OSU is Looking to Avoid Another September Road Meltdown (courtesy cliff1066 flickr page)
The UNLV-Oregon State game is shaping up to be a trendy pick for the weekend upset special.
It’s easy to see why. The meticulous Ted Miller documents OSU’s early season road struggles quite well. The numbers are staggering.
Despite last year’s Rose Bowl flirtation (and second straight home victory over the Trojans), the Beavers’ otherwise great season played out nationally based on their performance in two games: the early season massacre at Penn State, and the well-documented Civil War beat-down.
Conventional wisdom says Mike Riley’s squad builds steam as the season ramps up.
The crescendo in Corvallis (hey, I like that) speaks well of the coaching staff there.
But this year that simply won’t do.
Saturday’s matchup is just as big for the Pac-10 as a whole as it is for OSU. Winning in Vegas is absolutely imperative, but it won’t be a cakewalk. UNLV returns 15 starters from a team that played well at times last year, but sputtered down the back stretch.
OSU is playing for more than just Beaver Nation this weekend.
Oregon’s pathetic performance against Boise State last week did more damage to the league’s credibility than it probably deserved (winning in Boise ain’t easy), but a Beavers loss at UNLV would only augment the national perspective of the Pac-10 as the red-headed stepchild of the BCS powers.
Pac-10 apologists would have to grin and bear it, because a loss at UNLV should be unacceptable for one of the conference’s top four teams. Bullets!
- The Las Vegas Sun notes that the Rebels are well-aware of the dangers posed by the Brothers Rodgers. Being aware and being ready are two entirely different things.
- UNLV players say they expect to win against the Beavs this year. Their road upset of an overrated Arizona State team last year has to give them confidence, but as Rebels coach (and great friend of Mike Riley) Mike Sanford told the Vegas Sun, OSU is one of the most physical teams in the land. ASU was ranked 15th last year when UNLV rolled into Tempe. The Sun Devils finished with a losing record. I can’t see OSU tanking this year unless both Rodgers go down.
- Sports Illustrated’s Stewart Mandel expects the Beavers will follow their typical September script and fall to the Rebels.
- There’s been much ado about Mike Riley’s close friendship with Mike Sanford. Riley tells Cliff Kirkpatrick of the Gazette Times that the game will be an emotional one for them both.
Prediction: Oregon State is healthy, hungry, and well-aware of their past foibles on the road. This season’s schedule plays out far more favorably than in years past. UNLV is not in the same class as Penn State, LSU, Louisville, Boise State, or even Cincinnati. I don’t think it will be an easy victory for OSU. Ultimately I think the Brothers Rodgers are just too dynamic and versatile for UNLV to handle for a full game. OSU wins 31-24.
