The Rodgers brothers could help the Beavers make history in 2010 but they’ll have to do it the hard way.
The schedule There can be no question; the Beavers have the most brutal non-conference schedule in all of College Football, with two top 10 opponents. Oregon State’s season begins with a neutral site game with TCU in Cowboy Stadium, followed by a home game against a rebuilding Louisville, before the Beavers hit the road again to take on Boise State.
Oregon State’s Pac-10 slate starts off with several games where the Beavers will be favored, with the trip to Washington on October 16 the only potential banana skin. OSU’s charge for a Rose Bowl bid ends with a tough three game slate against USC, at Stanford, and finally the Civil War with the Ducks.
The players The Rodgers brothers, Jacquizz and James, will once again be the stars on offense for Oregon State. First year quarterback Ryan Katz should slot in nicely under center, replacing Sean Canfield. College betting fans should note Katz had a good spring game. This coupled with an offense returning 8 starters harbors well for the coming season.
On defense, tackle Stephen Paea leads an experienced group that includes 9 returning starters. All-Pac-10 kicker Justin Kahut is also back along with returning punter Johnny Hecker to round out a veteran team.
The forecast This season all comes down to the mental stability of the Beavers. It is hard to see Oregon State entering Pac-10 play with anything better than a 1-2 record. For all the talent on hand, this team simply lacks the class of TCU or Boise State. A fast start to conference play is vital for OSU to turn things around.
There is a lot going in the Beavers’ favor. I like Oregon State to go either 6-0 or 5-1, depending on what Jake Locker does for Washington, over the first part of its Pac-10 slate. That leaves a home game with USC, which I like the Beavers to win, and a road duel with Stanford, which could go either way, before the Civil War.
History will ride on one game when Oregon State looks to overcome the College Football odds and make it to the Rose Bowl for the first time since 1965. To do it they will have to beat last season’s Pac-10 champions, the Oregon Ducks, at home. I like the Beavers to come out on top on an emotional day in Corvallis to secure the conference title and a place in Pasadena. Bet on the Oregon State Beavers to win the Pac-10 title in 2010.
