The Corvallis faithful is starting to grow impatient with Oregon State Head Coach Mike Riley, so this looks to be a do or die season for him and his staff. Beavers quarterback Matt Moore must improve if Oregon State expects to make any noise in the PAC 10 this year. He must cut down on his intercepts and be more dependable in the clutch. Running back Yvenson Bernard gets the pleasure of running behind an experienced and nasty offensive line that returns completely intact, so look for him to once again topple the 1000-yard mark this season. The wide receiver corps loses the NCAA's top receiver from a year ago but gets back a couple of guys that excelled a few years ago. Look for this unit to topple the thiry points per game mark once again.
Bet on the Oregon State Beavers to win the PAC 10 Title here.
The Beavers secondary returns intact, but the front seven will need to force more pressure up front if this is to be a capable unit. The defensive line looks to be ahead of the line backer corps that's lost a couple of major contributors, so it's quite possible the Oregon State defense attains more than the 22 sacks it accumulated last season. Their non-conference schedule is very manageable, and they get the benefit of hosting all the top contenders in the PAC 10 at home. A +500 mark is mandatory through their first seven games if the Beavers plan on getting back to a bowl before hosting both Southern California and Arizone State. If not, it light's out baby!
