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.