OSU football: Ranking the Beavers’ schedule

Under new head coach Trent Bray, the Beavers have crafted a schedule that includes matchups with former conference foes Oregon and California, a home game against Purdue, an opener against FCS opponent Idaho State and a game against fellow Pac-12 member Washington State.

The other seven games are matchups against opponents from the Mountain West Conference. Some of those teams have been relatively frequent opponents in recent years and others are less familiar.

It is a favorable schedule that has seven home games, including three of the four games against Power Five opponents (Oregon, Purdue and Washington State).

Here is a look at the schedule based on how compelling each game is, ranked from the least interesting to the biggest games of the year.

12. NEVADA

Away, Oct. 12 — This game is an easy choice to sit at the bottom of the rankings because the Beavers are on the road and Nevada is not a good football team.

The Wolf Pack are starting fresh in 2024 under new head coach Jeff Choate after going 2-10 in each of the last two seasons. There is no expectation that this will be a quick turnaround and Nevada is a consensus pick to finish at the bottom of the Mountain West standings.

Nevada won the last meeting, defeating the Beavers 37-35 in 2018. That is the Wolf Pack’s only win in the series as OSU won the first three meetings. That Nevada win came under former head coach Jay Norvell, who had a good run with the Wolf Pack before taking the Colorado State job.

11. SAN JOSE ST.

Home, Nov. 9 — Like Nevada, San Jose State also has a first-year head coach after Brent Brennan left to take the job at Arizona. He was replaced by former Navy coach Ken Niumatalolo.

Oregon State won at San Jose State last season, but that game tape won’t be very useful as both squads have new coaching staffs and overhauled rosters. The Spartans return three starters on offense and four on defense. Their biggest loss is first-team all-conference quarterback Chevan Cordeiro.

The Spartans do have the advantage of a bye week before traveling to Corvallis.

10. SAN DIEGO ST.

Away, Sept. 7 — The Aztecs are also entering the season with a new head coach, but they are in a better situation than either the Wolf Pack or the Spartans. Brady Hoke retired and the school turned to Sean Lewis, a rising young head coach who led a turnaround at Kent State.

Lewis will run a completely different offense than his predecessor. The Aztecs are going to spread the field and up the pace offensively. If that sounds familiar it is because Oregon State plans to do the same under new offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson. This early game will provide a clue as to which team is doing a better job adapting to a new system.

These two teams met a year ago in Corvallis with the Beavers taking a 26-9 victory. This was OSU’s fourth consecutive win in the series and the Beavers hold a 4-2 series edge.

9. IDAHO ST.

Home, Aug. 31 — Even though this is a game against an FCS opponent, it is not at the bottom of the rankings for a very simple reason: This will be the first opportunity for fans to watch Bray’s squad in action.

Almost everything about the program has changed since the tumultuous end of last season and a new group of Beavers will take the field against the Bengals. The offense will be in the early stages of adapting to a new system but the defense should be further along as Bray continues to exert his influence on that unit.

This is the third meeting between the two teams, all at Reser Stadium, with Oregon State rolling to easy victories in the first two contests.

8. COLORADO ST.

Home, Oct. 5 — The Rams are expected to finish in the upper half of the MWC standings under Norvell, who is entering his third season in Fort Collins. Colorado State played one of the most entertaining games of the season last year against in-state rival Colorado, falling 43-35 in double overtime.

That loss was costly as the Rams fell one win short of earning bowl eligibility for the first time since 2017. Colorado State is expected to end that drought this season.

The Rams put four players on the preseason all-conference team, led by wide receiver Tory Horton who had an outstanding season last year with 96 catches for 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns. Like the Spartans, the Rams have the advantage of a bye week to prepare for the game against the Beavers. This should be a competitive and entertaining contest.

7. UNLV

Home, Oct. 19 — These next two games could easily be flip-flopped in the rankings as they feature teams expected to be in contention in the MWC.

Last season was a very successful debut for first-year head coach Barry Odom, who led the Rebels to their first bowl game in a decade. The Rebels went 9-5, losing to Boise State in the conference championship game and then falling to Kansas in a high-scoring bowl game 49-36.

To match that success this season UNLV will have to find a replacement at QB. The candidates are both experienced transfers who previously played at FCS schools.

This will be the sixth meeting between the Beavers and Rebels. UNLV won the first three games and the Beavers won the last two, with the most recent game taking place in 2009.

6. AIR FORCE

Away, Nov. 16 — This game gets the edge in the rankings over the UNLV game in large part because it is the first-ever meeting between Oregon State and Air Force.

The Falcons have built an identity under coach Troy Calhoun, who is entering his 18th season leading his alma mater. Air Force plays strong defense and runs the ball well, a recipe which has also been successful for Oregon State in recent years.

This game will be a test for the Oregon State defense as it prepares for one of the few remaining triple option teams left in the country. The Falcons won’t be the most talented team the Beavers face this fall, but they execute their system and are expected to be one of the teams challenging Boise State for the MWC title.

5. CALIFORNIA

Away, Oct. 26 — The last time these two teams met in a nonconference game was in 1905. That was 10 years before the Beavers and Golden Bears helped create the original Pacific Coast Conference. The series has been highly competitive over the years with Cal holding a 39-37 advantage.

The Golden Bears are moving in the right direction under coach Justin Wilcox and were bowl eligible last season for the first time since 2019. They return running back Jaydn Ott, the Pac-12’s leading rusher a year ago with 1,315 yards.

California is now an unlikely member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, but there is reason to hope this series can continue on a regular basis. The game makes sense geographically and there is value in maintaining some traditions. And perhaps when this round of conference realignment concludes, the two schools will be reunited.

4. WASHINGTON ST.

Home, Nov. 23 — This contest will serve as the conference title game this fall as the two programs carry the banner for the Pac-12. This has always been a big game between Pacific Northwest rivals, but with their destinies now connected it takes on even deeper significance.

Last year’s meeting in Pullman was one of the most baffling games of the season. The Beavers let the Cougars run out to a 35-14 lead before rallying in the fourth quarter in a 38-35 loss. After looking like a conference contender in that victory, which put WSU at 4-0, the Cougars lost six straight games and did not qualify for a bowl invitation.

Like the Beavers, the Cougars had to scramble this offseason to rebuild a roster decimated by departures. Washington State lost its QB, its primary running back and its two leading receivers. The Cougars also return just four defensive starters, losing key talent at the edge rusher position and in the defensive backfield.

3. PURDUE

Home, Sept. 21 — This ranks ahead of the game against the Cougars because it will be an early yardstick for the Beavers. A win over a Big Ten team, even one picked to finish near the bottom of the conference this year, would demonstrate that Bray has the team on a solid path in his debut season.

The Boilermakers are not without talent. Redshirt senior quarterback Hudson Card was honorable mention all-conference last season, throwing for 2,387 yards and 15 touchdowns with eight interceptions.

This will be Purdue’s first-ever trip to Corvallis. The teams have split their two prior meetings. The legendary Giant Killers earned a 22-14 victory over Purdue in 1967 and the Boilermakers won the 2021 season-opener 30-21.

2. BOISE ST.

Away, Nov. 29 — Oregon State concludes the regular season on the Broncos’ blue turf with a morning kickoff on Black Friday. This is a strong contender for game of the year, but since that spot is filled automatically, it could be considered 1B.

The Beavers’ defense dominated the last meeting between the two teams, creating five turnovers in a 34-17 victory in the 2022 season opener. Oregon State will need a strong defensive effort in this game as well. Boise State enters the season as the favorites in the MWC and is expected to have one of the top offenses in the country, led by all-American running back Ashton Jeanty and a veteran offensive line.

The Broncos have been looking for stability at quarterback ever since that loss at Corvallis and hope they have found it in USC transfer Malachi Nelson. The redshirt freshman was ESPN’s top-rated recruit in his class and will have a season of experience under his belt when the Beavers go to Boise.

1. OREGON

Home, Sept. 14 — As long as the Beavers and Ducks continue their gridiron rivalry, this will be the No. 1 game of the year for Oregon State fans. This game is the start of a new era as the schools are no longer in the same conference and the teams are meeting in mid-September instead of late November.

What has not changed is the stakes. This game is for year-long bragging rights for the winning program and its fans. And the welcome for the visitors at Reser Stadium will be extra chilly as Oregon State fans get the opportunity to vent their frustration for the loss of the Pac-12 Conference as we have known it.

From Oregon State’s perspective, last year’s game was overshadowed by the looming departure of coach Jonathan Smith. The team was clearly distracted and did not perform up to its standard over the course of the season.

Both teams have plenty of motivation going into this meeting, which will be their 128th. The Ducks come into the year with national championship aspirations while the Beavers want to show they can compete at a high level under a brand-new coaching staff and with an overhauled roster.

For the sake of continuing this historic rivalry, let us hope this period of limbo ends with the Beavers in a conference which provides the resources the football program needs to keep this series competitive.

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