Are Oregon and Oregon State ready to Challenge USC every year?
by cloudydays on Dec 4, 2009 1:15 AM PST
37 comments
Ugh, I'm still kinda mad over the result of the game tonight, so I'm trying think of topics that will make me feel better. This column by Ken Goe, as well as listening to Joe G call the game on CSN have done the trick so far.
[I love watching the CSN replays, as Giansante is just pure hilarity with some of the things he says. He had a few gems in tonight's game as well.]
As I'm sure we all know, USC has been "the" team in the Pac-10 since 2003. Their run atop the conference has been simply historic, and Pete Carroll & Co. should be commended for it. Unfortunately, due to the time difference, bad TV deals, the lack of one team consistently challenging SC, and other factors; the conference has been regarded over this time period as "USC and the Pac-9" Frankly, this generalization is extremely ignorant, as the Pac-10 has produced some of the most entertaining football over this time period.
Anyways, Goe's main question is whether or not UO and OSU are ready to "make that next step" and challenge USC every single year. I, for one, believe both programs are. For the past 3 years now, a State of Oregon team has held the lead in the Pac-10 due to beating USC, only to lose it towards the end of the season. The Civil War this year was the pinnacle of this "almost success" for both teams.
To me, as much as I hate to admit it, there is no question that Oregon is on that level. Since Kelly has been at Oregon, whether it be as the offensive coordinator or the head coach, Oregon is 29-9 (including 2 straight 10 win seasons). IMO, as long as Kelly stays, they will consistently challenge for the Pac-10 Title.
On the other hand you have Oregon State. If you consider Oregon State's record from the time that Riley has had 'his guys' on the field (2006-present) Oregon State is 36-16 (25-11). That's a phenomenal .692 including OOC games and .694 if you just consider Pac-10 games. They've also been playing for the Rose Bowl in their final game of the season for 2 consecutive years. The job Riley has done at Oregon State has been nothing short of phenomenal. However, I don't think we will find out if OSU is ready to consistently compete for Pac-10 titles until the Rodgers brothers leave us. I do believe that OSU will be in the thick of the Rose Bowl race yet again next year and the year after, but my main question with the program at this point is: What will happen once Quizz graduates? Will OSU go through a little rebuilding period while we wait to find another playmaker at the RB position? Or will OSU simply reload and continue to be a top-3 team in the Pac-10 year in and year out? These are the questions that we won't find an answer to until that season.
This is just something fun to think about, that these two programs from the State of Oregon are on the cusp of being perennial Pac-10 title contenders (or might already be there). That's amazing considering where they were just 20 years ago (and OSU even 11 years ago).
This is a FanPost and does not necessarily reflect the views of SB Nation or the Building the Dam staff. FanPost opinions are valued expressions of opinion by passionate and knowledgeable Oregon State fans.
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Expansion ??
Since we play more in conference games than any other division, why can’t we add a couple more teams to make us the pac 12 ? It would allow us to pad our records like the sec, acc, Big 12 divisions do. We also need more respectable bowls to play in besides the Rose Bowl. After losing tonight, the Beavers will likely go to some unknown [ toilet ] bowl that only die-hard Beaver fans will watch.I feel like tonight’s CW was more of a bowl game than anything. I hope the Ducks slaughter OSU in the Rose Bowl just to show the rest of the world how hard it is to be competitive in the PAC 10.
I totally agree your with your comments about the bowling and the need for better bowls
But I really don’t think expansion is the answer.
The Pac was able to add a big time bowl for the upcoming years, but damnit I can’t remember which one now (AndyPanda help me here!), a Texas bowl. I’m hoping with that one moving in above the Holiday Bowl in the quality of teams going to it that along with the rest of our normal line up it should help with exposure.
I also think that with the directors in place the Pac still wouldn’t pad its schedule with 12 teams and we would still be in the same situation.
-RVM
by rvm on Dec 4, 2009 8:21 AM PST up reply actions
asking me or nativewebfoot?
I don’t want an expansion personally so neither is my answer.
If though it happened Boise State seems to make a little sense, but not Fresno State.
-RVM
by rvm on Dec 4, 2009 9:04 PM PST up reply actions
More like Utah and Colorado
You have to remember that athletic conferences try to get the same types of schools which includes schools with similar academic standards (roughly). So the Pac 10 is like the Big 10: big state land grant schools with a couple bigger elite private schools (Stanford, USC).
So any expansion would look for similar schools. Schools with the word “State” at the end would never be considered. Neither would smaller state universities like Idaho. And BYU is too religious-and doesn’t have such a rigorous academic standards. Also the Pac 10 doesn’t want a public school that’s smaller or even equal in size to Wazzu. Any expansion must give a sizable increase in population footprint.
So you are left looking in the West at only a couple schools because the population of the Mountain west states is so small. Utah is the most obvious. But who to pair them with? Utah State is possibly but on the small size, worse than Wazzu. BYU as I said, is out. Nevada is a possibility but also on the small side. UNLV is possible but skanky. They only get in of the Pac 10 wants both Nevada schools and there’s no indication that they do. Montana is too small. New Mexico and New Mexico State-too small also. Hawaii is too far away. The other schools in the University of California don’t have enough of an athletic tradition.
That brings us to Colorado, which has historical ties to the old Big 8 but not so much to the new Big 12. They probably could be lured a la like how the ACC got Miami and Virginia Tech and BC from the Big East. Its possible that they (or the Colorado state legislature) would insist on Colorado State.
The only other possibility- wild as it may seem-is Texas. They have been brought up in the past, especially when the old SWC fell apart and before the new Big 12 formed.
But really I don’t see expansion happening soon.
Thanks for the info
but I’m in the no expansion camp. I think we have our hands full in the Pac 10 now. I subscribe to the scheduling of eastern teams vs Pac 10 to maximize national exposure and schedule strength.
Hmmm...
Would we also change the name of the conference? I mean, can you really still call it the “Pacific-XX” if you’ve got Colorado and Texas in there? I always thought it was kind of funny that the AZ schools are in the PAC-10, when they don’t touch the ocean at all…
To repeat your own answer: Yes
Anyways, Goe’s main question is whether or not UO and OSU are ready to “make that next step” and challenge USC every single year. I, for one, believe both programs are.
-RVM
The Alamo Bowl in San Antonio
comes along next year, which will help, and probably would send OSU to the Holiday Bowl if they were there this year.
Andy Wooldridge, andy_wooldridge@yahoo.com
Go Beavs!
I vote NO
I don’t want the conference to expand. I like having a true conference champion on account of the round-robin schedule. Nobody saying, “Nuh uh! You didn’t play us this year!” etc., etc. I think padding our record by scheduling more OOC cupcakes is feeding the hype machine that rates teams higher than they deserve to be. I wouldn’t want our conference to “stoop to their level” just so we have more chance at bigger bowl games.
Word.
Dominic's Fridge is where great fudge bars go to die.
by The Orange Joe on Dec 4, 2009 6:29 PM PST up reply actions
OK
I agree with you about a true champion, but get tired of never getting the respect we deserve. In our round robin, we beat each other up so much, we have a very slim chance of ever going to the NC game. we all wind up with losses by the end of the season. Then have to listen to the commentators spouting off about those eastern teams with no losses, but haven’t played teams as competitive as us. Maybe if we could schedule some ooc games against sec, acc, big 12 more, we could give them a few losses.
by NativeWebfoot on Dec 4, 2009 6:41 PM PST up reply actions
SEC scheduling games w/ us?
Fat chance. Besides Tennessee.
They haven’t seemed to get the
memo. Ever since we beat LSU,
the SEC has backed waaaay off.
Dominic's Fridge is where great fudge bars go to die.
by The Orange Joe on Dec 4, 2009 8:38 PM PST up reply actions
Definitely agreed
On beating teams like Cincy.
What kind of surprise? Dear
God tell me it’s something better
than playing AT BSu. I still can’t
believe we scheduled that.
Lose-lose situation.
Dominic's Fridge is where great fudge bars go to die.
by The Orange Joe on Dec 4, 2009 8:51 PM PST up reply actions
I don't know Joe
Ron Callan on KPAM this AM made a comment about this but said he couldn’t talk about it. He could only say that there was going to be a September surprise on the schedule announced soon. (paraphrasing)
Just read in the Gazette Times
That we will be opening up the season in Cowboys Stadium against TCU. The game will also be broadcast on ESPN. We just have to find someone to play EWU though. If no one wants to then I think it will all fall through.
Vegas Baby!
If that game gets scheduled I'm headed to DFW!
That’d be sweet!
I really hope someone wants to play EWU.
I might be able to make it to that game too
"Your best?!?!! Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and &^%@ the prom queen"
Super Rodgers Bros.
#52
Exactly!
We need to step up to the point where playing and beating the eastern teams is common and consistent.
I heard on the radio this AM that there may be a September surprise in the works for the Beav’s.
Question and Answers
Q: Are Oregon and Oregon State ready to Challenge USC every year?
A: Yes
Q: Should the Pac-10 expand?
A: On this one, I really don’t care. Would it be fun and cool to have a 12 team conference and championship game? Absolutely. But I like the Round-Robin also. It’s like the Postseason. I would love a playoff, but I also enjoy all the Bowl Games. I’m just like that I guess.
December 3rd. Autzen Stadium. Pac-10 Championship Game.
I would like to see expansion… maybe just a reshuffling, adding BYU and Utah and maybe dropping Stanford (when Harbaugh leaves they’ll be in a Notre Dame like state, playing bad football again) and WSU? I actually like a round robin schedule. Call me old fashioned but it’s nice when no one misses each other.
Our Non-Conference Schedule next year
Is absolutely daunting if we drop EWU.
Vs TCU, @ Boise State, Louisville.
Vegas Baby!
If the Beav's play
a pre-season schedule like that every year they’d be making that next step very quickly. I think the Beav’s are a team that can play up to the competition…. if it becomes part of the maturing process.
Definitely
Some people will say that putting Ryan Katz in those situations that early will be bad for him, but I can’t see how. If he plays @ Boise and in a game close to TCU, he will be used to hostile enviornments like Autzen, Husky Stadium, exc.
Vegas Baby!
good lord
"Your best?!?!! Losers always whine about their best. Winners go home and &^%@ the prom queen"
Super Rodgers Bros.
The Beavs should have beat SC this year
I feel that one is coming back to haunt us more than the UA loss for me personally. Should have beat them because we are better then they are this year, everyone else seemed to in the top half of the Pac (except Cal), it would have been just such a big deal to finally beat them in LA for the OSU program, and would have kept us at two conference losses and in second alone.
Oh, only if our offense got the ball one more time…
I know, blah, blah, should’ve, could’ve, blah, blah, but damn I feel much better losing to UA and UO because of the quality of those two teams this year. Those two losses as our only conference Ls wouldn’t be all that bad going on to a Holiday Bowl.
-RVM
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