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Oregon State @ Colorado

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7pm on Thursday.

As always, I have nothing to say about the basketball team. If they start playing the game right, I’ll start watching games and probably writing more. Until then, another placeholder thread. Personally, I don’t like the coach or any of the players, so it’s just painful to watch and life’s too short. Happy new year, Beavlettes! This is my least favorite holiday. It just makes me feel older and amazed the ’86 Mets (the highlight of my sports fandom) were almost 30 years ago.

95 COMMENTS

  1. 86 Mets were the team that got me interested in baseball as a kid. I couldnt get enough of Doc Gooden and Strawberry. They really showed how beneficial cocaine can be in professional sports, as long as its used by the whole team. There’s no “I” in cocaine.

    What’s that? oh, nevermind. Go Beavs…..

    • We won’t ever see a rose bowl appearance unless we’re ranked 1-4 in the nation because it’s now a play-in game for the new playoff system. It no longer has any Pac-12 vs. Big-Ten affiliations tied to it. :/ Not sure what the bowl structure will look like anymore.

  2. Best coached football team in America, Michigan State. Please someone send Riley a tape. The change of pace on offense, slow-slow-fast-slow is superb. Defense has linebackers crashing gaps and great tackling by everyone. Well taught and well prepared. They do not obsess about the number of stars recruited.

  3. Notre Dame is not a bad team and were better early than late in the year. Early on, Michigan State was one dimensional on offense. Quarterback had to learn and grow. They improved the more they played and worked on their weakness. Coaching 1A. Great change of tempo within the confines of a Beaver like offense had Stanford confused and unready on certain plays. Dantonio and staff were way smarter than Shaw and his guys.

    • no but they weren’t a good team either. Those two play again today and sparty rips them a new asshole. the domers were just an average team this year. Only ranked team they beat when they played them was ASSU. That one was a head scratcher as well.

  4. On that last 4th down play I think Shaw got a little too preoccupied with their “identity.” If Hogan had run a keeper he might have taken it to the house. That said, Hogan proved once again that he is far from an elite QB. The system there makes him look good. He makes one or two plays a game and on that his reputation rests. Most overrated QB in the conference. Hey AB Nation: just for fun–

    if Mike Riley (truly, Danny Langsdorf) is in that 4th and 1 vs. MSU what play is called?

  5. Beavs vs. UW, UO, & ASU, we were in 4th and 1 yard four times (not counting punts & FG’s) –

    2 Mannion interceptions
    1 Ward rush for -1 yds
    1 4 yd completion to Cooks

    This is why Mannion shouldn’t even THINK of the NFL right now – needs to make the big plays in these situations.

    • Senior QBs are nice to have, but I’m not a big Mannion fan. The guy is the Alex Rodriquez (beats up on the back end of the bullpen, chokes in meaningful situations)of NCAA QBs. Conclusion: not a winner.

      • I confess to being ambivalent about Mannion returning. The history of this situation bodes for a one or two game improvement off the 7-6 (thinking Moore/Canfield) but psychologically I’m ready to move on. There’s just a bad vibe/misfortune about his career: Sac State/Wisconsin fiasco out of the gate, 3-9 first year. 2nd yr good start, followed by injury, UW fiasco, effectively being benched; this year E WA, ASU, UW fiascos, 5 game losing streak. There’s nothing there to be optimistic about in 2014 (unless, for some reason, Cook should decide to stay)

        • Well, senior QBs usually dominate to some degree. That’s something to be optimistic about. If he ever played well versus top competition I’d be stoked, but he’s a wooden indian back there and doesn’t seem to have that killer instinct/competitive fire that makes a guy with talent into a winner. I’m not saying he has to be loud or anything, but there is an “it factor” he doesn’t have. He’s a guy who puts up numbers vs bad to mediocre opponents. Then plays average to bad vs elite competition.

          • I don’t know why Oregon St. can’t find a QB who can take off and run now and then. Central Florida seemed to have a pretty straight forward offense except the QB was at least a semi-athlete who knew when to get the hell out of the pocket. and make some yards. Sean Mannion just reminds of Derek Andersen Mach 2. Not bad, but……

          • I don’t think Mannion is “dumb as a post”. DA wasn’t known for being overly bright between the ears. Allegedly

  6. Just read that Moreland’s suspension has been shortened by 2 games and he’s now available immediately, meaning he’s playing tomorrow. Apparently weed only gets you kicked out of non-con games when your coach’s job is on the line.

    • Yes – that is the only thing going right for CR.

      But why – oh, why? – can’t we have integrity AND and a winning program? (No, this 8-4 pre-conference bullsh!t ain’t a “winning” program…)

  7. Well, Moreland’s back, and about all we can hope for at this point in time is that he is the team, and the team responds and plays as one, and things are magically turned around, and everyone goes home happy with a tourney T-shirt of champions on their backs.

    See, no one on the team will get suspended if I hit the magic pixie dust…

  8. Happy New Year ABs!!!! Mark your calendars for another exciting year of Beaver athletics. For your convenience and ease of scheduling mark your AB submission calendars accordingly:

    2-5-14 Signing Day. Complain about the usual motley collection of short, fat three star recruits we stole from UNLV and Utah State.

    3-16-14 NCAA Tournament Selection Show. Whine about not making an NCCA since 1990’s epic loss to Ball State.

    4-27-14 Baseball team losses 2-3 to Oregon. Piss and moan about how Casey “is losing it.”

    6-26-14 Baseball team eliminated from Omaha. Lament about how they were robbed by poor umpiring.

    8-4-14 Fall football camp opens. Gripe about the lack of o’line and decent running backs.

    8-30-14 Home opener against PSU. Join fellow AB’s in a healthy roundtable squawking about how they lost yet another game to an FCS school.

    11-29-14 Kvetch about the Ducks running up 600+ yards in the seventh consecutive Civil War loss.

    12-7-14 Bowl Selection Sunday. Grumble about having to play in the New Mexico Bowl.

    Other predictable 2014 occurences without specific dates:

    CR suspends Moreland, lose next game by 40.
    Football players arrested.
    Jack pontificates on something totally non-related to OSU Athletics.
    Riley falls off his bike.
    Will’s dad surfaces to complain about son’s playing time, threatens to transfer.
    After crushing and humiliating loss Angry shuts down website, reopens next day.
    BeaverGopher cherry picks easy and obvious laugh lines.
    Greatwhitehunter shoots himself in the foot.

    So here we go again… and always remember. O…S…..U!!! Wave arms like a spaz until bored or embarressed. JB

  9. If Mannion goes early, he’ll be the next Darren Thomas. I don’t see him getting drafted until he puts a complete season together.

    Go back and watch some replays…did Mannion ever go deep without under throwing the ball this year? So many balls that wound up in double or triple coverage cause cooks had to slow down for it. Cooks is the star this year, not Mannion.

    That’s not to say Mannion had an awful year at the college level- it was alright. But definitely not NFL ready. He goes early and he will regret it…along with the rest of us.

    And I do have high hopes for Mannion next year if he’s back. Riley’s senior QBs have always been great, just as his first year starters have always been putrid. No brainer.

    • By under throwing receivers or not hitting them in stride, I think Mannion left a couple hundred yards on the table and a few TDs.

  10. Cooks leaving early is not only a smart move on Cooks part but I think it will be good for Mannion. It will cause him to have to look around more. Of course the flip side is an even slower Mannion and more sacks. I also think that Riley will force the run game now.

  11. One down, two to go.

    1. Brandin Cooks clearly is making the right decision to leave after junior year and jump to the NFL. BC can’t expect to have a better year — in terms of individual accomplishments — than the one he just completed for OSU. NFL money would mean the world to Cooks and his family. Time for BC to get paid. God speed.

    2. Sean Mannion seems to be in a very different position, and would be making a big mistake to leave after junior year and jump to the NFL. Mannion’s performances and stats over the last six games — against better teams and defenses — were not so hot.

    Sure, Mannion’s full-year 2013 stats were impressive, but NFL teams understand that Mannion’s 2013 stats were inflated by (i) weak competition for the first seven games; (ii) the nation’s best WR, who bailed out Mannion on bad throws in every game; (iii) a pass-happy coaching staff that forgot to run the ball in 2013.

    NFL scouts will want to see Mannion perform well against strong competition, and without Cooks, before certifying Mannion as NFL-ready. If Mannion is getting good advice, he’ll come back next year. I hope Mannion does come back, because — like Alex — I think Mannion will do very well next year as a senior QB in Riley’s system. It would likely be a win both for the Beavs and for Mannion. After which perhaps Zach Kline will be ready and available to take over.

    3. Scott Crichton is a harder case. Crichton certainly had a good junior year, but one could argue that he didn’t improve much from the year before. [FWIW, Crichton made 2d team All-PAC-12 in 2013 as a junior, after making 1st team All-PAC-12 as a sophomore.] Seems to me that Crichton could improve his NFL draft stock by coming back and having an impressive senior season. Because next year’s OSU team expects to field other strong DL’s (including Jalen Grimble, the 5-star transfer from Miami), Crichton might see fewer double-teams, and might be able to put together a truly dominant senior season that would significantly raise his NFL draft stock and bonus money.

    On the other hand, some NFL analysts are projecting Crichton as a late-first-round pick (perhaps by a team that plays a 3-4 and would use Crichton as a pass-rushing OLB), and if Crichton can get first-round-NFL-money now, perhaps he would be wise to take it. Tough call.

    My guess is that Crichton wants the money sooner rather than later (even if he risks getting less $$ overall), and that SC declares for the draft in the next week or two.

  12. IMO: My take on Mannion is that his stock won’t be any higher than it is now. He had a great statistical year. One of his receivers won the Blitenkoff award. He did all this without a running game, an unproductive OL, and a bonafide second option at WR/TE for most of the season.

    If he comes back for his Senior year, it is very likely with the team assembled that he will have a less statistical year then he does this year. He might get beaten to a pulp next year, as they are replacing three OL, so they will probably be starting at least one true freshman (or one player without any playing experience i.e. Gavin Andrews) . He will not have a deep threat, or a reliable receiver to go to. His best receiving options are Hamlett at TE, who is best at being a secondary option with a one-on-one on a LB or S. There will likely be a better running game if Brown or Haskiens are allowed to play, in fact the team next year should really move from a throwing team to a running team.

    The schedule doesn’t show more then a 6-7 win total, most likely 4-5, so he won’t prove on national stage with high profile games, or ones that he could impress in.

    If I was an NFL scout I would think that Mannion would fit certain systems, and if you surrounded him with a much better OL, a viable running game, and certainly pro caliber WR/TE’s I think he would be very productive.

    I think people are too hard on Mannion, when he has had very little help in this program. Bad OL, no running game, and only one legitimate threat for most of the year. Keep in mind during the 5 game skid we were without our second best receiver Hamlett, and we could not run the dual TE sets, which meant that teams could double up on Cooks and put their best DB on Mullaney (who was also playing through turf toe and was not as effective as early in the season) shutting him down.

    • Interesting points. I agree next year is unlikely to be better for him either in terms of stats or wins. Maybe he improves his consistency and decision making but is it enough to make a difference in where he goes?

      I think teams a team will draft him and develop him…I don’t think he goes undrafted, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he falls to the second day.

      Another consideration is the strength of the 2014 QB class compared to next year’s?

    • Replacing the online is a good thing. No negatives.Everyone here wanted Harlow to redshirt. Not me. by the end of year, he was quite good. If Mannion is drafted, and he is certainly in the que this year, he is a roster spot or a cheap arm in camp that will get cut.

      • Harlow was like many frosh OL we have had recently (phillip, seumalo) he was serviceable most of the time, some times he looked better other times he was dominated (see UW game). He needs to add 10-15 lbs or at least lose some of his baby fat. He is a good returning player, I think he would have been helped by redshirting. The same could be said for Michael and Isaac.

        Now the question is do you keep Isaac at Center? OR do you put Mitchell in at Center move Isaac outside, put Bays and Andrews at Guards? You then have your best 5 playing.

        • “OR do you put Mitchell in at Center move Isaac outside, put Bays and Andrews at Guards? You then have your best 5 playing”

          Yes. And you do it in spring camp.

  13. Utah’s up on Oregon. Utah’s improved quite a bit since they joined the Pac 12, while OSU has regressed, if that’s possible.

    Also, this Alabama/Oklahoma game is alot like the Eastern Washington game. Last team to score will win.

    • I watched parts of it. Was closer than I expected it to be. This team is still going to lose close games just like last year no matter what bullshit Robaminson spews.

    • Yeah, we’re pretty brutal to watch. Maybe we can beat WSU though? O-live has a game write up saying that OSU is basically in the NCAA tournament already, and that the voters will really like this “good loss”, what? You wanna talk about Tournaments? We’re just trying to win a game at this point. ANY game! Utah is no pushover this year, they’ve only lost twice and by a single bucket each time. They have a good coach, and we could easily be looking at an 0-2 hole to start conference play.. Good thing CR sacrificed our programs and his credibility by bringing Moreland back from suspension early. Totally worth it!

      • The announcer last night said the starting point for Moreland’s suspension was incorrect. They went back saying half the season starting first day of practice, rather than the first game, therefore Moreland was back earlier than expected. Maybe you had the sound on your tv down.

        • Oh yeah, CR just really sucks at reading calendars, and magically/conveniently realized this a day before the start of Pac12 play? He set a date and changed it because he thought it would mean a W. Maybe you have your brain turned off?

          • Bendbeaver has it correct. CR just sucks at understanding the rules. The suspension was supposed to last 1/2 season, and he thought that meant 1/2 of the total games, but later found out it meant 1/2 the total days of the season, so Moreland has served his full suspension. What I don’t know is who made the rule and set the suspension if CR was just following orders, and why was there miscommunication about the specifics, especially when it’s regarding possibly the most talented player on the roster. Not exactly a tight ship being run there.

    • I remember writing that Riley should incorporate some NE offense about seven years ago on blitz. They didn’t like that. Bet they love it when Eggers writes it, though.

      • I think Mannion would do well in that approach, and if Brown gets real reps out of the backfield, there would be a genuine long-run threat.

        If I recall correctly, Vanderveen played out of shotgun a lot in high school, so hopefully it won’t be too much of a transition for him if Mannion leaves.

        It will be important for Vanderveen and the WRs to be throwing all summer as did Mannion/Vaz and Wheaton/Cooks et al.

      • Change/evolve w.r.t. his coaching staff?

        Sounds to me like Riley is blowing smoke and it’s going to be the same ‘ol, same ‘ol.

        • I think he might actually try to implement some change, but will be hamstrung by his unwillingness to consider new coordinators.

          Riley does things SO slowly though; remember last off-season they were working on no-huddle and a faster pace of implementing the offense? We didn’t see it much in a strategic attacking sense, just the usual, “we’re-running-out-of-time-and-are-behind” reaction. As predictable as the “prevent D.”

          I think it would be in the interest of everyone involved, the Program, Riley and Banker and Langsdorf if the two coordinators moved on. The program could be reinvigorated, Riley challenged, Langsdorf might get out of neutral, and Banker might get out of reverse.

      • Riley’s offense is a ‘pro-style offense.’

        The pros are incorporating college schemes.

        Riley is incorporating old college schemes.

        • I don’t have a problem sticking to the pro style offense. So many teams have switched to some variation of the spread that eventually the beavers will be one of the few remaining that run a pro style. The changes I think most are advocating for are going to the no huddle and hurry up. But I think the biggest changes that need to be made are on the defensive side of the ball. Banker’s schemes are old and outdated. And don’t work against the spread

          • They need to add some slants and quick hitting passes that are base plays. Most of their offense requires very long protection, so I imagine they work on pass blocking most of the time and our run blocking suffers.

          • I think Cav is overrated and is the biggest issue. Our O line has been pretty shitty for the last 4 years. Remember the Sun Bowl year we beat Mizzou? 2006 I think. That was a great offensive line. It has steadily declined into the dumpster fire it is now.

          • I think the OL comes down to talent level, more than coaching. I have to admit I don’t know the intricacy of lineman techniques, keep your pad level, quick with your ankles, etc. But I know we had a much better line when we had NFL caliber talent like Levitre, Devan, and Perry. You throw in Schuening and Speer that was probably the best line since 2000. It was reallly horrible luck that Perry went down with his inquiries, the line was never the same after he left. Thompson got suspended, etc.

    • I give this as much credence as the “we need run the ball and be balanced” crap we got after every game were we ran it 97.5% of the time.

    • Has he ever commented publicly on his OSU days? i.e, great time, good coaches, grateful for the opportunity . . . If not, one has to wonder if Hekker didn’t simply survive (backward kick and all that) Bruce Read. I wonder, too, if he still practices passing which, as a former quarterback, was supposedly one of the reasons the Rams took him on.

  14. I admit I was a fan of Bolden getting PT as a true freshman, but I just didn’t see the “flashes of greatness” that have become part of the rhetoric surrounding his play.

    http://www.oregonlive.com/beavers/index.ssf/2014/01/oregon_state_beavers_rundown_w_20.html

    Despite the “blistering speed,” I recall few, if any, big plays outside of the CW TD. Not that he can’t improve, but I think a RS season was probably the better option.

    He’ll need to put on weight next year if he’s going to be the starter. I prefer to see “6′ 4″ 240 lb man child” Villamin emerge. These slight, quick/fast receivers have been fine, but I’d love to see the Beavers field a big big-play receiver. His problem though, is apparently academic challenges, and Riley doesn’t sound confident that Vilamin will be practicing in spring, and thinks fall might be more realistic.

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