Head Coach: Trent Bray is in his first year as the head coach of the Beavers program. He’s set to lead them into these uncertain times after Jonathan Smith left and dropped all his gear off at a local Goodwill. You can see his background and hire grade here: https://updogsportstalk.com/2024/02/20/college-football-coach-hire-grades-oregon-state/
Program Outlook: On the field, Oregon State’s program was in the best place it had been in a long time. They were winning on the field with a former alum as the head coach, the stadium had great upgrades along the way and they were positioned to compete in the Pac-12. Then came the ground shaking movement that left the Beavers on the outside. Now they’re left to pick up the pieces and forge their way forward.
How does the 2024 Roster look?: Oregon State returns less production than just about anyone. Having so much uncertainty around the program is one thing, but a coaching change on top of it just was a recipe for disaster. Schematically I don’t expect a big change, this offense will be a run first offense that tries to control the ball and win in the margins with great 3rd down and RedZone execution with minimal mistakes. This is likely why veteran Ben Gulbranson has a shot to win the job, he’s experienced but limited, yet he will take care of the ball. Idaho transfer Gevani McCoy and Missouri transfer Gabarri Johnson both offer better upside. McCoy is the only QB who was healthy all of spring so he has a leg up but Johnson could be a lot of fun if he wins the job. Anthony Hankerson a transfer from Colorado and former backup Jam Griffen appears to be the 1-2 punch at RB, they have things they’re good at but they don’t bring what former RB Damien Martinez brought to the offense. Receiver is a huge question mark for the Beavers, they are basically starting over here. Darrius Clemons who transferred in from Michigan is a massive pickup to give them one option, but it’s very uncertain beyond him, it’s possible the Beavs might need multiple freshmen to step up. The Beavers had one of the better offensive lines in the conference but now they’re just about starting over, of course the piece they bring back in Joshua Gray was huge, he has NFL potential. The problem is the rest of the line is very uncertain, they might be relying on a couple transfers from Colorado’s infamous offensive line from last year to help. The defensive line was raided pretty badly, but they managed to bring in a few high upside transfers to help out. If they can figure out how to get to opposing QBs it will set up a strong secondary to perform. They have a great corner duo in Jaden Robinson and Liberty transfer Kobe Singleton.
Screenshot from fbschedules.com1
2024 Schedule Thoughts: This schedule is definitely easier than last year since the Beavers had to battle in a loaded Pac-12, but it’s not easy overall. Between them and Washington State, Oregon State definitely got the tougher draw of Mountain West opponents. Air Force and Boise State on the road are particularly tough games from that stretch. Oregon is of course the big challenge, they get their rival at home but Oregon is expected to be one of the best teams in the nation. Cal had a decent team last season but is possibly even better this year. Idaho State is their FCS opponent, the Bengals might be a little bit away from challenging FBS foes but they pass relentlessly so they’re potentially going to hang around.
Vegas Projection: Oregon State’s win total is set at 7.5 with the odds geared toward the under. Vegas is expecting this to be too much transition for the Beavers to avoid a step back.
2024 Best Case: Oregon State is unfazed by all the changes and they come out of the gates running. They open a dominant 2-0 to setup their Rivalry showdown with Oregon. The Beavs control the clock throughout the game and frustrate Oregon the whole way. They pull off a stunning upset, which paves the way for Oregon to have a massively disappointing season allowing Beavs fans to ask them how they like their new conference. Oregon State rolls through the rest of their schedule undefeated, making an impression on the Playoff committee by finishing strong in the last 3 games. Oregon State receives an 8 seed in the playoff and is matched up against Utah another former conference foe. The Beavers win that one before their run comes to an end in a tight loss to Georgia. The Big 12 doesn’t get to raid the ACC so they decide it won’t hurt to add Oregon State to the mix.
2024 Worst Case: It’s just too much change and Oregon State struggles. They fail to shake Idaho State most of the game, only winning by a score. It gets worse the next week as they’re surprised by San Diego State’s tempo and the Beavs are run off the field. This is obviously a bad sign because then Oregon comes to town. Oregon State struggles miserably, punting on their first 6 drives, while Oregon scores on their first 6 drives in a blowout. Oregon State falls to 2-10 on the season, the Big 12 fills out with ACC teams and the Mountain West decides against adding Oregon State either leaving the Pac-2 stranded. Meanwhile Oregon wins the national championship just to further the Beavs fans misery.
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