It has been a long time in the wilderness for the Oregon State Beavers. From 2014 through 2020, there were no bowl games for the Beavers. However, there were four head coaches. But the fourth of those HCs, Jonathan Smith, has turned the Beaver program around. Last year Smith led the Beavers to a 10-3 record and Las Vegas Bowl championship. It was the first 10-win College Football betting season for Oregon State since 2006. And it looks like Smith’s program could have more big seasons ahead.
College Football Team Preview 2023 Oregon State Beavers
| Odds to Win National Championship: | +20000 |
|---|---|
| Odds to Win Pac-12 Championship: | +1000 |
| Over/Under Win Total: | 8 |
2023 Oregon State Beavers Schedule
- Aug 26 OPEN DATE
- Sept 2 at San Jose State
- Sept 9 UC Davis
- Sept 16 San Diego State
- Sept 23 at Washington State
- Sept 29 Utah
- Oct 7 at Cal
- Oct 14 UCLA
- Oct 21 OPEN DATE
- Oct 28 at Arizona
- Nov 4 at Colorado
- Nov 11 Stanford
- Nov 18 Washington
- Nov 24 at Oregon
2023 Oregon State Beavers Preview
Namely, Jonathan Smith is an Oregon State alum and was the quarterback of the greatest Beavers team in history. In 2000, Smith and Oregon State went 11-1 to finish 4th in the nation. They annihilated the Notre Dame Fighting Irish 41-9 to cap off an online wagering campaign for the ages.
Based on his Oregon State roots, Smith knows the lay of the land better than an outsider. Not only does the state of Oregon lack 5-star recruits, the hated arch-rival Oregon Ducks dominate the attention of the masses. Thus, Oregon State is always a College Football Betting afterthought. And the Beavers are not as appealing to out-of-state recruits obsessed with Oregon’s Nike branding. The Beavers are coming off just the third double-digit win total (10-3 last year) in program history. Now a trip to the Pac-12 Championship Game is within reach for ’23.
Quarterback play was the team’s biggest weakness last fall. But head coach Jonathan Smith addressed that need in a big way by landing Clemson transfer DJ Uiagalelei. Uiagalelei will compete with incumbent Ben Gulbranson for the starting job.
The offense also features the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year, running back Damien Martinez. Additionally, OSU has a line that ranks among the best in college football. Oregon State’s defense markedly improved under first-year coordinator Trent Bray last fall. But building off last season’s success will hinge on how well this unit can replace transfer linebacker, Omar Speights.
Getting more out of the passing attack is a priority if Oregon State wants to challenge for a trip to the conference title game. Hence, Smith prioritized signing the top quarterbacks in the transfer portal Uiagalelei. The Beavers are set at running back, with rising star Damien Martinez anchoring the backfield.
Competition for Oregon State’s starting quarterback job has gone down to the final week of camp during the first five years of head coach Jonathan Smith’s tenure. Correlate it won’t be any different in 2023. Whoever wins the job must add a deep passing threat that was missing a year ago.
Trent Bray masterminded Oregon State’s defense after it allowed 28.2 points in Pac-12 play in ’21. To illuminate, Bray cut that total to 20 a contest last year.
If Oregon State’s defense comes close to matching last year’s performance, the Beavers should challenge for a Pac-12 Championship Game berth and another 10-win season. Regardless, Smith should have the Beavers in a bowl game for the third consecutive season. A bowl trip would be the program’s first accomplishment since 2006-09.