Home Media Riley Video — What the Hell?

Riley Video — What the Hell?

119

This video of Riley is disturbing.

http://www.csnnw.com/beavers/mike-riley-looks-man-who-has-ran-out-ideas-answers

It appears he’s tearing up at one point. Is there something going on with him outside of football? I haven’t seen Riley look like this ever, outside the 2009 Civil War. You could understand it after that game, but what is going on now? Is he upset that we fans don’t appreciate him? We do appreciate stabilization, Mike, but not stagnation. Or is there something going on in the guy’s personal life?

I almost feel bad for getting on him after watching the video.

119 COMMENTS

  1. He’s acting like a frustrated man out of ideas. Yes….finally!!! I hope he has reached his limit and decides to review his staff for performance, and make some changes. Get some guys that can recruit. Also, I don’t believe in the “can’t recruit to Corvallis” mantra when you have 50 programs out there with the small college town atmosphere that are doing fine. Time to see some major changes within the coaching ranks.

    • There are 50 programs out there that small college town atmosphere that have done BETTER then OSU over the last 10 years? Name them…

      • Why don’t you try it? Use football ranking site like Sagarin to help.

        First define a small town.
        Next, Make a list of schools located in a small town (a surprising large #)
        Secondly, define better than OSU.
        Then refer to your list and be amazed by the concept “can’t recruit to Corvallis”

          • It seemed like it too me when he said this: ” I don’t believe in the “can’t recruit to Corvallis” mantra when you have 50 programs out there with the small college town atmosphere that are doing fine.”

          • So it seemed to you when he said what you quoted that he claimed 50 programs out there with those parameters have done better than OSU over the last ten years?

            One question since carltogr claimed those programs were doing better than OSU:
            Precisely what did he claim those programs did better than OSU over the last ten years?

            I’m assuming 10 years is some significant number related to Riley’s assistants because you and BIE see that number for some reason… at least seemingly.

      • Did you change “fine” to “BETTER” and add a time frame for any particular reason?

        Why didn’t you say 4 years and “WORSE” instead?

        I will give you “50” as an outrageous number considering there are only 123 BCS teams. But I also consider it an arbitrary number given to hyperbole. So I wouldn’t pick on it much other than to laugh at the high number and pare it down to about 10 or so.

        That being said, these are the BCS towns I would consider “small college town atmospheres.”
        Auburn, Tuscaloosa, Fayetteville, Boulder, Storrs, Athens, Champaign, Bloomington, West Lafayette, Ames, Iowa City, Lawrence, Manhattan, College Park, Ann Arbor, Oxford, Starkville, Columbia (Mo), New Brunswick, Corvallis, State College, Clemson, College Station, Whacko, Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Pullman and Morgantown.

        My parameters are small populations mostly under 100k and a decent drive away from any major population centers. I gave a couple (like Athens) a little extra in population because they are dominated by the school. Make of that list what you will.

        • I wouldn’t put New Brunswick on that list. NJ is so densely populated…
          I’ve been to that campus quite a few times, and it doesn’t feel like a small town, and we were able to drive to bigger cities within minutes.

          • I was wondering about that one and Storrs. I’ve not been to either, but I’ve been to a lot of the other college towns in the area. I just looked at the populations and proximity to the city then figured they would be like the college towns in southern Jersey or Western Mass.

          • I’ve always absolutely loved geography and college sports. In high school, a friend and I could name all the basketball arenas and school locations in D1 hoops, and we would try to get over on each other whenever they changed names or built new arenas. I don’t think I can do that anymore since it was an ongoing test back then but not now. But I do know what schools are in each conference and in which cities and towns most schools are located.

            I was also very very good at topography once upon a time. I still collect old USGS maps and study them for everything. I guess it comes in handy for when I’m in those regions and recall those contours in my mind.

        • Yeah, I started to compile a list for BeavInEugene, but then I figured why should I take on this task when he might reject my list of either better(fine) or my list of small towns. He can do his own list, so that we can reject it. But the main conclusion I came to was, if you’re in a major bcs power conference, you have no business complaining about hard to recruit to. Now say if you’re the university of Wyoming, complain away my friends. Why BeavInEugene would choose to defend the position “Corvallis is difficult to recruit to” is beyond me.

          • So what about teams like Boston College, Vanderbilt, Cal-Berkely, North-Carolina….? Programs that seem to have it all, but also underperform given their locations and recruiting classes. I’ll give Riley credit for being competitive with what hes got, but location is not in his control, and recruiting falls strictly on him and his staff. His gamble with JUCO players didn’t payoff….give him credit for trying, but his method of recruiting has to change now. Why do teams like Miss State, OLE Miss, NC State, Oregon, Arizona, Georgia, Notre Dame, Clemson, Auburn, Baylor, OK State,…..constantly out-recruit us? They have brand recognition and/or they are very skilled at convincing young stars to play in small towns. How does Craig Robinson pull in very good recruits even though his teams haven’t shown consistency to play in the PAC? He must be very good at convincing and players recognize him as a link to the Obamas or something….but hes getting the recruits. Sports are results dependent, and Riley needs to find new ways to get a higher frequency of 4+ star recruits — close losses don’t cut-it.

            http://insider.espn.go.com/college-sports/football/recruiting/classrankings/_/class/2014/date/20131120

          • BTW….I believe Riley is a very good coach (but not great) with poor recruiting skills…..Craig Robinson is an average coach with very good recruiting skills…..Pat Casey, well he just has it all….rain or shine, he convinced young studs that playing in “Corn-Town” takes the cake….hes got the rings to prove it.

          • Location is an excuse. I blame BDC for our coaching short comings. Riley has a lot of good parts and a few but obvious bad parts, seems easy to fix if you try.

            And in Basketball Obama, er I mean Robinson, has an obvious recruiting advantage and should in my opinion be a keeper at this point, assuming the AD recognizes Obamas, er I mean Robinsons, strength vs his glaring weakness(bad X’s and O’s) and makes a balancing correction. A highly skilled AD would additionally get a young and very aggressive recruiter to leverage and milk this potential POTUS connection.

          • I often wonder about smaller colleges/universities like TCU, or long shots like Northwestern….they’ve been able to go to the Rosebowl or even win the Rosebowl and be competitive in the last 10-15 years. A Rosebowl appearance would solve a lot of things for a while.

          • Those schools actually do have recruiting disadvantages, as does Colorado. Stanford used to have the same disadvantages (enrollment requirements), but they have loosened up over the past decade unless it becomes a matter of convenience in order to dump some poor kid who’s been committed to them forever.

            The truth is that successful BCS programs within large cities is more rare than both the larger samples within mid-sized towns and small college towns. I can’t say it’s strictly a phenomenon of the West because of Miami and tOSU. But the four Cali schools, UW, ASU and maybe UA (if you want to count the shit-hole that is Tucson a city) along with UT-Austin make up almost the complete list.

            We probably hear the recruiting excuses more often because those schools are all out west. Maybe that’s it.

          • I’m trying to think of the others… there’s the Twin Cities, Baton Rouge, Nashville, Atlanta, Louisville, Pittsburgh and Boston… and I would include the Research Triangle in NC.

          • OSU is taking the Rich Brooks approach to the Rose Bowl; coach long enough and maybe someday (94?) things will align and the program gets a magical trip to pasadena….thence never to return in Riley’s forever tenure.

            From the unquestionable source, Wikipedia:

            “Oregon

            Brooks accepted his first head coaching position in 1977 at the University of Oregon, Oregon State’s bitter rival. At the time of his arrival, the Ducks had not had a winning season since 1969, and only one since 1965. Brooks’ first contract was a four-year deal at $32,000 per year.[1] In 1980 a scandal was exposed from the 1977-79 academic years, and the school was placed on a two-year probation (including a one year bowl ban) by the NCAA for violations in recruiting, misuse of funds and academic standards.[2]

            Brooks’ teams dominated the instate rivalry with Oregon State, compiling an overall record of 14–3–1, which kept him popular during several disappointing seasons. In 1989, he led the Ducks to a berth in the Independence Bowl–their first bowl appearance since 1963. Brooks would lead them to three more bowls in his tenure, becoming the first coach in school history to take the Ducks to four bowl games. (The Pac-8 did not allow a second bowl team from the conference until 1975).[3] His best season came in 1994, when he led the Ducks to the first outright conference title in the school’s 100-year football history and a berth in the Rose Bowl. Brooks was named Pac-10 Coach of the Year, and also won the Paul “Bear” Bryant Award as national coach of the year. His 91 wins were a school record until his successor and former offensive coordinator, Mike Bellotti, broke it in 2006; his 109 losses remain a school record. Brooks left Oregon for the NFL after the 1994 season. His overall record at Oregon was 18 games under .500, largely due to his first seven teams winning only 22 games combined. Nonetheless, Brooks is credited with reviving Oregon’s football program and setting the stage for its rise to national prominence under Bellotti and Chip Kelly.”

            SO – Riley’s done much of what Brooks did, including a long-term record of mediocrity and an unsuccessful stint in the pros. What Riley lacks is a Rose Bowl trip.

            When does BDC find Riley’s successor to take the next step?

        • You need more categories for “small”. I have been to State College and West Lafayette, and they are not on the same level as Corvallis – they are more on par with Eugene. And I would take Mike Riley over the coaching staffs at Purdue or Penn St.

          This blog post is fucking stupid regardless. Mike Riley is one of the best in the business. In the video he looks disappointed in his team – stop trying to read into it and make conclusions based on his delivery.

          Replacing Craig Robinson and Bob De Carolis – I could get on board with that idea.

          • Yes… I so did say that all of those programs are better or have better coaches. You SO read between my lines.

            West Lafayette has been addressed. State College is a small college town. The strip mall with trees in which I live is not. The State College Metro population doesn’t even match the Eugene-only population, let alone the Eugene Metro area. In fact, it doesn’t even come close to the Corvallis MSA. I’ve also been there, and you are quite wrong. It isn’t nearly as pretty, and it’s not even close to the diversity Corvallis has. And Corvallis isn’t exactly known for its diversity… and the State College area is rather pretty. The only thing that makes State College really different besides geography is that they have what looks like an infinite amount of lodging… compared to the three hotels in Corvallis.

            As for Mike Riley… he is his team. He is no better than they are. In some respects that is a good thing. In others, not so much. In this video, it’s also a good thing that he doesn’t do what OSU coaches have done so often and just throw the players under the bus.

      • How about Penn State for one. WSU for another (despite their recent bad years, they did go to the Rose Bowl..), Boise State….need I go on?

  2. Fire BDC. Mike Riley is a fine and good Head Coach. But left to his own devices, he has surrounded himself with friends to be assistants. This is why it’s so dejecting, he tries to be Mr Nice Guy and trust in his closest friends. He is not being directed to have productive assistants that create balance. So when his friends are letting him down, despite seemingly solid efforts, it must be depressing. There is not enough balance on the football staff, everyone is friends so noone has a dissenting view. His friends have let him down, they try hard but fail and its depressing and repetitive. We need a new AD, one which will ensure weakness is balanced on all coaching staffs.

    • This is a very good observation. I’ve done this in business in the past; hire qualified, competent friends but when things don’t go well now you’re in the position of firing your friend. Not good. It has to be business first otherwise be prepared to lose a friend.
      In Riley’s position it must be even harder because of the whole family atmosphere that helps with recruiting young kids. But then again maybe recruits want wins more than family atmosphere, I dunno.
      I don’t feel sorry for Riley in this video. He’s the commander in chief and he failed, he should feel bad. We’ll see how his attitude is this week and again if we lose to the Hussies.
      More surprising is that it seems a shock to him that they lost… really? Did anyone bet a ton of money on the Beavs to win straight up, as a 14 point underdog on the road?

      • few expected the Beavs to win in Tempe. I certainly didnt’. But then, having gone to the game and seen the dispiriting play for all but the last half of the 3rd quarter and first five minutes of the 4th, I could see why Riley himself was disappointed. in short, he saw, clearly, plainly, and painfully, what we all see routinely. this one seemed to cut to the bone a bit more.

        • you’re right. I didn’t expect to watch past halftime. However I did expect them to be more prepared and not look like a “junior HS team at times.” Riley’s words, not mine

    • riley is capable of canning someone, just not his friends.

      i knew the ungerers when they lived in corvallis. riley brought dave here with the whole ‘family atmosphere/we’re family’ song and dance, but because dave wasn’t actually one of his friends, riley was more than happy to can him. it definitely left the ungerers felling like they had their legs cut out from under them.

      i wonder if he has the sack to honestly assess his current staff.

    • I don’t think most fans don’t care what Riley makes or if he made a little more. What most fans don’t like is how crazy long his contract is and the easy extensions that make it worse. I’f rather he get the 2 million most other coaches in the Pac-12 make but only be signed on for a shorter period with 8-4 needed for any extensions. The contract is so bad and one of tghe things fans hate most. I honestly think BDC, Riley, and all the fans would be much happier and get along far better without teh current level of anomosity (primarily and rightfully against BDC) if it was just re-structured and rewritten. Riley does not seem from a energy standpoint like he needs more or will last effectively more than 5 or 6 more years right now anyway so earning these extensions well into the 2020s just is very awkward.

      BDC won’t do this because he is stubborn as hell in a bad way and Riley also is too prideful in what amounts to a less than ideal way because it could be framed as a nice pay raise and strategic restructure. They could announce a 5 year deal at 2.25 million a year with an extension for seasons that 8-4 and above and thee would instantly be alot less angst. Nothing prevents BDC or another AD from tacking on 2 years towards the end of this if it is what is wanted at that time (even though I would hope they wouldn’t and would let worthwhile seasons provide any extra longevity) That would take Riley through 2018 atleast and then if he has 1 or 2 worthy seasons we shouldn’t be past 2020.

      I think a good 95% of Beaver Nation really doesn’t want any longer than this but right now he have a very poor structure where there can be too many 6-6 or bad seasons don’t matter much because Riley as I say already has extensions well into the 2020s under his currnet structure. Do you want to see 3 or 4 more 6-6 seasons as we are likely to get by 2019 and have Riley giving these kinds of deflated interviews through 2027? That is why there is so much disgust at BDC. This is not a good place for a fanbase to be. No harm in a pay raise and a restructure that sets everyone up in a much healthier arrangement to function more normally.

      If OSU football continues to underperform to finish the season with a dud and if hoops next year goes downhill without Collier, Nelson, Moreland and Brandt gone then BDC is going to have alot of explaining why he should still have a job. At that time it should be very obvious he is vastly underperforming in his duties and pressure should be extremely high for him to resign or be fired.

  3. I hope he just retires. He doesn’t look like he can handle …something. I don’t know what. Is it criticism? Is it personal issues? Something is eating the guy. He’s almost 60 and needs to just hang it up and enjoy life. Live in Corvallis and go to games as a spectator. I fear if he does retire they’ll offer him a job high up…

    • yea. It wasn’t that long ago it seemed like everyone wanted him as AD. I don’t seem to be hearing that narrative as much lately, but can you imagine if that happened?

      • It would not be good. Changes would be rare and it would be more about a buddy relationship with Riley. Pat Casey is who we want. I sure hope BDC is gone somehow before 2016 but that needs to be the worst case scenario. Then if Casey is ready to move into the AD role he would be a great AD and do what it takes and make the decisions necessary to have OSU relevant in all the major sports.

    • This video is very disturbing.

      his answers “mmmidunno” and “not very good”….if i were a player I would be pretty upset to watch it. his energy level is like -100, how are the players supposed react to his coaching?? what if he’s like that during the games?? would that make YOU want to win games? No. This game wasn’t even super important or a heartbreaker. Makes me think Riley might need help.

  4. When I watch it I think he is exasperated. My interpretation is that he is honestly thinks he is putting the players in the right position to win games and they are not doing it, and at that point, it’s “beyond his control” and he just feels – and looks in the video – helpless to do anything more.

    I’ve not seen any video of him this week from practice. Wonder how he looks, energy level, energy, leadership, since this awful video.

    • In the highlights, he reacted quickly and honestly to Mannion’s pick 6 – which he doesn’t often do – I think that kind of did it for him that night.

    • He looks haggard from lack of sleep, but what I notice more than anything, is that he has stubble. Riley NEVER has facial hair. Something is wrong.

      • He’s had it several times in the past. Its not new. You’re as usual reaching, looking for something that isn’t there.

        You’re like the John Canzono of Blogs!

        • If you jump on here occasionally and with poor timing, then I can see how you come to that conclusion. However, Angry has been doing this blog for like 5years + and has a really neat track record of being relevant, interesting, and accurate. Sorry if you hate accuracy. Clownzano’s record of accuracy is much more suspect, as he seems to be a bandwagon reporter. Angry’s view don’t seem to change quickly based on mass public opinion alone.

          • Assuming BeavInEugene only occasionally visits the site, I am curious why is this “poor timing” for purposes of assessing whether Angry is reaching? Is it because he is on this issue?

            Obviously others would disagree with you regarding Angry’s accuracy. But yes, there is a contingent on here that eats up everything Angry posts.

          • ‘As Usual’ implies more than today. I’ve seen him post occasionally. I’ve followed this blog for a long time. There are times that I strongly disagree with Angry, but I’ve learned to appreciate his viewpoints. I do believe he is reaching here, but I can appreciate his reaching cause it does seem something is not right(see different) with Riley’s demeanor.

          • MR has been up late breastfeeding his grandlovechild. Cut the man some slack! His nipples are raw.
            You try coaching in PAC with sore nipples. It ain’t easy.

  5. One could hope that Riley is exhausted from taking advantage of the late games. Is he and staff traveling extensively on Friday Nights to find and recruit the best players? Big travel day Friday, scramble back to game Saturday and the night games wearing on him? You might think the possibility exists for one of his better classes. The schedule has at least provided that opportunity. It’s important to make and take opportunities when and where they exist.

  6. With the defense improving I think that Riley was really confident going into the game and was shocked at the outcome and realized that 6-6 was now the most likely scenario. Not a neat deal when you’re a preseason top 25 team.

  7. You know the real answer.

    He cares that much about winning and he was completely stunned and embarrassed by the results on the field.

    Despite what many here think about him, winning means that much to him.

    • But sometimes the camera catches him smiling during games!!!! I thought that meant he doesn’t care about winning and losing!!!! Now I’m confused.

    • Is this a joke? I don’t know that at all.
      He’s lost many many games and never looked this defeated (again, 2009 CW was the last time he looked like this); he looks sleep deprived and has let his facial hair grow (he didn’t even do this after the 2009 CW). This is all because winning means that much to him? Then why wasn’t he looking like this after EWU or the many other bad loses where he was smiling on the sidelines and fine in the postgame interviews? Everyone expected ASU to win easily, so this wasn’t a surprising loss in the least.

      Hopefully an insider will show up and enlighten us. Something’s up. Maybe Stevenson and his daughter, or some other personal issue, is eating at him.

    • Pretty much what I was going to say. Riley doesn’t like losing!! This may be news to some in here, I realize. He really doesn’t like losing when he feels he has an excellent team (like currently).

      • Then win more games by consistently putting your team in the best position to win them. Risky throws inside the 30 and often ignoring the run game are not good examples of giving your team its best chances to win. 4 picks and penalties that prevent any score when we are a yard from a first down on the 12 are big mistakes that won’t produce much besides losses to decent teams. He needs to get the offense in a better mindset that they should have success ending the majority of their drives in the endzone. You have to play smart and with situational awareness as many games swing on 6-8 key plays and moments.

        • Agree 100%….sometimes you have to have your guys be prepared enough to execute at a high percentage — even when the other team knows what’s comin’ (like a run up the middle for 3 yards). I don’t know how many times this year I’ve seen the guys on the offense not knowing the play leading to penalties, missed blocks, and/or blown routes during critical moments in the game(s). Teams like the Stanfords beat us because they are more disciplined, not always because of their talent. On the flipside we’ve been able to beat the more talented USCs and Wisconsins in the recent past due to good disciplined football. You don’t have to throw for 500 yards every game, just keep the mistakes from hurting you on the scoreboard, or don’t make them at all.

      • A. No coach likes losing.
        B. This is not news, either good or bad, to anyone here.
        C. You know the coach feels this is an excellent team?

        You are such a status quo apologist. Riley’s career coaching record is 141-137. Calling him mediocre is spot on. Calling him anything else is a lie.

        • I disagree with narrow assessments of Riley and the team that aren’t well thought out. That doesn’t make me a status quo apologist. Smart critiques I’m fine with and can agree with some or all of them.

          It is news to some in here that have said Riley isn’t competitive, has given up, and doesn’t value winning very much.

          I don’t know that I the coach thinks the team is excellent, it’s just my opinion based on comments from Mannion’s throw away frosh year to how he has spoken and responded up to now.

        • 141-137? why don’t we just flip a coin and get rid of Riley. Would turn out about the same lol

          The “riley doesn’t like losing” argument doesn’t really work because no coach likes losing and doesn’t explain his bizarre behavior. Even the interviewers seemed uncomfortable with his responses and it’s their job to question coaches who lose games.

          • Their uncomfortable because they haven’t seen him like that before. It’s a ligit question to ask why he reacted that way, I just think it’s football related and not something going on outside of that.

  8. I saw the CSNW clip in the previous thread, that is, before seeing Angry’s post above. My take-away, like I guess Angry’s is as well, is that I kinda feel sorry for the guy. I saw Lindsay’s comment about how low he was in the immediate aftermath, and it took that at face value, but actually watching the video was painful. As to the contract length, terms, etc., it’s clear in retrospect that BDC missed an opportunity (what a surprise!) to re-negotiate Riley’s contract after last season, a reasonably good one, by giving him more money but with with higher goals for year to year extensions, like a winning record in conference play, 8-9 wins, that sort of thing; not qualifying for the New Mexico bowl.

  9. Is it possible Riley sees what we see? Would he look at last season and see 12-1, but for some unfortunate mistakes ( his included )? We finally got a healthy O line and for the past 3 games they looked like the line from 2011. Most of the line is back from some really good performances last year. So what happened? Riley might have seen a better identity than 6-6. After the Alamo last year, could he be depressed about the upcoming super weenie hut Jr. bowl? ( My kids used to watch Sponge Bob ).

    Kind of off topic, I was amazed at the interview with Graham before the game. All he wanted to talk about was how they were going to win the PAC 12. He didn’t want to spend much if any time giving accolades to OSU. Riley on the other hand always gives accolades to the upcoming opponent and usually once he gets his contract extension says “now we will see what bowl we get”.

    • I heard Graham on Sirius XM in the run-up to the game and he in response to a predictable question about how he liked his team’s chances, he said he was confident he had the balance of power when it came to talent, and the only way they could lose was if they got out-coached; he said some nice (obligatory) things about Riley in that regard, but obviously, he needn’t have worried. I agree with Salem Beav. Riley is despondent because he had gained confidence in
      the prospects of the team, especially after last year, and in the six game winning streak, but now
      sees it all crashing down.

  10. Wild conspiracy theory alert… maybe Riley did get some sort of win ultimatum (like 7 or 8) or he has to replace a coordinator or something?

  11. The Riley video reminds me of my high school days. When I was busted, clearly in the wrong and called on the carpet by the vice-principal. Don’t challenge, give short non-controversial answers, don’t elaborate or make excuses and don’t implicate your friends. Most importantly try to keep the length of the interrogation to an absolute minimum. I doubt the man that finishing that painful session was in no mood for some “hip..hip…hoorays!” JB

  12. This separation feels rooted in the notion that the program has recently given him so much to hope for, immediately followed by a punch in the stomach. Oregon State starts the season with hope, but gets knocked out by Eastern Washington. Then, it reels off six consecutive victories, and registers on the fringe of the Bowl Championship Series, before slamming him in the spleen with three straight weeks of inept play.

    Lucy Van Peltish??????????? Dumb article by Canzano but I think it resonates a lot of what many beaver fans are feeling

    http://www.oregonlive.com/sports/oregonian/john_canzano/index.ssf/2013/11/canzano_can_oregon_state_footb.html#incart_river_default

    • the divorce analogy is problematic, but yea, it taps into the Angrybeav ethos quite well. the most
      pointed observation is that OSU’s players don’t play as hard as other teams. They’re certainly not as well prepared to play as other teams, and that may be half the issue.

  13. Eggers with background on Jovan. First I’d heard officially that his absence was due to a SIX WEEK suspension for “violation of team rules”. Eggers aways seems to try to paint Riley and the Beavs in a positive light, however in this piece it seems to me that Jovan is not presented as a positive force in the locker room…..probably just my reading. Opinions?

    http://www.pamplinmedia.com/pt/12-sports/201740-stevensons-yo-yo-ride-nears-its-end

    • “I can intermingle with anybody. I’ve done offense, defense, special teams, scout team during my time at Oregon State.”

      That’s a pretty impressive list Jovan. No mention of the head coaches daughter though

      That quote was pure gold. You just can’t make that shit up

    • There’s nothing in the article that says anything about his relationship with teammates. Who knows how they feel about his violation of rules and what the incident(s) was. Biding his time suggests he’s basically checked out, though.

      • However, the suspension for 50% of the season suggests a second violation of scholarship rules involving drugs. How often does anyone under Riley get a third chance? How many get a second chance where drugs are concerned?

        I wouldn’t know, but that kind of preferential treatment would rub me wrong if I were a teammate.

        • Isn’t the policy at most schools that the third drug violation is the killer, and you see a big suspension at the second offense (e.g. Moreland)?

  14. The most likely scenario for the football program is that we beat UW and lose to UO and then go to a minor bowl and win. That gives us 8 wins with 5 losses and a group of really talented returning players with both Mannion and Cooks returning.
    Next season we have 3 easy NC games and if we go 4-5 in the PAC, we still win 7 games and go to another minor bowl and win, giving us 8 wins.
    BDC is perfectly happy with these results, as are most Beaver fans.
    Nothing is going to change until 3-4 years out when this years recruiting class has an impact. This class appears to be worse than most. No players like Cooks, Wynn, Crighton, Wheaton, Rodgers. No impact players at all with 20 commits. This is what finally puts an end to the Riley era. So get used to the feeling of “4 more Years!”

    • I don’t beating UW is necessarily likely. The outcome may be in doubt for much of the game, but hopefully its competitive and well played and not just a bunch of missed opportunities with somebody ending up with a win in their lap.

  15. The pollen level in Arizona is real high this time of year. Maybe his allergies are acting up and the night-quill is making it hard to get up and shave in the morning.

  16. First, watch Navy @ San Jose State tonight for preview of a potential OSU bowl foe in New Mexico….whooopee.

    CFN says OSU/UW are mirror images of one another this year, picks OSU at home:

    http://cfn.scout.com/2/1348685.html

    OSU apparenlty projecting it will have its best home game attendance average for a non CW season – will the rowdy OSU faithful make things difficult for UW?!?

    http://www.csnnw.com/beavers/top-10-things-know-watching-washington-vs-oregon-st

    Amidst all of this, someone dares ask “Should Mike Riley be fired?”

    http://www.csnnw.com/beavers/ask-dwight-fire-riley

    Will “Crank it like a chainsaw” rear its ugly head for the final time in Reser?!?

    Will Riley say “goodbye back-up rb/cb, hello first string son-in-law” on senior night?!?

    All of these compelling story lines and more, Saturday in Reser – so either get one of 3K available tickets or get your tub o’ Reser potato salad now and get ready.

    Note: Those in attendance should start tailgating as if for a 1 pm start time so as to be appropriately lubricated and prepared to match Riley’s dynamism.

    • Please no more crank it like a chainsaw, for the love of God NO MORE!!! As incredibly stupid as that is it still pissed me off when the USC guys were dancing to this. That is our miserable excruciating garbage.

    • All I have to say about Jaynes apology, is, he’s got things backwards. The stadium that does not sell out, the small donor base, the lack of funds, is a function of lackluster play, especially the last four years. (We can now see that last year was the anomaly, not 2010 and 2011). Winning, optimism, attitude, is what sells tickets, builds the base, raises money. “Raising Reser,” as it was called, was purely a function of the excitment, wins, and hope for better days that Dennis brought to town.

      As for “chainsaw’ and SC, simply a crystallized metaphor for all that’s gone wrong in terms of self inflicted wounds.

    • I finally got around to watching the video….it’s almost like he’s acting to gain sympathy. Kind of a fake deep voice, clipped answers, hanging his head down, but there are a couple of times when he breaks “character” and smiles for a minute. Definitely a weird performance.

      And shit, can someone put Dwight Jaynes out of his journalistic misery? What cliched rubbish….how long did he spend on that piece? Two minutes before airtime?

  17. Riley has quit. As much as it pisses me off, he’s DONE. And now that Stevenson has completely grenaded the locker room chemistry, this team won’t follow him anymore. We are lucky Washington isn’t starting Price. With the mood of the players and coaches, it’s basically our beat chance for another win this season.

    • For comparison info,

      Sark is 32-29 at UW. Consistently signs 4 star recruits each year.

      Riley is 31-29 for the same time frame. In only the first year did Riley have a higher rated class than UW when UW was rated last.

      • Sark was a bad hire from the start. But Shhhhh! We want him to stay around.

        Unfortunately, I think Sark is gone after this year unless UW is just stupid. I would call Riley the Norv Turner of college coaches. I wouldn’t pretend to give Sark that kind of praise.

        • I like Marty Schottenheimer — could never win the big one, has had talented teams primed to make runs in the playoffs and choked, and wins championships in worthless leagues. There are coaches that win the big one, coaches that are good at rebuilding teams and making them competitive, and then there are the losers. Riley is not a loser, he stumbles around in the middle (good rebuilder) and will stay there unless he gets the right guys to get him over the recruiting hump.

          Martin Edward “Marty” Schottenheimer (/???t?nha?m?r/; born September 23, 1943) is a former professional American football player and coach. Over his career, he has served as head coach of the Cleveland Browns, Kansas City Chiefs, Washington Redskins, and San Diego Chargers. He has the most wins of any NFL coach since 1966 to never coach a team in a Super Bowl (which was first held in that year). He was fired from his head coaching position with the San Diego Chargers in 2007, after leading the Chargers to a 14–2 record but a disappointing second round loss. He later emerged as the head coach of the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League, where he would win his only championship as a coach in his lone season there.

          • Marty took a beating towards the end of his career for lack of post season success. On the college level, didn’t Maryland fire Ralph Freigden after he won 10 games and was ACC coach of the year? I hope Riley counts his blessings daily, If you push aside all the noise about the 28 years, recruiting and Corvallis, MR has been pretty mediocore with a downward trend.

  18. OT (sort of). Jackson Soto officially committed to join the OSU baseball program this week. Soto was the star player for West Albany, and is one of the top rated HS players in the Pacific Northwest. I enjoyed watching Soto play against my son’s teams, and now look forward to watching him play for the Beavers.

    I love this quote from Soto about why he chose Oregon State over Oregon, Stanford, Washington, Washington State and perennial Big West power Cal State Fullerton:

    “I just fell in love with the way the coaches do things,” Soto said. “Coach Casey, he is a really hardcore dude. Like he is an awesome guy off the field, but he is a hardcore dude on it, and that is something I love.”

    http://www.gazettetimes.com/sports/beavers-sports/baseball/osu-baseball-beavers-sign-from-oregon-high-schools/article_8fe05546-522b-11e3-adcf-001a4bcf887a.html

    It’s been said before, but gotta believe that OSU football and its coaches could learn a lot from a “hardcore dude” like Pat Casey if they were only open to it.

  19. Good post about Casey. My dream would be for Riley to bring in El Loco Bielsa for a six week seminar after the season. He is Casey on steroids. He is a master motivator, has a crazy attention to detail and lives/breathes preparation. He is fearless and can lead most groups to overachieve and run thru brick walls. Caleb Porter has studied at the knee of El Loco. While money and recruiting are indeed important, I think you guys would be surprised about other ways to be successful that do not include trust fund wealth and recruitment of semi pros. I like these discussions about how other schools succeed without whining or giving in to the woe is me syndrome.

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