From Ted Miller:
Oregon State certainly isn’t shy about scheduling.
It appears the Beavers are about to sign a game contract to open next season against TCU on Sept. 4 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
So Oregon State will be breaking in a new starting quarterback in front of 80,000 hostile fans in the most sparkling — distractingly so — venue in football.
The Beavers will be dropping Eastern Washington to add the Horned Frogs, who are presently unbeaten and headed to a Fiesta Bowl date with Boise State.
Did someone say Boise State?
Oregon State visits Boise State on Sept. 25, the week after playing Louisville. The Broncos are 71-2 playing on the blue turf since the 1999 season.
http://espn.go.com/blog/pac10/post/_/id/6343/oregon-state-close-to-inking-game-with-tcu
How do you guys feel about this? I think it’s great to challenge yourself, but you have to be smart and see what the BCS does/does not reward, and SOS is low on the list. Of course, perception plays a key role in the human polls so there is some reward to be gained there from this risk. In the end, I’d prefer the Eastern Washington game since we’re breaking in a new QB. Before ganging up on Bobby D, realize that all scheduling decisions go through Riley, so he approved this.
We have nothing to lose. Katz gains great experience in a hostile setting. Texas (and OK, AR, LA) gets to see the Rodgers Brothers and the OSU defense play. We’ll know what to expect when we go to Smurf Town, and we’ll be battle ready for the conference.
If we lose big… ho hum… it was expected. If we lose close… wow! If we win… the world will be shocked… and then we’ll lose to BSU anyway.
Gain the respect first, then play the patsies the next year.
Didn’t UO do the same this year with BSU and Utah?
When I think long and hard about this scheduling perdiciment, I go through a multitude of emotions. Firstly, I want to win. But who doesn’t love to see their team in the big game? Especially 3 of them to start out a season?! But the confidence piece remains problematic. How do we build upon that and start faster? I think that this is Riley’s (only) way to step outside of his normal means of coaching and attempt to get the Beavs to elevate their game and punch some teams in the teeth right off the bat. Not to mention Bobby D needs the cash influx. But with a season that’s already going to be putting itself heavily on the Rodgers brothers, this could potentially build Katz up faster than a couple rinky dink games like Eastern Washington. If it helps our young QB ride the Rodgers (Heisman?) train to an elite level, we’ll all praise a season that could start out seeming sketchy at best.
The competition helps prepare for the Pac-10 games, but losing both the TCU and BSU would end pretty much all hopes of an at large bid. I’ve been hearing about how excited people are for the 2010 season even before the 2009 season started. I thought that was because people thought we had a good shot at a BCS bowl whether it be an at large bid, Rose bowl, or maybe even an outside shot at the NC. This game makes that chance less likely.
It’s funny how Beaver fans keep pushing the timeline out. First 2010 was the year this team would be great, now they’re saying 2011. The problem is the Beaver’s depth–seems there are always key positions to be replaced and things cannot align. I’d say there’s a much better chance at a Rose/BCS bowl in 2011. Even though I’m really high on Katz, irst year QBs never do well in the Pac-10, and further, it takes them 3 years in Riley’s system before things click.
I haven’t heard any OSU fans mention at all 2011. A lot of starters for next year are seniors including the entire D-line unless Frahm gets his spot back. OSU only loses 3 starters from this years defense (Terry, Clark, Kristick).
But I think the logic is that a lot of the young guys are better than those seniors who would be leaving. Which is true. Look at the OL prospects we have upcoming, they are 10x the upside of Remmers, Grant Johnson, et al.
Yes although most of the current O-line looks like it’ll be here for the next two years. Remmers, Johnson, Philipp, and Ellis or Lamb (who look like they’ll replace Peat next year and are both walk-on jrs next year). Recruiting does seem to get a bit better each year.
Also Luck did pretty well for Stanford his first year as a redshirt freshmen.
Yeah, but Matt Barkley did pretty bad and he was mr 5-star blue chip with loads of talent around him.
Luck is an aberration.
I’ve liked the moxy, confidence, and physical tools that I’ve seen from Katz, so it’s not out of the question. Really hope to see him get some time in this bowl game vs BYU. Lalich is an option too–he’s at least started games (at Virginia) and was a high 4-star recruit so he has the talent.
Barkley and USC had to deal with a new O and D coordinators. That seemed to be there big problem this year, defense not really offense and they lost a lot of players to the NFL. These star ratings make recruiting more entertaining, but really don’t mean much. A lot of kids get 4 or 5 stars just for being offered by schools like USC, Florida, Texas.
I like this and I’m scared for this schedule at the same time. I say I like it because as someone said above, it will force the Beavers to come with their A+ game right away. Louisville is not the team they were when we played them last and that’s a home game. Then we play BSU who shut down Oregon this year, but we have our entire offense, but our QB back. So I’m confident in our O-line, TE Halahuni, and our WR core especially when we get Cathchings back! We will have a good Offense again next year. Also Markus Wheaton will be a huge factor to spell James when he breaks free on Fly Sweeps. Also I want to see more Wildcat next year. That’s a good wrinkle in the offense because Quizz knows how to give good ball fakes to his brother.
Defense is a little different. We will most likely have the same speed on defense, but i’m Sure Poyer will start next year at FS. That will be the biggest help for the Beavs’ defense.
Im excited for next years WR corp as well. Catchings (who hopefully gets a medical redshirt) is an upgrade in terms of speed and athletisim and Munoz is back as the back up SE, All 3 Slot backs are back next year as well as Rodgers and Wheaton for flanker. Then Reggie Dunn should be at OSU by Jan/ or April and has ran a 4.28 and 4.35 40 so hes got a lot of speed. TE Halahuni is probably the best recieving TE in the conference next year (As long as the guy from Arizona leaves) and Reese is back and probably an upgrade in terms of recieving when compared to Croom.
Hurts our outside chance at a NC, but if we can somehow win this game we will get MAJOR respect right at the start. Just the fact we are in it though with all the attention and payday is good. Riley needs to work hareder for this one than even the Civil War. If we got it, we may keep the confidence to win on the Smurf Turf. I always like the BEAVS getting national focus because it is your best chance to take recruiting higher.
I agree 100%, but again, the new QB. If we had an experienced QB I’d be so pumped for this game. Or if Dalton was graduating for TCU. Neither is the case. Could be a national embarrassment, which is the flipside.
Freshman quarterback or not (Lyle may be back), for the last 8 years the beavs always tank in these early season non-conference road games, especially against ranked opponents. Fresno State, Boise State, LSU, Temple, Cincinnati. Maybe some more I’ve forgotten. I can’t remember any wins. Maybe UNLV last year qualifies. But they almost lost than one too.
Yeah, but this year there was a lot of focus on slow starts and we began a game better than the year prior. The fans and media should keep harping about the slow starts; maybe it’ll shake the cobwebs out of the Beavers’ heads even sooner.
Come on now, the LSU game was not a tank game. We lost yes, but we had the lead late and we even “tied” the game in OT with our touchdown. Oh those pesky extra points. We played a great game that day and lost. Unfortunately that happens too. I know TCU’s defense loses many players so if we can put up 21-28 on them maybe we can steal a win. IF we even make this a close game, then it can only help for tight Pac 10 contests.
Do you have any numbers on the TCU seniors? i.e. how many are lost. Wonder if they have any juniors splitting for the NFL.
according to the depth chart on Rivals BSU loses 2 starters 1 on O 1 on D and 0 on Special Teams.
TCU loses 8, 9 if you include Special Teams because their LS is gone, 3 on O 5 on D.
I read a Graham Watson chat on ESPN where they lose Hughes, the two corners and Washington. She used the phrase “the defense is going to be iffy” so with four folks leaving for certain, I took it that the losses will be significant and could mean they will have growing pains, especially early. With 4 starting offensive linemen and Quizz and James coming back, we may be a pound the rock type of team next year.
Sounds like we’ll have a legit shot at these guys. Wish we had a 2nd RB to spell Quiz. Bernard should come aboard–he’ll get 5 carries a game at ND and we can use him with a rookie QB and 1 legit pac-10 RB on the roster.
How is the kid from Salem doing rehabbing his knee (middle backer I think from Sprague). Will he step in next year as a starter? Our defense was not dynamic this year. We need kids like that to come in and make an impact.
I heard he practiced for the Las Vegas bowl.
Tony Wilson is practicing and could be on special teams for the Las Vegas bowl. It’d be great to see him make a tackle in the game. I doubt he he starts over Pa’ahuli and Keith Pankey should take Kristicks place, but he does add depth at MLB.
Pankey is a grade C linebacker and Wilson should get every opportunity to supplant him next spring. Pankey has done nothing but miss tackles and blow coverages.
And yet still is 8th in tackles 4.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks and was 4th in tackles amongst the LBs and was Pac-10 all conference Honorable Mention as a back up LB. Sorry, but you’re wrong about this. He defenitely has improved from the previous season and is the best canidate to take over Kristicks spot.
Kristick was up there in tackles, too, and he’s not a very good LB. Roberson and the MLB were both better than Kristick and Pankey. The latter racked up tackles 10 yards downfield, they don’t play in the backfield or at the line of scrimmage. It’s just another example of statistics not painting an accurate picture.
If you really think Kristick wasn’t a very good LB then I don’t think you watched the games very closely. Sorry, but you’re just wrong there.
Serviceable player but not a game changer. Out of position and missed key tackles (e.g. USC) consistently. And I think it’s the few who do watch games closely who feel this way.
I don’t think really anybody who has watched the game closely feels at all that way. Everybody on the defense in the USC game missed crucial tackles and USC was just the better team that day. Nobody is going to be in position all the time or else the defense would give up hardly any points. The LBs were the strength of the young D this year and Kristick was defnietely the best player on that defense. AGain I don’t think you were watching very closely.
Not to mention that his INT against UW was a great play and definetely gave OSU the momentum that changed the game.
I think you just think Kristick is great because he’s on the team you like, but if he were on another team you’d be able to see this more objectively. I’m interested in the truth, and the truth is that he’s an average linebacker who makes a lot of tackles downfield. The truth is he is not a game changer.
I haven’t been a big Kristick fan this season and I feel that he was not the game changer that linebackers before him have been. I believe I don’t like him as much because I look back to immediately before him, I see Dogget and LaRocque (sp?). Those two guys were animals that KNOCKED people out and forced turnovers. I remember Doggett knocking out Cody Kempt during the 07 civil war becasue Kempt tried to run up the middle. All of that said, I was thinking previously today about Kristick. I think if more players kept a chip on their shoulders like him we would be in a good spot, he was just a borderline dirty player.
As for Wilson, he moves great. I think he is just wearing a brace right now for support. I kind of got the impression that he could have played in the civil war if needed. I have no clue why we went with number 13 in the mike spot at the end of the game after bubba left, that 13 kid did not get it done.
Way to go Mike Riley! Being aggressive on the scheduling pays off in the recruiting, especially in Texas. Slow starts aside I’m sure we’ll play them close, this is a good team. I’m thinking the team returning may be as good as the one in 2000. If Riley can get Katz into the fold I think we should be okay. Our offense should be rolling and their D should be down from losing so many players. With a win over BYU, oh god please!, and a preseason ranking this has the potential for one helluva nationally hyped game. If we lose, well at least the team gets some great experience, hopefully enough to pull out wins in conference play like we should have done against zona and USC. It’s going to be a tough season but image the what if scenario!
Angry,
Espn Ted Miller just gave an update on a pac-10 recruiting. we have the least amount recruited in the pac-10 with 10. http://espn.go.com/blog/pac10
Well, we’ve had huge classes the past few years and many greyshirts, so everyone knew this year would yield a low number. I think it’ll be 15 or so when all is said and done.
I like this, yes it is a risk but it would be a huge confidence booster early in the season. I think the experience coming back is scary good and look forward to the challenge. If the D is lights out.. watch out. I don’t think the Rodgers Brothers let us get blown out playing in front of what is likely to be quite the entourage. Also a good start to a Quizz Heismann run. 3 Nationally televised games, I think its a smart move. After all none of this hurts our PAC-10 chances. This is all about experience, money, and respect.
I agree. Unless you really think the Beavs are going to go untouched and play for the National Championship (though who knows…there are five of those this year, and last I checked only two are in the big game). So go play good teams and prep for a run at the Pac 10. Beating PSU meant nothing once they got beat by Cincy. A good loss yes, but National title hopes gone. They had a lot of losses last year and still played for the Pac 10 title. They could have 3 losses and still make the Rose Bowl if they get it done in the Pac. If I thought they’d win out in the Pac, I’d say play one good one for BCS points and hope you win it. Otherwise, get on TV, play money games, and figure out a way to start the season hot.
Well, you need 6 wins to be bowl eligible, so playing difficult OOC games hurts those chances. Otherwise, sure, it’s a no-brainer.
If they can’t win 6 Pac 10 games, the goal won’t be met anyway…3 cupcakes and 3 Pac 10 Wins…I go the way of Notre Dame and not go. Especially if one of those wins is a D1AA team. If you’re 6-6 with losses to a top 25 TCU, Boise, USC, Cal, Arizona…god forbid Oregon…it’s a “respectable 6-6”. I don’t think they’ll ever go undefeated in my lifetime regardless of schedule. Get in there and play some TV games, get a name for yourself.
Don’t forget a couple things.
1. Money is a factor. Big $ for TV coming into the athl dept.
2. Exposure for recruitment. How many times will the announcers talk about the Rodgerses homecoming, etc. TX could be a future recruitment area for OS.
It goes against the BCS strategy, but who cares. Riley has done much to earn our respect.
Money is a big factor, and it could scuttle this game in the end. Unless we find a game with an equal–or reasonable–pay-out for EWU we can say no to this game. Maybe money won’t trump the combined benefits of playing the Big Time in Texas.
With the way Riley seems to reward work within the system with more duties on the field, I think we have more depth next year than we do this one. That translates to a very real chance to beat any and all comers. Bubba and Roberson are more than solid, and I think Unga is better than Pankey, Camat and Kristick. I didn’t see Wilson much, so I get the sense he may be walking wounded for most of his career. I hope I’m wrong. We also seem to be recruiting very well at LB. I think the other Unga is an immediate upgrade over Terry and Frahm, though Frahm could work his way into my heart with some solid technique should he ever learn it. I really like the upside of LaGrone and Miller after one year of experience for both. And the secondary seems to be deeper than most years I can remember.
The O-line will have another year under their belts, and this year saw a lot of guys red-shirting–or grey.
The bottom line is I think we’re set for depth better next year than this at all positions except QB. Trial by fire can be great or it can break us. Taking on TCU in their first game without Hughes is a huge benefit. That guy is a top ten NFL pick and future HOFer if he stays healthy. Dalton can be scary, but we’ll see a comparable match-up in the bowl game on Tuesday.
They’re going to come ready to play, but so will we. I think the best indicator was that we stayed close in the games we did lose. Flushing the last remnants of those who remember the Beavs relegated place in NCAA football should allow the new players enough confidence in themselves and their system to build upon the success of the past.
Defense is the key. As a current Nebraskan, I can see how close you can get to greatness with a steller D. Even if you have a D2 offense.
Beavers had and still should have a damn good O no matter who is QB. Need a defense that can stop people and keep you in the game.
More specifically, red zone defense. I believe the Beavers were worst in the nation in red zone defense. You have to hold teams to FGs. Yardage means nothing. Bend but not break is fine so long as you excel in defending the final 20 yards.
Don’t get too high on Frahm. I played against him in high school and he was forgettable. No where near the best player on their D, I have no clue how he got in at OSU. I don’t always agree with what Angry writes about OSU’s recruiting philosophies but Frahm is a prime example of what happens when we try to find diamonds in the rough, we get lackluster players who don’t belong on the field.
Frahm stinks.
Riley recruits so many duds, yet people only talk about the few hidden gems. This notion deserves a write up.
Everyone recruits duds. That’s the nature of the game. If Frahm were the worst of the 2007 class I would be happy.
Jack, that is my point. Nobody talks about Riley’s duds, and there are plenty of them. Fans act like every 2 star he recruits is great.
That’s probably because they only see the two stars who play. Frahm was middle of the pack in the 2007 class, and he would be our typical ‘makes the two deeps’ his junior year and ‘surprises’ his senior year if the ‘better’ prospects recruited actually panned out. He’s a good depth recruit… not one to rely on his sophomore year.
I think if Taylor Henry wasn’t constantly hurt he might be one of those two stars that people might point to instead of Frahm the three star.
Next year we’re looking at pretty good depth at the DE position with LaGrone/Miller, Henry/Frahm, Rosa/Feti Unga. If the prospects play like they were recruited, then Rosa/Unga make the two deeps and take over after next year. And OSU does have some success with walk-ons, so someone like a Tom Black might pan out.
But I do see what you’re saying. If we landed someone like Owa then the whole depth chart shifts. But I wouldn’t call Frahm a bust unless he was a JUCO x-fer… like Terry.
I remember hearing back in August that we could be recruiting 15-18 players this year. Obviously that depends on their status entering OSU… grey-shirts, missions, etc.
Cliff said recently that Riley told him recruiting was almost closed. Does anyone have any idea who it’s going to close with? This is what I’ve understood for a while:
Probably going to commit to us:
Akuna, Elisara, Lolohea
50-50 shots:
Miller, Taula, Thompson, Murphy
Less than 50%, but at least interested:
Thomas, Vainuku, Jamora
Interesting note on Jamora… it seems he might draw Schwenke away from BYU if he doesn’t just end up going there like everyone expects of him.
Paying lip sevice, but could be big fish:
Owa, Heimuli
Obviously visits have to take place, and the coaching staff has all their own priorities–and a much better sense than any of us could ever get. But who would we like to see on the roster in the years to come?
Those percentages are mostly right.
Akuna is a silent verbal.
Thompson and Murphy are probably more like 60%. Elisara is more like 40%.
Owa–who knows. The odds are extremely low, and there are rumors he’s committed to UCLA. Probably a 10% chance here.
Heimuli I’d put at 1%
I always heard that Elisara, Akuna and Lolohea were tight and want to play together. I can see Elisara going his own way though from some of the comments I’ve heard from him. I coached soccer in Kapolei for the kids 3-5 years older than these guys, and they were pretty tight with each other. So when I hear something like that from these kids, I tend to believe it. Maybe not… who knows?
The guy who impresses me most on tape is Taula. The first time I saw his bull rush put a guard on top of a QB I hoped he’d come to OSU. He’d be another Tongan in a long line of DT’s for the Beavs.
Taula looks better than Happy Iona, and the latter is a 4-star. Wasn’t really impressed with Happy’s film, tbh.
Back on topic…
I really like what I’ve seen of Katz so far. Remember Canfield when he was that age? He’d come in at garbage time and Beaver Nation would shudder at the thought that he was going to be our hopes and dreams for the years to come. Can you say JUCO QB transfer wanted?
Katz looks a little rough, but he looks mobile and able to adjust to the receivers with whom he practices. I still can’t call Canfield mobile.
Back off topic…
Poor Carolina for signing Delhomme to that catastrophic contract. Now they have to rely on Matt Moore. I’ll cross my fingers for Matt.
I was reading the comments following Canzano’s article on this subject and one of the comments struck me as dead on. To paraphrase the comment…
Why doesn’t the Pac 10 schedule the best teams for non-con games always? TV pay-outs and gate receipts from some of the ‘great’ teams will bolster our coffers while national exposure against those the ‘great’ teams are too chickenshit to play only speaks to the masses about our huevos. We can forever throw it back in the face of the chickenshit schools while recruiting on national TV.
At least one team will always get a BCS bowl. Strength of schedule is the only way someone not USC gets a whiff of the NC game. So what do we have to lose?
Alot of Pac 10 teams have games against ‘traditional’ names, but only a few have games against anyone considered good. UW has a killer non-con schedule (@BYU, Syracuse, Nebraska), while USC has really dumbed it down (@Hawai’i, UVA,@Minn, ND).
Games I would love to see our conference win next year:
UO@Tenn, UCLA@Texas, Iowa@UA, WSU@OkSt, Stan@ND, ASU@Wisc, and of course the aforementioned non-con schedules of OSU and UW.
We will probably fill our bowl associations either way. We can play the revenue game at the beginning of the season instead of begging for bowls at the end. And we’ll be the talk of the nation.
Oh… and I think we would win most games.
And besides…
A true champion can only be one if they put aside any doubt. If they don’t play and beat the best, then they’re not a champion.
Period.
RE: TCU game, I’m surprised no one is talking about OSU’s cornerbacks next year. It appears there will be a real lack of depth next year if true freshman safety Jordan Poyer is playing “emergency CB” in the LV bowl in a few games.
I like Poyer at FS (I think he needs to add some weight without losing speed). but I wonder about next year’s young CB’s? I expect Dockery and Hardin to be starting. What is the status of Ross (who was highly ranked coming out of HS), Rashaad Reynolds (who apparently impressed this year), and Kenyan Parker (was he injured this year – I know this is a position switch for him too so he’s inexperienced)?
It appears to me, unless I am missing someone, OSU is going to be thin at CB next year with only two CBs with meaningful game time. And that could be trouble at TCU.
By the way, I like the scheduling of TCU. OSU’s going to be loaded with offensive weapons and the game will be a huge offseason motivator.
I saw Katz play at WSU this year. I thought his arm strength was somewhere between Moore and Anderson’s. All spring and fall Paul Buker at the Oregon was going on about Katz’s arm strength. At WSU, Katz was accurate, and moved very well. He looks like he will have the best mobility of any of the last several OSU qb’s.
I expect that both Rodgers, Halhuni, Bishop, Markus Wheaton, and Jovan Stevenson, will make life much easier for Katz than his predecessors. There is some serious speed on next year’s offense – potentially throw Dunn in the mix (may be a factor on returns?) and OSU would seem to give TCU plenty to be worried about.