The Future of Oregon State Football

The future of Oregon State football is possibly as bright as it has ever been. Head coach Gary Andersen is entering his third year at the helm and starting to bring in the type of players he needs to implement his system. The early returns from recruiting are promising and the on-field results are starting to shine through. So does that mean the Beavers are destined for greatness? Here’s five predictions surrounding the future of Oregon State football.

Oregon State football will win 10 games under Gary Andersen

Many Beaver fans are expecting Coach Andersen to lead the Beavers to greatness and that may very well be, but winning ten games is no easy feat. The last time an Oregon State team hit double-digit wins? 2006, when Matt Moore and Yvenson Bernard led the Beavers to a one-point victory in the Sun Bowl.

Oregon State has had a number of nine win seasons during that span, but getting ten wins is a rarity for the Beavers. Expect Gary Andersen and his staff to lead the Beavers to at least one 10 win season over the next five years.

Gary Andersen will still be Oregon State’s football coach during the 2021 season

Gary Andersen has been committed to turning Oregon State’s football program around since he’s gotten to Corvallis. Recruits feel comfortable committing to play for him and feel confident that he will be their head coach throughout their college careers. But Coach Andersen has never stayed anywhere longer than 4 years, with his stint at Utah State being the longest stop. He seems to take great pride in turning a struggling program into a winner and if the Beavers start consistently winning will he start itching for the next challenge?

Also, Andersen left Wisconsin at least in part due to their strict academic standards. We’ve already seen a few of Andersen’s recruits struggle to stay eligible due to academics (Christian Wallace, Isaac Garcia). Will his frustrations with balancing being a football coach and keeping his athletes academically eligible eventually drive him away from Oregon State?

At the end of the day I think Coach Andersen will continue to feel challenged at Oregon State. He is full of energy at just 53 years old and has not yet experienced a winning season in Corvallis. Additionally, Andersen seemed to mostly be irritated with Wisconsin’s admission standards. He felt that a few of his recruits did everything they needed to, in order to be admitted to the University of Wisconsin, but they were still denied. At Oregon State he has not appeared to encounter those same challenges and will hopefully stay in Corvallis for the long haul.

The Beavers will not play in the Rose Bowl

Oregon State has not played in the Rose Bowl since 1965. They also had 26 straight losing seasons until Mike Riley took over and led them to a bowl game in 1999. The Beavers will enjoy an exceptional amount of success over the next five years, but do not expect them to break their Rose Bowl drought.

Oregon State’s offense will change drastically over the next 5 years

The Beavers have been looking to find a reliable signal caller since, Sean Mannion, was drafted in the third round of the 2015 NFL draft by the Rams. They’ve relied heavily on the run game the past two seasons and will probably lean on Ryan Nall and company this year as well. The coaching staff has been preaching the need to improve in the passing game and are wanting to “air it out more” during this upcoming season. The offensive will still look a lot different than Washington State’s air raid attack though. By the time the 2021 season rolls around expect Aidan Willard or maybe Brevin White to be dropping back 30+ times a game.

The Beavers will have a winning record in the Civil War over the next 5 years

Oregon State defeated Oregon 34-24 last season to win the Civil War. The win marked a potential changing of the tides for the football teams in the state of Oregon. Unfortunately, the Ducks had won eight straight Civil War games before the 2016 contest. Under Gary Andersen’s leadership expect the Beavers to hold a winning record over the Ducks over the next five years. Winning three out of the next five games against their rivals.

No matter how you slice it, the future of Oregon State football is very bright. Head coach Gary Andersen is bringing in some of the best recruiting classes that the Beavers have seen in decades. His team is developing an identity of being tough and competitive. As long as Gary Andersen is coaching the Beavers, I expect them to keep improving and to develop into a team to be reckoned with in the Pac-12.