2009 Beavers Football Predictions

With spring practice in full swing, and many exciting position battles to ensue for the Beavers, it’s a little difficult to predict how next season is going to turn out. Regardless of kickoff being roughly 150 days away, here is an extremely premature look at how I believe the 2009 Oregon State Beavers will fare. (I will certainly go into each match up in more depth as the season progresses, but here are my off the cuff predictions).

9/05 Portland State (W) – I like the fact that Oregon State will start the season against a relative cupcake, as opposed to LSU, Stanford, etc. in years past. Beavs win this one easily.

9/12 @ UNLV (W) – The Runnin’ Rebels did win at ASU last September, but struggled mightily the rest of the season. I expect UNLV to keep it respectable in the first half…but the talent gap will become evident early in the second, as the Rodgers brothers should have a hay day against this lower tier Mountain West opponent.

9/19 Cincinnati (W) – The Bearcats won the Big East last season and nearly upset Virginia Tech in the Orange Bowl. However this year’s team will have a completely different look as they graduated nearly all their contributors from a season ago. It should be an entertaining non conference matchup, but the Beavers, and more importantly the Pac 10 will get a much needed win.

9/26 Arizona (W) – Arizona will be out for revenge after last season’s thriller in Tucson. I expect Arizona to be decent this year, but the Beavs will catch them before their newly appointed quarterback is in any sort of a comfort zone.

10/3 @Arizona State (W) – Things were awful down in Tempe last season, and in my opinion its not going to be any better this season. Their will be a new quarterback for the Sun Devils, who also return nearly all of an underwhelming defense. The Beavers inexperienced defensive backs shouldn’t be tested much at all by Erickson’s bunch.

10/10 Stanford (W) – Oregon State will bring a top 20 ranking into this match up with the much improved Cardinal. However, I expect the Beavers will get their retribution after what happened on “The Farm” last season. Oregon State is slowly creeping onto the national radar.

10/24 @ USC (L) – Even with the losses of Sanchez, Cushing, Big Ray, and Matthews, Troy will once again be the class of the Pac, and possibly the nation. Pete Carroll was quoted saying this defense may even have more speed than last years group….that’s frightening. Once again the old revenge card plays a part, as the Trojan’s dismantle Oregon State in the Coliseum.

10/31 UCLA (W) – Slick Rick leads the Bruins into the Corvallis for the first time since his Washington days. While UCLA has to be improved (they couldn’t get much worse in all honesty), the young Beavers defense will come of age on this Halloween night, giving us all a glimpse of what the future may hold.

11/7 @ Cal (L) – The Beavers have had success against Cal in recent seasons. Cal and Oregon State will both be playing for the rights to a big time bowl game. The nation will be watching…unfortunately so will the Heisman committee…which means Jahvid Best will put up video game numbers.

11/14 Washington (W) – Dad’s weekend welcomes the Huskies to Reser Stadium. I expect Oregon State to rebound nicely from the Cal game and put a number on the ever so slightly improved Huskies.

11/21 @ Washington State (W) – Everybody will look forward to playing the Washington school’s this season. Fortunately for Oregon State they get the weaker of the cream puffs on the road (no need to waste a home crowd on Wazzu), as the crowd will file out early to go do whatever you do in Pullman on a Saturday night (my guess would be drink heavily).

12/3 @ Oregon (L) – The Civil War once again takes center stage as these old rivals go at it in Eugene this season. Similar circumstances to 2008 may be on the line, as the Ducks could be in the thick of the Rose Bowl race. I look for Masoli and crew (well not really crew...just Masoli) to give the Beavers young defense all it can handle, and more.