Home Football Season Wrap Up

Season Wrap Up

By
angry
-
321

Just some quick thoughts as I’m heading out on freezing cold bike ride in a few, but I really want to focus on a few things here, mostly Smith and the QB situation.

Smith:

– He made progress. He punted a few times where I thought he’d be a lunatic and go for it. He did make some really poor calls on 4th down, but overall there was some progress. Hopefully he continues to figure out the math and realize that those stats are skewed by (a) good teams going for it more (b) entirely different sets of players than what you have and (c) entirely different game scenarios. Just because the probabilities of generic 4th and 1 are X, doesn’t mean the probability of your 4th and 1 are X. In fact, it’s not, and never will be, completely equal. So figuring out the true odds and having a good gut or feel for the game is important. He still sucks in this regard, but I saw small improvement. There are definitely 4th downs to go for, and I don’t want to him to lose the ability to see those, just to gain the ability to see the ones not to go for. He needs more refining still. Also needs to spot superior talent earlier in the year. I had Martinez and a few other guys pegged as the obvious best players, and it took Smith like 3 games to spot them all.

– Completely non-football related, but I think Smith needs to lose some weight. He’s clearly eating well after this contract increases, and I’m concerned about his long-term health and ability to remain on the sidelines unless he begins to watch his weight. Look at Smith when he started at OSU 5 years ago, and look at him today…not good.

– Ben Gulbranson. This is pasted from the prior thread: Something I’m seeing a lot in the thread and mentioned a lot on ESPN, is BG is 7-1 as a starter. Great. But it’s like baseball: sabermetrics, thankfully, has finally proven that a pitcher’s wins are worth nearly 0 (unless he pitches a shutout maybe). If people want to talk about BG in a positive light, look to his very good 62.2 career completion %, a respectable 9 to 5 TD to INT ratio, etc. Just like pitchers are now rightfully judged off k/9, b/9, era, etc, QBs have to be judged on the things in their control, not team stats. Wins are almost always team stats. They’re also arbitrary. What if Gebbia started yesterdays’ game as a token gesture, played 1 snap, and then BG replaced him? Gebbia would get the win as a starter. So we need to ditch that completely. What is important with BG is he played with the most confidence every yesterday after a long break, which makes me think over those weeks waiting for the bowl something clicked. This happens. E.g. many times I’ll practice guitar every day, and make little progress, but then put it down for a week, pick it up, and suddenly there’s a leap. It’s just the way brains work. They need down time to rewire. I’m thinking something like this happened with BG the way he played yesterday. Unfortunately we can’t test it until next season, but the positive is there’s a lot of both practice and down time between now and then for this to happen again and again. He could come back really good.

– Just want to comment briefly on the other coaches. Coach M, clearly a great job. Bray…I was a big fan of that hire and he was the guy I wanted to see get that job. That was mostly due to the game plan, player attitudes, the loose vibe, and aggressive yet calculated style that I saw in the few games he did as the interim DC. More specifically, I love the safety and corner blitzes. It’s a completely underutilized play in college football. Love that we finished more plays as the season went on. Just a great job by both line coaches.

– Back to the QB situation: is Chiles willing to red shirt and wait a few years if BG does continue his progression?

– As mentioned in the prior thread, I was the only media to call for a special season and 9-3 as the most likely outcome. I saw all this building over the past few years, and how they were so close in prior games. Just needed more seasoning and Smith to get out of the way a bit. Both happened. Yes, I’m patting myself on the back because nobody else does. People criticized me for the Riley stuff, but I wanted higher highs and new we could do it. Nobody came back to say I was right or apologize. So, I have to pat myself on the back. It’s fine, I’m flexible.

– We need a new Colletto. When Kord Shaw was drafted, I thought he had a really similar skill set and would eventually fill that roll. Let’s see. That’s my guess. Someone has to step up and do it. It’s an important roll that got us a few wins.

– I’d like to see Colletto come back and coach after his stint in the NFL ends. I’d like to see Gebbia on the sideline next year as a GA. My hunch is Smith loves him and will offer that. The fact Smith put him in the game yesterday demonstrates that. He was a great captain, great leader, and sucked up his badly dealt hand beautifully. Gebbia could even be groomed to one day take over for Smith. They have similar mindsets and career trajectories as QBs, outside of their recruiting rankings. But both undersized guys with big hearts, leadership, and bright football minds. In 15 years when Smith is ready to stop reliving his youth over and over (and that’s what he’s doing by coaching in Corvallis), Gebbia would be a good guy to look at, if he wants and pursues that career path.

Alright, off to ride. Feel free to discuss all of this and anything else.

Go Beavs!

321 COMMENTS

  2. 1

    Great program elevating win yesterday. It sets the table for next years preseason rankings and allows for an opportunity to accomplish even bigger things with a new stadium, perhaps better schedule, and a lot of players with experience returning.
    We are now at the level of typical Wisconsin, and nearly mirror their strengths and weaknesses. Wisconsin has had great success by getting average qb play along with a great run game and great defense.

    Wisconsin had one magical run with Russell Wilson transferring in but they also had many Rose Bowl years with an average qb game manager.

    BG almost had me sold yesterday on his ability to continue to grow into more than a question mark at qb. I don’t think things are as bad off as it looked after UW game but I am still holding out hope for a “Russell Wilson” caliber transfer that creates instant magic for the team next year.

    Part of the thinking with a win now qb may be the way we’ve been programmed by past experiences as Beaver fans- you only get a great defense every 8-10 years, you only have a mature qb every 5 years if you’re lucky, and you need to mesh them into the same timeframe to win. Well, jS has just proven that is a faulty paradigm and it may not be the case any longer. Trust the Process as mentioned above likely means we pull in a backup qb with some experience as insurance and stand Pat with BG, expecting growth from the entire team next year rather than putting all the eggs into a portal qb basket.

    I think I’m ok with that now. It means one guy doesn’t lift or sink the season and locker room.

    JS has changed the culture of the program and now must begin changing the paradigm and lens of Beavernation away from the Riley lens of understanding how football programs operate.
    We are entering the Chris Petersen phase of what enduring high level success can look like… and it doesn’t start with a superstar qb, but a lot of depth at all positions, guys buying into team first, upperclassmen leading and a belief in each other as teammates.

    It is a great day to be a Beaver!

    Reply
  3. 7
    2

    What a respectable, entertaining and enjoyable season! I thought this was a team to be proud of in terms of character as well as wins. Competitive every game (except maybe Utah), but the way the team conducted themselves in interviews and on the field was impressive, and I think a lot of that goes to the coaching staff. The defensive effort against USC and the CW comeback were things of beauty. I loved that in the CW they came back without throwing the ball. I know several of Duck fans who won’t even talk about that game.

    Also seeing Smith develop an actual culture, you can see it in posts from players like Martinez. This kind of culture and teamwork is a great antidote to the NIL + Transfer Portal effect that some teams will be successful with in the short term, but it will likely create shorter cycles of success/failure for those programs, and a steady TEAM of 3*+ talent can compete with those teams in their good times and their bad.

    In my preseason prediction, I called every win and loss correctly except UW. I did not expect a new staff to turn it around that quickly. Their non-con schedule was very respectable, maybe even ill-advised, but all of those teams ended their seasons well, and that non-con sweep was another indicator of program progress.

    Agree Smith doesn’t look well, and that kind of shocks me. Historically, many coaches in football have looked overweight and unhealthy. yet they have access to healthy food, college coaches are usually the highest paid state in employees in their states, and they’re surrounded by fields and exercise equipment and opportunities. Use the training table and the facilities. There are guys out there like the LA Rams and the AZ cards coaches or even Lanning that look fit and I think its changing, but Smith needs to get on board. He’ll actually find he has more energy and a clearer mind.

    I think BGs completion percentage is fairly respectable, but the 9:5 TD:INT ratio is not. These days, I think something near 3:1 is respectable. Players have learned that its better not to force the ball, and to just throw it away and not take the negative play, particularly when teams now often work from a four down mindset instead of the historical three down mindset. Though guys like Smith and Lanning overdo it on fourth down, as Angry said, Smith seems to be getting better in that regard. But if BG can better hit the open man and learn to throw it away, he’d get there. According to posts in this thread, I think he missed three likely TD passes in the UW game? I recall one was a wide open wheel route. Good+ QBs don’t miss open receivers when they have time to throw. BG was an OK QB with a great ground game and a great D to help him out, and that’s mostly ok because it is a team game, but sometimes you need a QB who can turn it on and win it for you and I don’t think he’s that guy yet. He’s graduated, has time to watch game video, spring and fall camp, and all summer to throw to receivers, so he should get better. If Chiles or a transfer can beat him out in those conditions, then the Beavers should have their QB. I think Chiles likely can wait a year (allegedly really loves the OSU/Corvallis atmosphere and staff), but I think it would be nice to see him get some 4th quarter time if OSU is comfortably ahead.

    I don’t think Riley manipulated fans to have low expectations. I think 28 straight losing seasons created low expectations. To go from 28 years of losing to winning records, bowl games, and sometimes 43K in the stands, a number of fans were so terrified of backsliding they couldn’t see that better was possible. They were looking back, not forward. I wasn’t one of them, but they dominated the fan base. The students at this year’s games were great, and they’ll certainly have different expectations going forward. Fisher-Morris said in fall interviews the team wanted to “change the narrative,” and they are. We’ll see in preseason rankings – they should be top 20-25, if they aren’t, the popular media are still clinging to old narratives.

    I’m hoping OSU media produces a thorough video of the season, and that they have a version available that’s up to about 5-8 minutes long.

    Highly ranked players are showing up in a month or less, to start learning and to get in shape. Spring ball will be interesting!

    Reply
  4. 4

    Great program elevating win yesterday. It sets the table for next years preseason rankings and allows for an opportunity to accomplish even bigger things with a new stadium, perhaps better schedule, and a lot of players with experience returning.
    We are now at the level of typical Wisconsin, and nearly mirror their strengths and weaknesses. Wisconsin has had great success by getting average qb play along with a great run game and great defense.

    Wisconsin had one magical run with Russell Wilson transferring in but they also had many Rose Bowl years with an average qb game manager.

    BG almost had me sold yesterday on his ability to continue to grow into more than a question mark at qb. I don’t think things are as bad off as it looked after UW game but I am still holding out hope for a “Russell Wilson” caliber transfer that creates instant magic for the team next year.

    Part of the thinking with a win now qb may be the way we’ve been programmed by past experiences as Beaver fans- you only get a great defense every 8-10 years, you only have a mature qb every 5 years if you’re lucky, and you need to mesh them into the same timeframe to win. Well, jS has just proven that is a faulty paradigm and it may not be the case any longer. Trust the Process as mentioned above likely means we pull in a backup qb with some experience as insurance and stand Pat with BG, expecting growth from the entire team next year rather than putting all the eggs into a portal qb basket.

    I think I’m ok with that now. It means one guy doesn’t lift or sink the season and locker room.

    JS has changed the culture of the program and now must begin changing the paradigm and lens of Beavernation away from the Riley lens of understanding how football programs operate.
    We are entering the Chris Petersen phase of what enduring high level success can look like… and it doesn’t start with a superstar qb, but a lot of depth at all positions, guys buying into team first, upperclassmen leading and a belief in each other as teammates.

    It is a great day to be a Beaver! We are in good hands with JS and Bray.

    Reply
  5. 1

    I checked a few Fla newspapers for game writeups. Very little – If u play P5 college ft ball in little old Corvallis OR or bad old Eugene OR you have recognition, one way or another – in Florida, you are so lost amongst all the other colleges and professional teams.

    Reply
  6. 7

    I honestly can’t remember what I predicted in the preseason write up, but I think the team exceeded my expectations. We were a few bad bounces(or a better player) away from 11+ wins.

    I would honestly take 9wins + a bowl win for the rest of my life with this team and die a happy man.

    Reply
  7. 2

    Angry,

    I’ve tried looking through old posts to find my prediction with no luck, can you recall when that thread was posted so I can re read mine?

    Reply
  9. 7

    Just saw Damien Martinez at LV Airport. He was walking around fine hopefully that means no big injury. Being at the game I’m not sure if they shared his injury status or not. Seems like a nice kid.

    Reply
    • 5

      The in-game injury was his shoulder. They said it was just a stinger. My guess is they were riding the hot hand in Fenwick and there was a plan beforehand to get Newell some carries.

      More and more I’m thinking JS didn’t gameplan this like a normal game, but had plans in place for specific guys to get more playing time than usual. Kind of makes sense…if portal and NFL departures are changing the playing field anyway, why not use it as a chance to build your internal culture?

      Reply
  10. 7
    1

    Posted in last thread:
    “Post game vid,
    5:35……BG hints at Gebbia going into coaching
    7:17…..Hammer takes over the mic to praise BG, Jaydon Grant with the “second that””

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wLDqb0CwPi0

    I highlighted the comment by JackHammer, but there are several other points in that vid worth paying attention to. Grants’s response to a question about the Fla fieldgoal, BG’s praise of Gebbia, and others. Culture on display here.

    Reply
  11. 11

    Something I observed at the post game field ceoebration yesterday. This team has BG’s back. Like everybody got extra enthusiatic about him winning the game MVP trophy and they were all chanting something to him.
    I know the QB situation shouldnt be a popularity contest, but this guy has this team believing in him and supporting him across the board, which has to count for something.

    Reply
      • 5
        1

        Impressive that Jack did that without any prompting, in fact he took it upon himself to make those remarks. Jaydon Grant was quick with the “second that”.

        ‘

        Reply
  12. 1

    Briefly:

    “– Ben Gulbranson. This is pasted from the prior thread: Something I’m seeing a lot in the thread and mentioned a lot on ESPN, is BG is 7-1 as a starter. Great. But it’s like baseball:…”

    I feel Gulbranson is aware of this stat and moreso the underlying reasons besides himself as to why that is the case.

    That would be a LOT of motivation to improve going into next season.

    I was on the more cautious end of predictions (I think I said something like 7+ victories would be successful), and I’m elated the team finished as well as they did. Not perfect, but trending positively.

    On field play this season has been so much improved! So many times in the past we saw whiffs on open field tackles. Now, they happen when they should. The opposing team hurt their own momentum more often with costly penalties. And we tended to capitalize on those.

    Barring unforeseen catastrophe, I feel like they have placed themselves in about as good a position as possible headed into the signing/off season as able. With luck this will bear good fruit.

    I’ve enjoyed watching the last few seasons.

    Reply
  13. 14

    College football is so unpredictable, so I hope the program just establishes year-over-year consistency. Sure, UW and USC could have been wins, but Fresno and even more so Stanford could have been losses. It’s hard to break through to the playoffs unless a program does attract consistent 4 and 5-star talent, that’s why most of the time it’s the same programs over and over. Going to a 12-team playoff will make it more interesting, but there are going to be disappointments with the OSU program, but there may be a Rose Bowl or even a playoff breakthrough, but I don’t think it’s going to happen every year in Corvallis unless there is somehow a recruiting breakthrough.

    Reply
    • 13
      2

      Footballs IS different than basketball. A roster full of 4-5 star me-me-me guys that only want the spotlight on themselves, don’t buy into a team concept are likely to struggle as well.

      I would posit a team full of legit 3+ star kids that love football, accept their role and are looking for a brotherhood, will have plenty of success.

      Reply
      • 2

        Sounds like you’re talking about a team like Oregon with inconsistent coaching, but even then it was elite athletes that took them to two championship games. I’m talking about teams like Alabama, Georgia, and Ohio St. I’m happy to see 8,9, or 10-win seasons, but playoff level is truly the next step. Bowl games like the Vegas Bowl and nice, but really it is all a lot of effing around unless a team makes the playoffs. It will become a bit more accessible when it goes to 12.

        Reply
        • 2
          4

          The current beav team is on that cusp of #12, right now. Today. Yes, your lowly beavs.

          In my delusional post-Las Vegas high, I’m thinking that all that movement of players, NIL, and a roster full of kids who see themselves languishing on the bench at a Alabama-tOSU-GA may actually hurt some of that invincibility we all seem to think exists.

          Amazing what a 10-3 season can do to a person, eh?

          Reply
          • 3

            And don’t get me wrong, I love what the Beavs have accomplished. It’s more how college football is structured towards favoring the elites. You don’t see any hoops players “opting out” of the tournament. The next step for the program is being twelfth best or higher on a consistent basis. I’m saying it probably can’t be done consistently without a few elite athletes no matter how excellent the coaching or culture.

            Reply
          • 5

            Whether it’s when kids are in high school or the portal, there will be those who value good coaching and culture. It may take their parents prioritizing that but those are the players we want and we are getting. I’ve read both Chiles and Chisom really value the teachings of the Beavs staff.

            Reply
  14. 10

    I bet when JS gets on AB after the kids go to sleep and sees you fat shaming him that he gets real mad and goes full Liver King in the offseason.

    Tough love.

    Reply
  17. 7

    Card or whoever transfers in has to earn the job, and be head and shoulders better than BG. Smith isn’t drunk Gary, but I don’t want another mcm situation.

    Reply
    • 2

      At least we know for certain that JS isn’t going to promise anything.

      Just watch the games and if you’re sure you’re better then come on over.

      Reply
      • 2

        This is why he didn’t start BG, DM, et al at their respective positions because those guys had to earn it by proving they would be consistent enough week in and week out at their respective positions.

        BG will start next season unless Chiles or a transfer QB is able to get the offense in the right plays like BG did the second half of the season and be able to make accurate throws. They would also need to know when to throw the ball away and when to hold onto it by taking a sack. The first 3 games of the 2023 season setup nicely to potentially get backups in the game by the end of the 3rd or start of the 4th quarter. Watching the bowl game in person and focusing on BG’s pre-snap reads, he would put his hands on his helmet and tap both hands with a fist, indicating an audible. This tells me he calls 2 plays in the huddle and if he doesn’t feel the 1st play called will work, he’ll audible to the second play. This is why they tend to stay in the huddle a little longer. Oregon did the same thing under Cristobal and Mark Helfrich. They just looked to the sidelines for the audible play instead of getting both calls in the huddle. This could be why there was miscommunication early on in the season as well as the Utah game when BG went in for Nolan.

        Reply
  18. 1

    Interesting how much the team is in BG’s corner and Nolan hasn’t even been a part of the narrative for months. I wonder what the real story is surrounding Nolan for the last 2 years. Perhaps Nolan was not really accepted among the team anyway and BG was the real deal in practices all along.

    Reply
    • 5

      Chance just seems like a quiet guy. He wasn’t a very polished speaker in interviews and you could tel he wasn’t used to the spokesman kind of role. He apparently did a ton of work with the receivers in the off-season, so it’s not like he wasn’t a team player.

      Everyone loves an underdog story, so it’s easy to see why the team would rally around BG as a young backup who was thrust into the spotlight and responded pretty well.

      Reply
  19. 3
    2

    Bo Nix coming back for his final season at oregon. Have to view that as a positive with respect to OSU’s transfer portal searching. One less team to compete with.
    Although rumor is Ty Thompson will leave, which could create a depth need there.

    Reply
    • 2

      Pac 12 will be loaded again at QB. Everyone will be back except DTR. But UCLA just got the QB transfer and it wouldn’t surprise me if Cal/Arizona/ASU got a blue chip QB transfer. Add in primes son at Colorado. Gulbranson should improve significantly (or Beavs get a transfer), PAC 12 could be even deeper next season.

      Reply
  24. 1

    I did like what I saw in BG in the bowl game. And if we only had him as the starter next year I’d be okay but not excited until I see how he looks through some games
    BUT… to really be a force that is hard for defenses to deal with in college football you need a dual threat QB. Even the announcers talked about Florida not having to worry about the QB taking off so it allowed them to rush more guys off the edge.
    I like BG but would be real excited to see a dual threat ready to go guy transfer in for next year.

    Reply
  28. 5

    Looking at the entire package that is OSU football at this point I think JS is following the Chris Petersen “OKG” (Our Kind of Guys) recruiting philosophy to a T. Makes sense since he learned the ropes under Petersen and saw first hand the success that he had with it. Staying away from the modern “powerhouse recruiting” method of offering every 4-5* star kid on the planet and offering every one of them the world is showing dividends in a team that is well coached(because they’re coachable) and bought in to the system. It’ll be interesting to see if he can keep bringing kids in that fit the mold in the NIL era.

    Reply
  30. 2

    I have to say the return of Rochelin and Wright has been huge for the Men’s basketball team. They provide a great punch off the bench.

    Reply
    • 2

      Back to .500 on the year…progress! Still need more guys who can shoot consistently. 3/15 against one of the worst teams in the country?

      Reply

      • Yeah but they were 9-19 against a much better Seattle team last game. Yes, sometimes shooting isn’t there for this team. So they are going to need to win ugly sometimes and they did that tonight.

        Reply
  32. 3

    We get the leg humpers and the Utes at home next year. In the two games I attended this year, Boise St and the Civil War, both were super loud at half capacity. I sincerely hope that this season will cause a boost in ticket sales because having Reser packed again would be nice. Cupcake OOC schedule as well instead of playing @ a blue blood early so next year is shaping up nicely. I still worry about our degenerate gambler head coach but I’m happy with the culture he’s built. QB is still a question mark for me. We have seen improvement from BG but I’d feel more comfortable if we got a transfer with at least a year or two as a solid starter already under his belt.

    If we can continue to improve on the recruiting trail we can and will compete for a Rose Bowl every year. I just can’t shake the fact that with all of our recruiting prowess and culture shift that we still cannot attract a solid QB.

    Happy with the season overall though. I had us at 9-3 regular season so I’m just thankful not to have been overly optimistic only to be let down like always.

    Go Beavs!

    Reply
    • 4

      I suspect next year Reser will be louder than its ever been, even though the capacity is somewhat reduced from its peak capacity. The team performance at home the last two seasons, fan enthusiasm, ticket sales, and closer positioning to the field should make for a great home environment.

      Reply
      • 4

        I hope so! My fondest memories at Reser are the two loudest games I’ve been to. ‘06 and ‘08 vs. USC. You can tell that the players feed off the energy from the crowd in games like that. This year I noticed more people yelling throughout the game and standing. Prior years people wouldn’t be yelling to be loud they’d be yelling at you to be quiet or sit down. If you’re going to a game you’re going to have to sit and stand and yell a lot and if that’s not your jam then watch from your couch lmao.

        Reply

      • We should start in the preseason top 25 and if we seeep the OOC schedule could be top 15 when students back to school. Should be sold out at that point.

        Reply

  35. Of the portal QBs, I think my pecking order is
    (Tier 1)(guys who should win the starting spot immediately)
    1. Devin Leary – NC State
    2. Grayson McCall – Coastal Carolina
    3. Hudson Card – Texas
    4. DJ Uiagalelei – Clemson
    5. Brennan Armstrong – Virginia

    (Tier 2) (No order, guys who I think BG could win the job over, but they would provide depth)
    Kedon Slovis, Spencer Sanders, Graham Mertz, Hank Bachmeier

    Reply
    • 5

      Names I’ve heard the most in connection with OSU so far are Card, Slovis and DJ U.
      To me, Leary and McCall would both do amazing in our offense. Card looks very good as well. DJ U I like purely for his size amd ability to gain 5 yards on his feet when a play breaks down vs taking a sack.

      Reply

  36. Colorado is about to pick up former #1 overall ranked class of 2022 prospect, Travis Hunter.
    Signed with Jackson State originally. Entered portal today and is already in Colorado apparently.
    Sounds like they’ll have several splashy signings in the next week. Too bad, we used to be able to count on Colorado being the worst team in the Pac, but that will change quickly.

    Reply
  38. 5
    1

    Initial thoughts on USC and UCLA leaving the PAC was one of anger and dissappointment. But now, f-em, just let them go; they’ll languish in the middle of the BIG 10 and will be lucky to crack the top 10-15, having to compete with Ohio State, Michigan, Wisconsin, Penn State, etc. week in, week out. Not to say how burnt out the kids are gong to be having to play at Rutgers or Maryland, or Penn State and then fly back for a Friday night game in LA. I don’t doubt that they’ll want back into the PAC after a few years of that BS. I don’t know who we are looking at to replace these 2, but I think the PAC has plenty of upside compared to other conferences.

    Reply

    • Big Ten doesn’t play Friday night games unless you’re Nebraska, Rutgers or Purdue. Plus, it would be on FS1 only since they are not contracted with ESPN anymore. So look to Pac-12 filling Friday night game slots when the media deal is announced.

      Reply

    • SDSU and someone else will be the replacements. The options aren’t great, but I’d probably take Boise State as the other replacement due to their national brand perception. SMU would be great due to location (and probably better than SDSU), but they get overshadowed within DFW/TX and they don’t really have the same level of national recognition as Boise.

      Google Trends Ranking for the last 5 years (just for kicks):
      Boise State
      Oregon State
      SMU
      SDSU

      Reply
    • 3

      Big money programs are shooting themselves in the foot with a revolving door of guaranteed playing time transfers. Why commit to a team out of HS if they’re just going to repeatedly bring in transfers to play ahead of you? Ty Thompson is just the latest in a long line of players to learn this. Dante Moore would be smart to avoid being the next.

      Reply
      • 1
        1

        Yet everyone is calling for Oregon State to bring in a transfer QB to start next season….hmmmm….adding depth maybe and adding leadership won’t be needed if Gebbia gets a GA position at OSU.

        Reply
        • 6

          we do need a transfer QB after losing both Gebbia and Nolan this year. Just for depth purposes. If BG goes down, we don’t have a QB who has played a single collegiate snap trying to fill that role.

          Reply
          • 1
            1

            I believe BG didn’t have any collegiate meaningful snaps either, but was named backup. We have Travis Throckmorton and incoming True Freshman Aidan Chiles. We’ll be fine depth wise at QB. Don’t bring in a QB just for the sake of adding depth. That’s how we got into the GA era mess in the first place. Show recruits that you come in and compete, you earn your spot and you’ll start. I like our QB room since they are now all guys Smith has recruited. Dom is a walk-on, but he’s putting in his time and is a dual threat QB and helps with the scout team. That’s huge.

            Reply

          • Going into the season with only 3 scholarship QBs would be a disaster and could derail what could be another special season. Especially sinve 2 of them have never taken a college snap.

            Reply
  40. 2
    1

    This team is in a good place. It has an offensive identity (outside zone run) and a pretty stout secondary/LB unit going into 2023. If nothing changes recruiting-wise this offseason, I expect this team to get at least 8 wins next year.

    I think it would be most beneficial for Smith to use the transfer portal to upgrade the speed and physicality on defense and ST. Seems like the golden opportunity to throw NIL money at an all-around athlete who can play all three phases.

    Reply
  42. 1

    Where the transfer QB carousel at?

    Toilet seats: Nix returns, assume Ty Thompson remains backup. Do they still seek a transfer who is willing to sit at least a year?

    UCLA: gets the big flip of 5* Dante Moore AND the Kent State kid. I assume their QB room is full.

    What other shoes need to drop before we get a clearer picture on who we are pursuing and have mutual interest?

    Reply
    • 3

      I predict we get DJ along with his brother and Card plus Chiles sticks with his commitment. Lindgren has 3 years to get us to a Rose Bowl with this qb room. Bray has an elite d line and the locker room culture is the selling point for more of the high profile guys who aren’t interested in the agents and me first flash of other programs. Steady success based on the OSU version of OKGs.

      Reply
        • 1

          No inside info from me…It is a Beaver glasses prediction based on a bit of momentum and getting some high talent guys with the same team attitudes who don’t want the drama of a Nike or Texas etc.
          As for the DLine statement- If DJs little brother comes, he would be the highest rated high school player ever to sign with OSU and I’d expect some other guys to want to play alongside him who may lead to an elite Dline, it is all hopium and a bit beyond reality. But we just won 10 games and at this point, I’ll predict the outlandish and see what the fall back may be as the weeks unfold.

          Reply
          • 3

            I think we’ll have a very solid line, maybe top half in the conference, even if Hodgins moves on (sounds like he will). The returning DT’s (Sio, Rawls) often draw double teams and Quincy Wright should be a contributor, and I think the DE’s will also be pretty good (Lolohea, Saluni, the Kansas JC transfer).

            It would be nice to have a second DT as big as Sio in the rotation so the group is 4-deep.

            Reply
          • 1

            Sio barely played this year. Not sure if he got hurt or just passed up on the depth chart, but his snap count was low (only 86 all season).

            Reply

    • On3 Rumor is McCall to Florida and Leary to Kentucky or Auburn.

      That leads Hudson Card, DJ, Armonstrong, and Slovis as the biggest names available.

      Reply
    • 2
      1

      He was a juco guy that I think was injured his 1st year, opted to not play the covid year and perhaps another injury this season? Or more likely that he was just buried in the DB room and wasn’t going to be seeing any playing time even if he’s healthy. Sucks to lose depth but he came in like 3 years ago and I think our DB talent has definitely increased during that time frame. Not to say he might not be a good player, just wasn’t going to be getting playing time with the current room. Have Cooper Jr, Thomas, julian, Robinson for sure then add in that Austin could return and KO could still play another year right? Regardless, for sure 4 guys with a chance for 6 at a minimum in front. Not including that Akili Arnold saw playing time over the last few years as well.

      Reply

    • Wish him all the best. It didn’t work out for him here with a knee injury, but I hope he finds a great place to land. Ultimately, freeing up the scholarship is a win for the team

      Reply

  44. Florida site grumbling about the loss and program going in wrong direction, they are seeing a ton of their good streaks come to an end.
    “ I had turned it off by that point but just found out we did that and still have our scoring streak alive. I have no shame in doing that, and after seeing us go for it on 4th down midway thru the 4th quarter instead of taking the points on the board, I had no faith that our coach gave a crap about being shutout or not.

    That scoring streak is the last thing that’s survived our past decade-plus of football doldrums. Our Tennessee streak is done, the Kentucky streak is done, the bowl game streak is done, the winning record streak is done, the Vandy streak is done, the winning-on-Homecoming streak is done. I’m happy to irrationally cling to the no-shutout-thing as my sole bright spot of Florida football.“

    https://www.alligatorarmy.com/platform/amp/2022/12/17/23514537/oregon-state-florida-score-stats-recap

    Reply
  45. 6

    Agree on Coach M and Bray, but I think the biggest difference with this year’s defense is they tackled better than prior years. Prior years they would be in position and miss so many tackles.

    Reply
  47. 6

    Damn, Daschel really roasting Napier on Twitter and Oregon Live article for kicking the field goal to avoid the shutout. Maybe I’m in the minority but that didn’t bother me one bit, it was like 4th and 20-something? I say take some points and find whatever bright spot you can (extending your scoreless streak). Shrug.

    Reply

  49. I just had a thought that would piss off alot of people in this state.
    If Bo Nix had been the OSU QB this year, Oregon State would have gone to the playoffs

    Reply
    • 3

      Assuming he performed as well. His SEC history is spotty isn’t it? I’m not sure Lindgren’s plays would have been as easy for him to execute as was UO’s offense?

      I’d have rather had Penix point the Beavers to the playoffs, seems like a better fit…

      Reply

    • you could also say if Oregon had Oregon State’s defense or Oregon State’s mentality when it comes to not taking the foot off the pedal and put your foot on your opponents throat until they quit, then you could say Oregon would have gone to the playoffs, no?

      Reply
      • 1
        1

        Sure- but that’s a much more implausible and purely academic what-if scenario. What if you swapped an entire defense or a culture…

        Bo Nix is one player and he transferred to Oregon last year. Could just as easy have gone to OSU instead.

        Reply
  50. 2

    Donte Moore feels the need to justify himself to prove it wasn’t just about the NIL money. Among his reasons:

    “Coach Kelly is a funny guy, very intelligent. He knows a lot about the body and how quarterbacks work and has a program that helps benefit the player,” Moore said.

    “Knows a lot about the body”? Is the Chipster’s knowledge of anatomy UCLA’s new secret weapon in recruiting? Who needs NIL money when you’ve got Chip’s deep intimacy with the human body.

    Reply
      • 2

        FWIW, and who knows how believable or reliable this is, but this is from the ESPN article on his flip:

        Moore said that NIL did not play a big factor in his decision. He acknowledged that if he plays well at UCLA there will be NIL opportunities, but he said on his recruiting visits he’d decline to go to NIL meetings if they showed up on his itinerary. He said he didn’t want a dollar amount thrown at him by a school impact a decision that should be based on football.

        “I want to keep football the main thing and be a college student and enjoy life,” he said. “Football is my main thing. That’s what I love, and I can keep that the main thing.”

        Reply
        • 5

          I rescind me previous comment. Good for him. If that is accurate, I’m surprised he was committed to Oregon as long as he was. Now he may want to consider how fun football will be with November games
          In Minnesota and Rutgers, even if Chip understands best how a quarterback’s body works.

          Reply
      • 8
        3

        Why the negative emotion? OSU isn’t going to be the best fit for every player. Let the guy play where he wants without getting butt hurt.

        Reply
        • 2
          1

          No emotion, just passive observation of a clownish recruiting circus that is Oregon. Any skepticism for their recruiting strategies would be based on their own hubris and arrogance about it.
          Good luck to the young man on his future
          endeavors, he is making a wise decision to depart from NikeU.

          Reply
  51. 2
    8

    Everyone debating BG being the starter next year and I think there is a good argument that can be made either way but I will say OSU never really had a WR that consistently got separation. No real top notch route runner or big bodied possession guy to be the safety blanket. Think that is almost a bigger need than upgrading the QB position. Of course I think if you are Smith you are always looking to upgrade any position if guys want to come in and compete. So to me it is tough to really evaluate BG accurately because I am not sure there were a whole ton of reads where he missed wide open guys.

    Reply
    • 3
      3

      That’s the point I’ve been making. When they match up with secondaries with speed and length (USC, UW, Utah, Hole) they struggle to get separation. They get jammed at the line and it throws off the timing of the route.

      Velling stepped up when he needed to, and that was huge. We’ve heard praise about Overman in the last two camps but he hasn’t contributed much in the passing game.

      Reply
        • 10
          5

          The receivers weren’t the problem. If you watch film, you’ll see BG does a poor job going through progressions… receivers are open and getting separation. The INTs vs UO and UW had nothing to do with WRs and everything to do with BG… horrible reads. If you’re satisfied with 8-4, BG is a safe bet. If you want to compete for P12 championship, we need an upgrade at QB.

          Reply
          • 2

            Ooops you’re correct. He just missed 3 wide open receivers that would have been TDs and threw it into coverage another time and the UW LB dropped it. It was windy but Penix threw the ball quite well. Point is the WR had nothing to do with losing that game. They were wide open all night. BG threw for less than 100 yards. That L was on BG and it’s an example of what next year will look like when we play good teams if we don’t upgrade.

            Reply
        • 1
          1

          Decent, but just middle of the pack in the conference. Bolden ended up being the best by the end of the season and he was third or fourth in snap count.

          BG never did catch up to Nolan in terms of drops. The “Nolan’s balls are hard to grab” thesis may just have been correct.

          Reply
    • 1

      List getting smaller. I see people saying they wouldn’t want DJ but I think he’s an upgrade all around and the options are shrinking a bit now. Even in a “bad” year he had 29 total tds, 7 int and 500 yds rushing. Our 2 qbs jad 21 total tds/13 int and 150 yds rushing. Change of scenery can do wonders…just look down south and see how much Nix improved.

      Reply

        • That doesn’t hurt but find it hard to believe that all his success was solely the o-line. Penix was also very good after his change of scenery/schemes.

          Reply
      • 1

        Tcu qb declared so that might be more appealing for Card for talent and geographically.

        Sounds like there is a d lineman that is looking like a possible commit.

        Reply
      • 1
        3

        DJ would without a doubt be better than Gulbranson. With our O-Line and running game, he could slow the game down and develop. It wouldn’t hurt if we had a healthy Gould, Bolden, and 1 more big target via transfer portal for him to throw to.

        I’m glad the teammates think GB is a leader. He can prove it by staying at OSU and working his ass off to improve, whether or not we do land a bigtime transfer. I think Gebbia set a damn good example of leadership and attitude.

        Reply
  53. 2

    I hope we land Tufaga but not at the expense of Speights leaving. When will he and Austin announce?

    Starck visited but is still looking around it sounds like. There were rumors he wanted to commit after the visit to the Beavs but he didn’t want to before looking around a bit.

    Reply

  54. Jackhammer didn’t have a year of eligibility he wasn’t telling anyone about, did he? He made a nice announcement that he was declaring for the draft. I didn’t realize those who are seniors needed to do that.

    Reply

    • No, he was a sixth year Senior as he came in as a Sophomore after one year of JC at Arizona Western in 2018. He got an extra Junior year in 2021 due to 2020 covid year.

      Reply

      • To clarify, he played as a Junior in 2019, but only in 4 games and took it as a redshirt season as he was transitioning to linebacker.

        2017 – FR JC Arizona Western
        2018 – SO JS first season, started one game at QB.
        2019 – JR Only played in 4 games and took a redshirt season as he was switching to linebacker.
        2020 – RS JR Free Covid Year
        2021 – RS JR
        2022 – RS SR

        Reply
    • 9

      I think it was just his way of thanking Beaver Nation and letting fans know of his intentions. I thought it was classy and nice to read in a day of “That being said, I’m decommitting from xxxx”

      Reply
    • 1
      1

      If the family has no interest in NikeU, OSU is the antithesis and may be in the running. Perhaps his brother too? Could be very interesting. He does throw a nice deep ball, whether he reads defenses may be concern.
      I was initially skeptical of him but he may be the legitimate upgrade for the next step.

      Reply
    • 2
      1

      Ha, well i had 2 separate people message me that he was following Smith amd Lindgren tonight, so i went and grabbed a screenshot. I cant take credit for finding it.

      Reply
      • 1

        Well according to that other site your findings aren’t accurate… something about the site you are using. I don’t think they realize that’s a search tool you’re using with twitter, correct? Someone asked if it was MySpace. Haha

        Reply
        • 4
          1

          It’s 100% accurate. What a bunch of doofs.
          I have a program that shows me twitter follows and followers in chronological order and have been using it for a couple years.

          Reply
      • 3

        DJ Uiagalelei followed both Smith and Lindgren tonight. Nothing concrete, just a sign that there is progress.
        What did you see about Butterfield?
        That would actually be pretty funny if he came here and excelled

        Reply
  57. 4

    Just rewatched the LV Bowl highlights. BG looking more comfortable on rollouts and has a pretty quick release. Doesn’t pat the ball like Gebbia or Nolan either. Also, he’s not acknowledged much for how well he runs when designed, and the odd scramble. Not saying he’s the guy, but with some good competition (Chiles, + transfer) if he wins it, then fine.

    Also, rewatched the USC game for the first time. That was such a good game, great contest, that I never rewatched it. Back then, watching how the secondary passed of receivers in the zone, I thought “They look like a pro secondary.” And it held up in review. Such a frustrating loss. BUT:

    Jam Griffin ran tough against USC, and his stiff arm TD run against FLA reminded me how tough he is. Looking forward to him healthy next year and complimenting Martinez. Might have to attend the UW game…that should be loud and fun.

    Reply
  58. 4

    Beavs pick up a late night transfer commit, Ben Hartman.
    Was at Penn St as a walkon I believe. Had been committed to Oregon a year ago before flipping to PSU.
    Coming back home to play for the Beavs. Seems like a good fit. Former wrestler

    Reply
  59. 9

    Was just reading through my unchecked DMs from last week. Had a guy message me on Saturday to tell me DJ was in Corvallis last weekend.

    Reply
      • 2
        1

        As we learned with JT Daniels, it depends on how much their dad is asking for. Sounds like the Uiagalelei’s are more straight shooters than Daniels, though.

        Reply

  61. I wonder if we land DJ whether it opens up the chance to bring in a big wr as well the way Addison followed Williams to USC.
    Just spitballing but there is a ripple effect sometimes and maybe JS has located a handful of guys who have the right demeanor to be a great fit without a lot of nil demands, and just want a fresh start.

    Do we have any bigger wide receivers on the roster already? Underclassmen?

    Reply

  64. So the available qbs are dwindling from the list as well as the available west coast destinations. If rumors were correct that DJ wants to come back to the west side of the country, then how many P5 schools are actually left?
    Fresno St was mentioned, but nearly all PAC12 schools have their new or returning qbs. It looks more and more like OSU has a real shot at DJ, with 3 years to play. I can’t see him going to the Mountain West if he compares where the Beaver roster sits right now.

    PAC12 qbs:
    UA- WSU transfer De Lauria
    ASU- ND transfer Payne
    Utah- Texas transfer Rising
    CO- Jackson St transfer Shedeur Sanders
    UCLA- Kent St transfer Schlee
    USC- Oklahoma transfer Williams
    UW- Indiana transfer Penix
    WSU- Incarnate Word transfer Ward
    UO- Auburn transfer Nix
    Cal-Purdue transfer Plummer
    Stanford-McKee has declared for draft, Ashton Daniels is back-up and the rest of the team has transferred to Michigan prior to Troy Taylor getting to the podium
    OSU- Ben Gulbranson…+ a possible future transfer???

    Reply
    • 1

      Man- maybe I’m misreading your post but is it really true that 10/12 of the PAC schools have a transfer as their starter or likely starter?

      With a possible 12/12 depending on how things shake out for Stanford or OSU?

      Crazy. The landscape and the mentality have changed so much in a short time. Wasn’t that long ago that relying on a transfer QB was seen as a failure to develop your own guy out of HS. There are real downsides to not giving your guy time in the program to really learn the playbook, culture, etc.

      Reply
        • 1

          Hopefully the trend changes, but Lindgren’s management of the QB position overall has not been stellar. I would have said the same about Legi on the DL a few years ago, but that turned around really quickly. Now with Chiles hopefully entering the fold, Lindgren has a chance to learn from mistakes and turn things around.

          Reply

  65. Does this leave Florida and OSU as the major programs seeking a portal QB? The Coastal Carolina QB is rumored to be a Florida lean, so Hudson Card and DJ still possible?

    Reply
  66. 5

    Regarding your concerns about JS’s weight. Jonathan is 43. That’s a time for a lot of us when the metabolism shifts and no matter how hard you work out it seems like the weight accumulates. The only way to manage it is on the intake side. I recently dropped 40 lbs (5′-9″ from 183 down to 143) and it was almost entirely from just eating less. Sounds easy but there’s so much of our life and emotions intertwined with eating and drinking for enjoyment that any major recalibration is challenging.
    Jonathan’s a smart guy. He’ll figure it out. Portland State’s coach is the guy I worry about.

    Reply
  67. 2
    5

    There is a chance that no QB wants to come here given Gulbranson’s success. Yes he hasn’t burned up the stat sheet but he is 7-1 as a starter and just was named MVP of the Vegas Bowl. There is no way that a prospective transfer doesn’t know this. They are going to have to believe that they are going to get a true shot at the job. I personally would like to see someone transfer in if only to push the other QB’s on the roster. That being said I will have no problem with no one coming in beyond the 4 star commit Chiles. There are 2 guys on the bench who have no college game snaps but 1 year in the program. Got to trust the development of these two. My 2 cents

    Reply
    • 1
      3

      Ben G is 8-1 now with the win over Florida. With the transfer QB’s Smith and Lindgren have brought in were Noyer(bust), and Chance Nolan(Best seasoned player in the QB room, but not ideal for future success). BG is now in a position to take his game to the next level, but yes, we need a QB that will push BG, but is really quick to grasp the game plan, buy in to the culture of the team and get timing down with WR/TE/RB to get the team in the best plays like BG did this season. If the transfer QB is not able to be a co-leader with BG and have the same respect Gebbia and BG had this season, that will not go over well with the team as a whole and could create a toxic environment. Transfers aren’t going to lie to coaches to get onto a roster if they want to succeed and compete. A true competitor doesn’t back down from competition, especially against a teammate. As for the QB’s on the roster, we have Ben Gulbranson, Travis Throckmorton, (walk-on)Dom Montiel, and 4* soon to enroll for Winter Term Aidan Chiles. That’s it. We are extremely young at QB behind BG. If we don’t get another QB from the transfer portal just to add depth for this upcoming season and BG goes down, we go from an 8+ win season to a 6 win season depending upon when BG if/would get hurt. I would say if Aidan isn’t lighting up the defense early, then stick with BG as QB1 and Throckmorton as QB2 and Aidan Chiles as Emergency.

      Reply
  68. 6

    Another twitter follow update. Coach Steward and Hynson both started following DJU since last night.
    Again, doesnt mean anything, other than now our position coaches are showing interest in communicating with him, so that most likely means conversations are ongoing.

    Also noticed quite a few Beaver fans as well as Aidan Chiles mom all started following Hudson Card recently. But i think the coach follow/followed activity is more telling.

    Reply
  69. 6
    1

    If any of the remaining portal QBs are scared of GB as competition, then I don’t want them to come. No one should be promised a starting position, and I want someone to come in who is willing to work to earn the respect of the team.

    I hope BG has a great career at OSU, but there’s a ton he needs to work on. Smith owes it to the team to look for a QB who can come in and compete. If they win the job, great. If they don’t, then kudos to BG or Chiles.

    Reply
    • 2

      I don’t understand all of this talk that they have to come in and earn it. That’s the way its always been with Smith and it’s not changing now. Smith isn’t going to guarantee a QB anything but a fair shot to win the starting job. There just isn’t any basis for the argument that Smith is going to hand a transfer the starting job.

      Reply
  70. 4
    1

    It seems like the majority of these offenses are RPO or zone read that many qbs have been in since middle school. Is Lindgrens offense going to be a different type of offense that guys like Card or DJ can’t just translate into easily? We aren’t dealing with Riley’s old 5 yr plan Pro set offense but it isn’t what most teams are running either.
    If any qb comes in and is a fit with the culture of the team, has a bit more starting experience than BG as at least a competitive option, but struggles to grasp the offense right away, is that ok? I think it may be best case actually. If DJ or Card transfer in with 3 years each but both have started and win big time college games, it is a win for the qb room in experience and depth as well as competition.

    I think it would be good for Chiles to redshirt a year without the pressure and then for the next couple of years.

    The argument for standing pt with BG and hoping for a quantum leap in his game ability is logical but may be too hopeful, and he doesn’t have a quality backup either. The qb room is too thin and a transfer should be brought in with some experience, even if that transfer can’t start right away or doesn’t exceed BG.

    Researched Clemson a bit. DJ has had 2 OCs in 3 years, and was thrown in as a true freshman to start multiple games. Clemson Oline has has a rash of injuries the last 2 years and a first year coach for offensive line this year. DJ had his issues but the entire offensive side of the ball was in transition form coaches/injuries. DJ may just need a new place where those things are all settled and he can simply play again.

    Reply
    • 5

      On the flip side, Lindgren’s/Michalczik’s/Hynson’s offense (outside zone run w/ play action) resembles that of an NFL one, which should be a selling point to recruits.

      Reply
    • 1

      The offense is an RPO, but instead of choosing to run or pass after the ball is snap, the decision is made prior to the snap with the QB reading the defense. Imagine the first play called in the huddle is run, second play is a pass. QB gets to the line, reads the defense and chooses to go with the run by not making a hand signal. If he reads the pass will work better, he will then audible to the second play called. Looking at stats with this offense will say we are not dominant or create explosive plays left and right. This offense is efficiently effective because we don’t rely on 1 single back, 1 or 2 WR’s, a TE, or the QB to beat teams. It’s truly a team effort with multiple RB’s, TE’s, WR’s, and a solid OL with a game managing QB. This is the offense when BG is in the game. It could be a completely different style once Aidan gets on campus and it could be a different style with Travis Throckmorton as the QB. Hard to say without the body of work and game film.

      Reply
  71. 9

    Just got back from Vegas, it was a great atmosphere. Beavs everywhere in town. A better matchup would have doubled the attendance.

    Onto the QB debate,
    – A transfer QB is coming, that is a fact. It’s a numbers thing. Currently will have three scholarship QBs in the spring, GB, Chiles and Throckmorton.
    – Teams need to have 4 scholarship QBs at a minimum for injuries and development. Two guys competing for the job and two guys for development. I watched Montiel in the pregame warmups at the bowl, he’s going to be a walk on for his career.
    – Bringing in competition is good. QBs can’t get complacent. If they lose the job and transfer, that’s part of the game now. It’s why we are talking about transfer QBs.
    – JS has to stick to his guns and not promise anything. Not a starting role or even a high paying NIL deal.
    – The model of every top team now is to get multiple good guys to compete for the job, winner stays and the losers transfer. High school recruits come in and backup and compete the next year.

    GB played with a lot more emotion in the bowl game. It looked like he wanted to prove himself with all the transfer talk. That’s good to see because of the incoming competition. I still don’t know where his ceiling is. He’s has proven himself as a competent game manager but can he take a next step.

    I feel like there is some recency bias a bit and it’s glossing over some of GB’s weaknesses. Everyone is feeling good after a curb stomping bowl win and GB had no screwups in the game. The group feeling was pretty opposite after Civil War of what the season could have been with a good QB.

    Here’s my thoughts on GB for the season,
    The Stats! GB finished with a 9-5 TD to INT ration. He also lost two fumbles that were directly on him. Let’s discount the Utah game since he was thrown in there. So 9 TDs to 3 Ints and two lost fumbles along with 5 rushing TDs.

    A winning record as a starter is great but how many did GB go out and carry the team to a win? I’d give him one, the Stanford game.

    The difference between a good QB and a great QB is that they play consistent all the time. His play vs the teams behind in the standings was pretty consistent. His play in the two biggest games was poor. UW and Oregon, his contribution was a net negative.

    I am very much in the pro big time transfer corner. But the bottom line is, BG is the man to beat in spring ball and fall camp. He should be listed as the #1 until the starter is announced before the first game. Would anyone really complain if the QB play got better next year even if it’s not GB? Plus there is zero game experience behind BG. BG had some prior to starting. BG should welcome the competition, it will push him to his ceiling. Chiles the same, if any of these guys want to play at the next level, they have to continue to beat out guys just as good or better.

    Reply

    • Agree on BG. He was pretty good against weak defenses, but really struggled against quality defenses. I guess you could say the bowl game was the exception.

      That doesn’t mean he won’t be better next year, but it’s clear the staff has identified that as an area where the depth chart needs to be improved.

      Reply
    • 4

      Man I totally disagree about the Stanford game. BG played OK, not great through most of the game.

      Then on the final drive he throw a horrible pass directly to a Stanford defender. Just so happened that Harrison made the play OF HIS LIFE on that ball, and in one of the craziest plays I’ve ever seen, scored. Doesn’t change the fact that it was a horrible pass and a horrible decision; most likely outcome there was pick-6.

      I can give BG some slack there given that we were in desperation mode- but that play was 110% Harrison. No freakin’ way that was BG putting the team on his back. Horrible pass that should have ended the game, barring some absolute heroics from Harrison and the luckiest bounce I’ve ever seen the Beavs get.

      Reply
    • 1

      On the recency bias point guys on here do it all the time ever since Nolan became a starter. Remember people talking like he could be a dark horse for the heisman lol? Nolan was the savior then he sucked then BG was so much better then sucked and now he’s good again. It just makes me shake my head. The QB room needs to be upgraded and if BG improves and wins the job thats great but they need the competition,depth and option of another scholarship QB. If DJ really does go to Hawaii and Smith isn’t landing card or someone that’s a really huge strikeout.

      Reply
      • 1
        1

        In fairness, Nolan was wildly inconsistent for his whole career. At his best he WAS Heisman-caliber. At his worst he didn’t belong on a D1 roster. It’s not uncommon for young QBs to be inconsistent but Nolan was extreme. Carson Wentz!

        And as for BG, lol. He’s never been very good, and I never thought he was a clear improvement over Nolan. He played his best game of the season (by far) in the bowl game however, and that bodes well for a step change next year. A step change would be required though- win record notwithstanding BG was nowhere near good enough this year.

        But overall I agree! A strong transfer QB to compete with BG is an urgent priority for the offseason. And then either BG gets better or the transfer gets the job. 2022 BG is not good enough for 2023.

        Reply
  72. 4

    “Campus Insiders” had a nice video pointing out that Beavers LV Bowl victory was the PAC’s first bowl victory in 3 years. They said with the quality of the OSU defense, OLine, and run game, it should be an attractive destination, including for transfers, and a similar season should be possible in 2023, with staring 3-0 a real possibility.

    Nice publicity for the Beavers, and more emphasis on what Beavers have done v. FLA’s problems.

    Reply

    • Gotta be a smokescreen. He would go from spotlight to obscurity, insanely bad move if he actually aspires to NFL. I’d say someone on the Hawaii boards are just making up stuff for funszies.

      Reply
    • 2
      1

      I think Florida are the favorites to land him, and I havent seen anything to indicate that he and OSU have had any common interest.
      I dont think this Hawaii crystal ball thing has any legs. Just a reporter trying to draw some eyeballs.
      My uninformed gut thinks OSU is the clubhouse favorite for DJU

      Reply
  76. 2

    Say they do land DJ. Does that possibly make them the favorite to win the conference? Probably not since USC, ucks, Utah and Washington have their QBs coming back but have to like our chances with him at the helm. I’ll probably put a 100 down for them to win it. Should be a nice payout for only risking a 100 and I like our chances. I did it last season and they were so close. Would’ve paid out 2700.

    Reply
    • 2
      1

      I would think DJ could help fill some of the gap of not having Colletto out there on short yardage runs, just because he also has a big body and could help move the pile forward. Not that I love having the starting QB put in those situations.
      Omar and Rawls coming back would be huge too. Those 3 guys could help tip the scales in OSU’s favor for next year, in my opinion.

      Reply

        • I think he’s waiting on getting feedback. I would think Rawls would be back. I didn’t think he was really an NFL prospect. I think Omar was leaning towards coming back as well.

          Reply

  77. So I’ve gone through the roster on the OSU football website and based on my count, there are 99 players coming back next season including walk-ons. I have 6 that have not declared, but could come back for their final season next year. Do we really have about 44 walk-ons and 54-60 scholarships depending upon if 6 Seniors declare for the draft or not.

    Is my count accurate or off? By this #, we have room to offer 25 to 31 scholarships and so far our class size this year is at 19. So there is room to add 6-12 more scholarship players to the roster or grant scholarships to a couple of walk-ons.

    Reply
  79. 11

    Signing day tomorrow. Dont expect much in the way of surprises. Just isnt Smith’s style.
    Dorian Thomas will announce he has flipped to Arizona, but that has been the case for months.
    Hoping OSU can pick up that Safety who visited recently, Luke Talich, or juco CB Mason White.

    Omar Staples might be another name to keep an eye on since he decommitted from Stanford when Shaw left.

    I dont plan to do much other than retweet the anniuncements from the players and the team

    Reply

    • NiceBeaver and/or Angry, have you looked T this guy’s film? Sounds very intriguing:

      “The Beavers hope edge rusher Nikko Taylor will be a force on defense in 2023. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Taylor is out of Hutchinson Community College in Kansas. Taylor, who is ranked as one of the top junior college edge rushers in the nation, posted a team-leading 15.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks while registering 43 total tackles in 2022. He was being chased by Kansas and San Diego State.”

      Reply
  81. 1
    7

    I’m not as concerned about the QB situation as I am about the coaching (or lack thereof) of the QBs. Imo first thing first – hire a QB coach who is capable of coaching the kids up.

    Reply
  83. 4

    Doing some research before my PFF subscription lapses…

    It’s interesting to see what the recruiting pedigree is of top players at each position. You’d think it would be dominated by blue chip recruits, but it’s not.

    Out of the top 10 P5 players this year at each position:
    4 of the QB’s were 3-stars
    5 of the RB’s were 3-stars
    4 of the WR’s were 3-stars and 1 was a 2-star
    7 of the OT’s were 3-stars (including our very own Taliese Fuaga)
    3 of the CB’s were 3-stars, 1 was a 2-star, and 1 had 0 stars

    Highly targeted NIL is highly inefficient. Star ratings and hype just can’t predict who will be top performers. The PFF ratings for higher rated recruits are probably higher on average, but picking one single player to spend millions of dollars on doesn’t guarantee you high level performance.

    Also, I suspect size coming out of HS is too heavily weighted in OL recruit rankings. Clearly this is one position where coaching and development really matters. Interesting to see that all of tOSU’s OL are top 10 in the country at their position, regardless of what their star ranking was coming in (and it runs the gamut from 3 stars to 5). Similarly, all of the Beavs’ are top 20 in the country (and that’s a collection of 3 stars, 2 stars, and 0 stars).

    Reply
    • 1
      1

      Interesting breakdown, thanks. It supports Angry’s point that you can win big with genuine 3* talent that’s well coached and utilized.

      It makes me think that star ratings are a bit like NFL draft ratings and drafts…

      Reply
      • 2

        It’s all a probability thing. 5 stars have a better chance of panning out than 4 stars, than 3 stars…but that high ranking doesn’t guarantee anything and vice versa.

        Coach M might just be the best coach in the country for what he consistently manages to get out of lower rated recruits.

        Reply

        • Exactly.

          It’s also worth noting that there are fewer 5 stars than 4 stars. Far fewer 4 stars than 3 stars… Each 3 star recruit individually has a much lower chance of panning out, but there are so many of them that there will be a lot of 3 start players who do pan out.

          Reply
    • 2

      No I wouldn’t suspect that they would be highly rated at all. Have you looked at our top recruits and who is starting and contributing over the years? That’s why I caution people to think Chile’s will just come in and be the savior. OSU is a program that thrives on finding guys with the potential and work ethic to become next level players. Austin 2 star, Grant walk on, Oladapo walk on, Sandberg not rated? 1 offer from incarnate and so on. Harrison 4 star, dunmore star, Lindsay 4 star, tongue 4 star, Lowe 4 star. Not to say all of those players have been good or bad but the rankings r shit and it’s up to the coaches to be the ones that really know. Just don’t get too excited about 1 highly rated player is what I’m saying. Coach M is already gushing about very low rated guys opposed to the high ones in front of them.

      Reply

  84. Rumors do seem to be heating up for DJU. Other spot mentioned for him is Fresno. That would make more sense than Hawaii and has an open starting role with a very good QB coach.

    Reply
  89. 1

    It’s nice seeing Quack hoops in misery. They lost to Utah Valley at home tonight. Would never have imagined the Beavs and Quacks have almost the same record 12-13 games into the season.

    Reply

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here