The addition of Colorado and Utah last season expanded the Pac-12 into two separate divisions, the North and the South. In the first season competing in the North Division, Oregon State only managed to win three conference games verses six losses and ended the regular season a disappointing 3-9 overall. The only team with less conference wins in the division was Washington State with two. It was the Beavers second straight losing campaign.

Coaching

Longtime Head Coach Mike Riley has had his share of success over the years at Oregon State and boasts a 5-1 record in bowl games since taking the program over in 1997, but you can only rest on your past accomplishments for so long in this game. He comes into this season with a 7-11 record in the Pac-12 the past two seasons and an even more dismal 8-16 record overall.

Riley could quickly find himself on the hot seat if his team gets off to another slow start as patience among even the most faithful Beavers fans is starting to wear thin.

Offense

The Beavers offense ended last season ranked 100th in the nation in scoring with an average of 21.8 points a game, but the one ray of hope heading into this season is the emergence of sophomore Sean Mannion as a legitimate Division IA quarterback. He took over for an ineffective Ryan Katz last season and completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 3,332 yards and 16 touchdowns.

He is going to have to cut down on his 18 interceptions, but Oregon State was ranked 19th in the country in passing with 286.8 yards per game. Also returning is running back Malcolm Agnew, who led the team in rushing in 2011 with 423 yards on 89 carries.

Defense

Defensively, Oregon State struggled to keep opposing teams out of the end zone and ended the year ranked 89th in the country in points allowed; giving-up an average of 30.8 points a game.

The Beavers were fairly stout against the pass, but they had major difficulties stopping the run, which was something their opponents exploited to the fullest extent.

The good news is that their top two tacklers on the line were a pair of freshman ends; Scott Crichton and Dylan Wynn. Linebacker Michael Doctor and cornerback Jordan Poyer also return, giving Oregon State a nice blend of experience and youth.

2012 Oregon State Football Schedule

The Beavers kick things off on Sept.1 against D-IAA Nicholls State at home, but they will be thrown in the fire right away with Wisconsin coming to town the following week. Their first conference game is a Week 4 contest on the road against UCLA on Sept.22.

Oregon State catches a break with the highly-ranked USC Trojans not on the schedule, but it faces Washington and Stanford on the road later in the year. It finishes the season with two home games against California on Nov.17 and its traditional rivalry game against Oregon on Nov.24.

2012 Oregon State Futures Odds

Bovada has opened the Beavers as 300/1 longshots to win a BCS title this season, but the good news is at least they have posted odds. They have the longest odds at 22/1 to win the North Division of the Pac-12 and are 60/1 longshots to win the conference. Right now a .500 record should be the goal of this team.

2012 Oregon State Football Predictions

Riley has enough talent on this team to right the ship, especially in light of a very manageable schedule. If Mannion continues to develop on offense and can cut down on the turnovers and the defense can quickly come together, especially up front, the Beavers might be able to shock a few teams this season.

While Oregon State will most likely lose at least three of its final five games, it should have enough overall victories to qualify for a minor bowl at 6-6.

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