2010 Arkansas Razorbacks Preview Odds

Oregon State Beavers

8-5, 7-5 ATS, 3rd Place in Pac-10

Odds to Win 2010 BCS Championship: +6000 at Bookmaker Sportsbook

Mike Riley has led the Beavers to five bowl wins in seven years. Now, if a suitable quarterback can be found and the defense strengthened, the Beavers could be right near the top of the chase for a conference crown.

Offensive Outlook: Quarterback Sean Canfield completed an astonishing 67.9 percent of his passes for 3,271 yards, 21 touchdowns and seven picks in his final year. The biggest question offense for the Beavers is who will replace him. The answer appears to be sophomore Ryan Katz. This offense has two huge weapons in the Rodgers brothers, James and Jacquizz. James is listed as a wide receiver and Jacquizz as a running back, but you wouldn’t know the difference. James caught 91 balls for 1,034 yards and nine touchdowns, while Jacquizz caught 78 balls for 522 yards and one score. On the ground, Jacquizz carried 273 times for 1,440 yards and 21 scores. James only got 58 carries, but raced for 303 yards and a TD. James is also the kick return man, averaging 23.3 yards per return on 36 tries. The passing game takes a slight hit with the graduation of receiver Damola Adenjii, who compiled 807 yards and five scores on 57 receptions. As long as the Rodgers brothers remain healthy, this team could easily match last year’s 31.5 points and 410.6 yards per game.

Defensive Outlook: Last year, the Beavers gave up 350 yards per game, but 235 of them came through the air, making OSU the 84th ranked pass defense. Opposing quarterbacks were sacked just 15 times, a record low under Riley. A huge positive though, is that the unit returns eight starters, including safety Lance Mitchell, who led the team with three interceptions.

The Final Word: With the Rodgers brothers providing plenty of offensive output and so many starters returning on defense, the Beavers have the talent to get it done in conference play. Getting pressure on the quarterback will be essential to beat the many talented quarterbacks in conference. The schedule also figures to be a big factor. OSU will see two giant killers in TCU and Boise State, but gets the benefit of only four conference road games.

2010 Oregon State Beavers Prediction: 8-4, 4th place in Pac-10

2010 Oregon State Beavers Schedule
9/4 vs. TCU (N)
9/18 Louisville
9/25 @ Boise State
10/2 Arizona State
10/9 @ Arizona
10/16 @ Washington
10/30 California
11/6 @ UCLA
11/13 Washington State
11/20 USC
11/27 @ Stanford
12/4 Oregon