Let’s hear whatcha got.

I’m going 35-21 Cougs. Only hope is the team regroups, focuses, comes out angry for Conference play, and that Seth gives them a boost, but that all seems like a long shot. That’s why they play the game, though. Washington State might be looking past us. The quotes coming out this week haven’t been encouraging. Seemed like more finger pointing, mixed messages, and chemistry problems so I have to go Cougs.

“Right now, offensively, we don’t have a tremendous identity.”

“Our plan works. I know the plan works. I’ve seen it work many, many times. I’ve been in this spot.”

Andersen said OSU will look at some schematic changes this week. “Those offensive coaches have good minds. The ball’s in their court.”

From Gina:

Andersen said Ryan Nall “would have gotten a lot more touches” against Minnesota if Oregon State had run more than 18 plays in second half.

No comment.

Full interview here.

I guess the first questions should be: can it get any worse? If not, then we can only go up from here.

That being said, this is the worst team I’ve ever seen in my 15 years of watching OSU. I imagine this is a lot like the teams of the 70s and 80s that diehard (i.e. lunatics) suffered through.

I know I/we made a pact to give QBs 6 games, but given the amount of rotation at the position I’m antsy and don’t want to. I feel I’ve seen enough to say Luton sucks. Examples: fumbles early in the game, screen pass that would have moved the chains, and he throws it 5 yards over the backs head. A chance to run for a first and he runs out of bounds, 16-28 passing for a 4.8 average, had a man wide open in the flat and passed it up, then on the following play the Tall Bozo (official new nickname) holds it forever and the OL gets a holding call.

This is enough.

Combine it with (a) my past history analyzing QBs and (b) CaliBeav seeing Luton at Venture and saying he was exactly like this, and this is what we have.

Gary Andersen hitched his wagon to this guy. It might set OSU back decades. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Petras get spooked and decommit. I would. All they can sell is playing time and rhetoric. They’re even killing Nall’s draft stock by playing with the shiny new toy, so they can’t sell putting (Riley’s) guys in the league.

Remember those guys who told us to “Be careful what you wish for” when we hired Andersen? Well, I’d rather take the risk on Andersen than stay with Riley, but we have to admit they have technically been right so far. I was also very wrong in thinking we’d beat MN. Our D did do better, as I thought, but they really haven’t been as bad as the stats suggested the first few games. The O continually puts them in short fields (responsible for 27 of the points off turnovers vs CSU, for example) and makes them stay on the field too long. Happened again tonight. A boring QB who moved the chains and keeps the D off the field sure would be nice…

What is GA going to say in press conferences? What is he going to sell to recruits besides playing time? If your only pitch is playing time then you’re into the bottom of the barrel for recruits.

There’s an obvious chemistry problem on this team, and it’s not going to get better. GA acknowledged it in one of the pre-season interviews. I saw it with the way Nall spoke about Luton and other issues on the interview tape. It’s obvious in the games — D looks fed up each time the O puts them in a shitty position. The problems to me start on the O. If this team were moving the chains and putting up points things would look much, much different.

Minnesota isn’t even a physically gifted team. Buffalo manhandled them, and they looked mediocre at everything. The gifted teams should keep GA up at night. That should be his punishment for running the best QB on the roster out of town, ruining team chemistry in the process, and leaving us with a gunslinging Tall Bozo and MWC (at best) coordinators.

If it were possible to fire the entire staff tomorrow it should be done. I’ve seen enough GA to know he can’t be trusted in evaluating key personnel (notably QB) or coaches (notably OC). He handed Seth the job without merit, handed Luton the job without merit, handed McGiven the job without merit, and in the process demoted more established players (McM) and coaches (Baldwin). It’s plain and simple reckless management.

Go Beavs!

Despite apathy, questionable coaching, and team chemistry problems, I think the Beavs get the win this week.

These early start times and/or travel arrangements haven’t been great for us. Historically the Beavs seem to play better at night and in cooler weather. Minnesota isn’t that good a team. Their coach is a “me first” self-promoter who is probably hard to play for. Student turnout should be good for this one. I like the 7pm start time, home turf, crowd, and think we can ambush a so-so MN team.

D is still super young and should get a little better here in an easier spot.

Feels like a win.

Nall goes for 150, 2TDs. Luton 270 and 2TDs (1 or 2INTs). Hodgins seems ready to evolve in this one. I have him for 80 yards and a score. Togia with the other receiving TD.

35-24 Beavs, and the student section embarrassingly storms the field as if we’ve accomplished something great.