2008 Oregon State Beavers College Football Predictions Courtesy of Alex Smart, An Expert College Football Handicapper featured on Touthouse.com. If you are betting college football this year, be sure to buy Alex Smart’s college football predictions each week and guarantee a winning season!!

Oregon State Beavers (9-4, 6-3 in 2007, 3rd place in Pac-10)
Mike Riley is an excellent coach who does not get nearly enough credit. Last season, Riley and the Beavers went 9-4, and finished with a win over Maryland in the Emerald Nuts Bowl.  They had to make some changes during the season due to injury and adapted well, which will help offset the loss of 24 lettermen. 

Offensive Outlook: Last year, the Beavers had some of the most woeful QB play of any team in 2007, as Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao combined for 2537 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and a Pac-10 high 21 interceptions. Both Canfield and Moevao return for the 2008 season. The major loss for the Beavers is at running back, where they lose their second-all time leading rusher Yvenson Bernard, who rushed for 1214 yards and 13 touchdowns last season. This season they will also get back 2006 1st Team All Pac-10 G Jeremy Perry who was hurt most of last year. 

Defensive Outlook: Oregon State only returns three starters to a defense that was one of the best in the Pac-10 last season allowing 22.6 PPG, and was one of the best in the country at stopping the run, allowing merely 71 yards on the ground per game. This season however the Beavers lose their entire starting front seven of last season but do return DE Victor Butler who had 10.5 sacks as a backup last season.

2008 Outlook: Oregon State has scheduled no easy victories this season and their non-conference schedule includes road dates at Penn St. and Utah and a home game against Hawaii. The Beavers will also get the projected four toughest Pac-10 teams in Corvallis this season (USC, California, Arizona State, and hated rival Oregon). The defense must gel quickly if they hope to have a successful 2008.

2008 will be a success if… Oregon State can reach their seventh bowl this decade and register a winning season. With a tough non-conference slate and all the losses on defense, this may be a tough task.

Prediction: 5-7, 6th place in Pac-10