28.

TCU vs OSU Comparison Report

(source: Oregonian)

Many bloggers are focused on evaluating the TCU v OSU match up based on the offenses and defenses. No one seems to be talking about special teams, which I think will play a bigger role in this game than people realize. OSU played a super offense at Hawaii a few years ago and special teams played a huge role in the win. OSU lost to LSU because of special teams. There are too many games to count that Special Teams played a huge role.

To flush out my thoughts I did a quick grade out of each team below.

Homefield: Advantage TCU (+5)

Offense:

O-Line: Advantage TCU (+5)

QB: Advantage TCU (+5)

RB's: Advantage OSU (+5)

WR's: Even

TE's: Advantage OSU (+5)

Defense:

D-Line: Even

LB's: Advantage TCU (+5)

DB's: Advantage OSU (+5)

Special Teams:

Placekicker: Advantage OSU (+5)

Punter: Advantage OSU (+5)

KO Returner: Advantage OSU (+5)

Punt Returner: Advantage OSU (+5)

TCU Total: 20

OSU Total: 35

So what is my prediction for the game? Stay tuned.

CJ Spiller vs TCU 2009

If you pay attention to the NFL, CJ Spiller is looking like the real deal for the Buffalo Bills. He has balled in the pre-season, we will see how things work out in the regular season. I am posting this video of TCU vs Clemson last year because it showed how TCU handles a very good RB. CJ posted 112 yds rushing in a loss. TCU went into Clemson's house and won 14-10.

TCU will be focused on stopping Quizz Saturday. It's not clear whether or not TCU has the same defense they had last year. How Quizz performs is going to be telling. Perhaps he is the key to winning the game? I think controlling the football will be very important. What do you think?

Injuries

The Beavers are in deep do doo right now. Too many players have gone down with injuries this fall. While many are not season ending, it's happening to key players like James Rogers, Catchings, Wheaton, Philips and Paea.

As if the Beavers needed more challenges, their defense is looking ragged this fall. I've been saying all year long that the Beavers needed more athletes on defense if they were going to compete this year, let alone win the Pac-10. The LB's look the least impressive, followed by the DE's. I think the DB's will be okay, but if the d-line doesn't pressure the QB it won't matter.

I am more concerned about the defense than the offense. Defense wins championships.

I am hoping that the Beavers can at least make next Thursday's game a close one. TCU will be ready to play and they have home field advantage. The spread on the game is 12-14 in favor of TCU.

Historical OSU Football Results

2010 Schedule
Aug. 9 Camp Opens

Sept. 4 at TCU (Loss 30-21)
Sept. 11 Bye
Sept. 18- Louisville (Win 35-28)
Sept. 25 at Boise State (Loss 37-24)
Oct. 2- Arizona State (Win 31-28)
Oct. 9 at Arizona (Win 29-27)
Oct. 16 at Washington (Loss 35-34)
Oct. 23 Bye
Oct. 30- Cal (Win 35-7)
Nov. 6- UCLA (Loss 17-14)
Nov. 13 at Washington St (Loss 31-14)
Nov. 20- USC (Win 36-7)
Nov. 27 at Stanford (Loss 38-0)
Dec. 4 Oregon (Loss)

Record: 5-7
Pac-10 Record: 4-5

2009 OSU FB Schedule
Portland State- 9/5/09 (W 34-7)
@UNLV- 9/12/09 (W 23-21)
Cincinnati- 9/19/09 (L 28-18)
Arizona- 9/26/09 (L 37-32)
@Arizona St- 10/3/09 (W 28-17)
Stanford- 10/10/09 (W 38-28)
@USC- 10/24/09 (L 42-36)
UCLA- 10/31/09 (W 26-19)
@Cal- 11/07/09 (W 31-14)
Washington- 11/14/09 (W 48-21)
@Washington St- 11/21/09 (W)
@Oregon- 12/03/09 (L 37-33)

2009 Record: 8-5
Pac-10 Record: 6-3 (tied for 2nd)
Las Vegas Bowl: OSU vs BYU (LOSS!!!!)

2008 Schedule
Aug. 30 - at Stanford (L 36-28)
Sept. 6 - at Penn State (L 45-14)
Sept. 13 - Hawaii (W 45-7)
Sept. 25 - USC (W 27-21)
Oct. 2 - at Utah (L 31-28)
Oct. 11 - Wash State (W 66-13)
Oct. 18 - at Wash (W 34-13)
Nov. 1 - ASU (W 27-25)
Nov. 8 - at UCLA (W 34-6)
Nov. 15 - Cal (W 34-17)
Nov. 22 - at Arizona (W 19-17)
Nov. 29 - Oregon (L 68-35)

Sun Bowl: OSU vs Pitt (W 3-0)
Final Record: 9-4

2007 Schedule
Aug. 30 Utah (Win 24-7)
Sept. 6 at Cincinnati (Loss 34-3)
Sept. 15 Idaho State (Win 61-10)
Sept. 22 at ASU (Loss 44-32)
Sept. 29 UCLA (Loss 40-14)
Oct. 6 Arizona (Win-31-13)
Oct. 13 at California (Win- 31-28)
Oct. 20 Bye
Oct. 27 Stanford (Win- 23-6)
Nov. 3 at USC (Loss- 24-3)
Nov. 10 Washington (Win-29-23)
Nov. 17 at Wash St. (Win 52-17)
Nov. 24 Bye
Dec. 1 at Oregon (Win 38-31 2OT)

2007 Record: 9-4
Bowl: Emerald, Dec 28th
Opponent: Maryland (Win 21-14)

More Historical results for OSU Football

Beavers football season starts with a bang

Apparently Tyler Thomas(19, of Kalispell, Montana) has a drinking problem and felt that being naked in a stranger's apartment required nudity in a 3 point stance....

Read Miller's take on using a taser on a nude football player. Even Yahoo chimed in.

BTW- Tyler's brother recently committed to coming to OSU. Poor guy, I bet he is embarrassed, I know OSU alums are. He is going to beat his brother worse than Michael Phillips' brother(Mike's bro broke his nose). At least Michael's brother is already on campus....

Needless to say, Tyler is no longer on the OSU football team

The Spread Offense

As you may know, TCU runs the spread offense. They were prolific with it last year, and it helped them get to a BCS Bowl.

Angry Beaver wrote a great post on ideas for stopping the spread offense, and I think they are good ideas. He recommends that the defensive ends put pressure on the QB by bluffing and forcing poor decisions. Last year's defensive ends did not produce, what's going to change this year? I agree that a proactive defensive strategy is required. OSU's cornerbacks are going to have to step up bigtime. They are going to be critical to stopping TCU's offense.

The Beavers have not handled the spread historically, and TCU is probably licking their chops, er frog lips.

The Beavers defense was okay last year, but didn't dominate. This first game is going to be a huge test. I don't think TCU is going to lay an egg, they are going to be ready to play- they have 9 offensive starters returning. That includes an experienced QB in Andy Dalton. He produced 2756 passing yards, 512 rushing yards, with 26 total touchdowns last season.

To win on the road, you have to bring a superior defense, will the Beavers bring it?