Oregon State Football

A 20.6-point-per-game defensive yield and plus-eight turnover margin were foundations for the Oregon State Beavers' bounce-back, 9-4 finish in 2012. Central to both statistics was the play of senior cornerback Jordan Poyer, a consensus All-American and the nation's second-most-prolific interceptor of passes. 

Beavers head coach Mike Riley and defensive coordinator Mark Banker have turned to a committee to replace Poyer's production in a restructured secondary. 

The latest OSU depth chart, released on Tuesday in preparation for Saturday's matchup with Eastern Washington, offers no surprise at right cornerback. All-conference honoree Rashaad Reynolds continues to man the position opposite where Poyer did his damage in three years as a starter.  

That left side now features a duo in senior Sean Martin and junior college transfer Steven Nelson. The two competed for Poyer's old job throughout preseason workouts, but OSU's best play could be working each in prominently. 

Nelson told Kevin Hampton of The Register-Guard that there was "a sense of urgency" to replace Poyer—understandable, considering that he essentially was the positive turnover differential. Poyer picked off seven passes and forced a fumble in 2012. 

Martin was an important contributor to last year's defense, coming on to intercept two passes and break up three more. His veteran experience is too invaluable not to utilize. Likewise, Nelson is too talented not to showcase. 

Thus, the pair appears with the ominous "OR" between their names on the depth chart. But OSU's use of the depth chart "OR" is less indicative of a dilemma and more of enviable options. 

The players surrounding Martin and Nelson are solid. Along with Reynolds, the Beavers bring back safeties Tyrequek Zimmerman and Ryan Murphy, who combined for 130 tackles and six broken-up passes in 2012. 

The secondary has a solid base, but replicating last season's turnover creation is as much about the line's progression as it is Martin or Nelson stepping up. 

"[The OSU coaches] have to...really look at the interior of our defense," Riley said at July's Pac-12 media day. We lost our middle linebacker, two defensive tackles." 

Mana Rosa and John Braun will initially take on those interior line spots that were critical to the production of the Beavers secondary. OSU stifled opponents at the line, allowing under four yards per rush, thus forcing the ball into the air.

That's where Poyer and his defensive back cohorts made their bones and the facet of the game from which the 2013 Beavers can build a viable Pac-12 contender. 

Kyle Kensing is the Pac-12 Lead Writer. All quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted. Follow Kyle on Twitter @kensing45. 

When you think of football in Oregon, quick...what comes to mind?

Neon green? Highlighter yellow? Liquid metal helmets? Duck bills and kazoos ringing in your ears?

Sure, some football purists will laugh at the quirky, trendy, fashion-forward nuances of Oregon Duck football, but when its teams back up the publicity with four consecutive BCS bowl berths, it's no longer just a cute little gimmick in Eugene—it's winning.  

Not many schools have Nike co-founder Phil Knight's Oregon (and Stanford) loyalty and fat wallet to increase their national branding in the college football landscape, but that doesn't mean schools can't add a little pizazz to their teams' uniforms. Like it or not, recruits like flashy, shiny things.

Over the last couple of years some football programs have tried to add a little Duck soup to their uniforms and, unfortunately, most have largely failed. Are a fowl's feet stomping all over your helmet sending the right message? Virginia Tech thought so. 

Maryland went a different route and chose to confuse everybody. One side of its uniform looked like a crash test dummy and the other half a QR barcode. 

Meanwhile, while Oregon has been the definitive leader in high tech, new wave SWAG for its football program, Oregon State has been, well...boring.

Until yesterday.

Head coach Mike Riley isn't exactly a twitter fiend, but Riley unleashed a twitter feed never seen before on the West coast after the rebranding of Oregon State football was introduced. Riley either tweeted or retweeted 15 tweets regarding the Beavers' new uniforms—using the hashtag #ReBeaved—and he also introduced to us a new mobile app for Beaver football. 

The Beavers' equipment manager tweeted out some pics of the new uniforms and to be honest, they're spectacular. The picture below shows three helmets in orange, black and white. Now before you get ready to yawn, look at the picture. That orange helmet is simply gorgeous and, strangely enough, looks like it should be on a Texas Longhorn football player. 

Auburn, Clemson, Florida, Illinois, Miami, Oklahoma State, Syracuse, Tennessee, Texas and to some extent, Virginia Tech, are the big football programs associated with the color orange and that seems to be a major problem for Oregon State football. When all of those other elite teams are more closely associated with orange, it's a big goal to challenge them for color supremacy.

But it has been done.

Michigan State used to be one of the first college football teams you would think of when you thought of the color green, but Oregon has surely leapfrogged the Spartans in the last few years.

The color orange is predominately used by teams in the South—Tennessee's end zone pays homage to the color like no other team—so how do you make yourselves stand out in orange without, you know, sticking out? 

Oregon State didn't just jump into rebranding mode—it did its homework, stuck with its main colors and then just revved them up a bit, adding some funky beaver teeth on the helmet. No steel tails hanging down the back of the jerseys. Same color theme, but with more of an electric look. 

Mike Riley is a smart man and knows these uniforms are going to turn heads—specifically recruits' heads. It's all about recruiting. It's all about staying ahead of the game.

Oregon State is finally making a smart move in the state of Oregon. Oregon is still ahead in terms of upgraded facilities such as its Quack Cave—college athletics' "first social media hub"—but how far behind can the Beaver Den be? 

For a complete look at Oregon State's new uniforms, click here.

The Oregon State Beavers have unveiled a new-look logo and uniform for the season ahead, with all sports getting the re-branding—or "rebeav"—for 2013.

The unveiling took place at a huge event at the Alumni Center on Monday night, as a swarm of students and fans turned up to see the new design.

Pac-12 Digital writer Bryan Fischer tweeted out the new-look logo:

Head coach Mike Riley then tweeted out different shots of the new uniform.

Oregon State joined the Oregon Ducks as schools that have worked closely with Nike in designing their new uniforms. They'd had the same uniforms and logo since the mid-1990s.

An official press release from the sporting superpower (Nike, that is) said that the new design "introduces a new brand and identity system that sets the visual direction for Beaver Athletics for years to come and modernizes one of the most recognizable brands in all of intercollegiate athletics."

The release goes on to say that the school and Nike had worked for nearly two years on the new design, and that all 17 of OSU’s intercollegiate sports teams will adopt the change:

“Oregon State Athletics has undergone a tremendous transformation in the last 15 years and our new brand identity is another sign that the Beavers continue to confidently move forward,” said Director of Athletics Bob De Carolis. “The ultimate goal for the rebrand is to attract high-caliber student-athletes to a contemporary brand, while respecting our heritage.”

The new Beaver logo features clean, contemporary lines and a modern, confident and timeless graphic structure. The logo accurately reflects the essence of Oregon State Athletics – Heritage, Strength, Victory, United, Innovation, Tenacity, Dedication and Integrity. Through these brand identity updates, Oregon State creates separation and distinction in the marketplace while respecting the past and representing the future.

Nike also unveiled several different photos and shots of the new uniforms and design, which can be seen via its website.

Overall, it's hard not to like the new design, which has a distinctly professional feeling to it that simply cannot be found anywhere else. The secrecy and planning that has gone into the new look is definitely worth it so far, and now just needs to be backed up on the field by the Beavers.

Oregon State will debut its new look on August 31.

What do you make of the new look? Like or dislike?

The Valero Alamo Bowl doesn't sound like a big-time bowl game, but it features two ranked teams that should combine for one of the most exciting bowls of the season when No. 23 Texas faces No. 13 Oregon State.

The 9-3 Beavers have seen their offense go from average to explosive as the season has worn on, and they look to use that to their advantage against a suspect Texas defense. 

On the other hand, Texas boasts an 8-4 record, but doesn't have too shabby of an offense, either. 

Let's take a look at what the Beavers must do in the Alamo Bowl to secure a victory over one of the nation's most historic programs.

Make Texas QB David Ash Uncomfortable

The Texas quarterback carousel has gone back and forth from David Ash to Case McCoy, but it seems to be on Ash's side heading into 2013, as he's played better football down the stretch.

But he's still just a sophomore, and Oregon State has a solid pass rush led by Scott Crichton. He has nine sacks on the season and should be chasing Ash around plenty in the backfield.

Ash will be eager to make plays to prove to his Texas coaching staff that he's worthy of being the starter for the next few seasons, but oftentimes that can lead to trying to do too much.

The Beavers must capitalize on that, making sure that they pressure Ash while also allowing him to make those inevitable mistakes. 

Get the Ball to WRs Markus Wheaton and Brandin Cooks

Like I previously mentioned, Oregon State's offense has been average at times and explosive at others. Much of that has to do with how often the Beavers get the ball to wide receivers Markus Wheaton and Brandin Cooks.

Wheaton and Cooks have quickly become one of the top receiver duos in the nation this season, combining for more than 2,300 yards and 16 touchdowns between them. They've been a huge part of the Beavers' passing attack, which has caught fire as of late. 

The Beavers won't continue to be one of the best passing teams in the country if they can't get the ball to their top two wideouts as much as possible.

It's obvious these two players will make the plays if you get them the ball.

Win the Turnover Battle

Aside from having an insane passing attack, Oregon State has also taken great care of the ball this season while forcing tons of turnovers.

That's an advantage that will help them fiercely take grasp of victory over the Longhorns. The Beavers have forced 30 takeaways this season to Texas' 18. 

Although this may turn into a high-scoring game, it has the potential to come down to one possession and will likely be affected by the turnover margin.

Whoever comes up on the positive side will win. 

What do you think? Hit me up on Twitter

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The Oregon State Beavers were supposed to host Nicholls State to start the season, but Hurricane Isaac had other plans. The absence of a primer game didn't hurt their early performance, though, and will now allow them to enter bowl season on a positive note.

Sean Mannion had a difficult conclusion to Pac-12 play, throwing four interceptions against the Oregon Ducks. He is welcoming the opportunity to end the regular season on a high note.

We have another opponent and we don't have time to pout and feel sorry for ourselves. Nicholls State is going to come in here and try to beat us, and we have to prepare accordingly.

I think it will be a good thing because I know everyone is hurting about this one, especially the seniors.

Oregon State (8-3, 6-3 Pac-12) is toeing the line about needing to prepare for Nicholls State, but the Colonels (1-9, 0-7 Southland) were a bad FCS team in 2012. Their only win on the season was against Evangel, an NAIA school. 

They simply can't stay close to a ranked FBS program.

Following are the particulars needed for this game.

When: Saturday, Dec. 1 at 2:30 p.m. ET

Where: Reser Stadium, Corvallis, Ore.

Watch: Pac-12 Network

Listen: 100.3 FM KLRZ Larose, La. and the Colonel Sports Radio Network; 860KPAM Portland and the Beaver Radio Network

Live Stream: Pac-12 Video

Spread: Offline

Over/Under: Offline

This game isn't expected to be close and the oddsmakers recognize the inability to protect themselves on this matchup. 

None of the major lines are carrying this contest. 

Injury Report

Nicholls State (via CBS Sports as of Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 11:00 p.m.)

No injuries reported

Oregon State (via USA Today as of Wednesday, Nov. 28 at 11:00 p.m.)

Brandin Cooks, WR, Probable (Knee)
Markus Wheaton, WR, Probable (Quadricep)
Jordan Poyer, CB, Probable (Hamstring)
Cody Vaz, QB, Probable (Ankle); Vaz is available but not expected to start
Peter Ashton, S, Questionable (Hip)
Tyler Anderson, FB, Questionable (Knee)
Josh Williams, LB, Out (Suspension)

BCS Implications

The Beavers have nothing to gain in this matchup. They're already in line to receive the No. 4 seed from the Pac-12 for bowl game placement.

A loss would be a huge blow to Oregon State's rankings, but might not have much meaning otherwise. However, the Alamo Bowl would likely be more inclined to take UCLA over a team that lost to Nicholls  State.

Keys for Nicholls State Victory

The Colonels have no potential to win this game. The matchup is so lopsided that Oregon State's athletic department had considered cancelling the game because of the damage it would do to their strength of schedule and BCS placement.

The Beavers also had a plan to cancel the contest if they made Friday's Pac-12 Championship Game.

Neither of these items ended up being material following the loss to Stanford.

Keys for Oregon State Victory

The Beavers need to prepare and show up ready to play for this game, but they would win this game simply by showing up and playing base sets without game-planning.

The real key for the Beavers in this game is getting a final feel for who their quarterback will be in their bowl game. They will be playing in either the Alamo Bowl or Holiday Bowl, depending on the outcome of the championship game and a decision from the Alamo Bowl on taking the Beavers or the loser of the Pac-12 title match.

Manion, a sophomore, lost the starting duties after an injury and sluggish play in their first loss on the season. He took the job back after junior Cody Vaz was injured against Stanford.

Both of these players could get some time under center, but Mike Riley may opt to rest Vaz so he is healthy later in December.

Prediction

Calling this game lopsided would still be an understatement. The Beavers will roll against an outmanned Nicholls State squad.

The Colonels can consider getting into the end zone a moral victory and about the only victory they'll have in Corvallis. 

Storm Woods needs 232 rushing yards to reach 1,000 on the season. It will be interesting to see how much of a dent Riley attempts to make on that figure.

Predicted Score: Oregon State 73, Nicholls State 7

Darin Pike is a writer for Bleacher Report's Breaking News Team and a Featured Columnist covering the NFL and the Seattle Seahawks.

Follow @darinpike

Oregon State football should suck it up.

Sure, it was just embarrassed by its bitter rival, Oregon, by the score of 48-24 in the Civil War. But the fact of the matter is, the Beavers overachieved this season. They’re an extremely young team and are guaranteed to improve in 2013.

Here are three players who were key parts of OSU’s success this year and will only get better.

3. Storm Woods

Woods is leading the Beavers in rushing this season. Going into the regular season finale against Nicholls State, he has totaled 768 yards and nine touchdowns on 4.8 yards a pop. He’s also a threat to catch passes out of the backfield as he has recorded 34 receptions for 260 yards as well.

While those numbers aren’t jaw-dropping, Woods is just a freshman. Next season, expect nothing less than a 1,000 yards on the ground.

2. Brandin Cooks

While Woods headlines Oregon State’s ground game, Cooks will be the face of its air attack, if he isn’t already.

The explosive wideout led the team in receiving yards this season as a mere sophomore. He reeled in 63 balls for 1,113 on 17.7 yards per catch and five touchdowns. Cooks burnt many a defensive back in 2012 as he recorded a reception of at least 40 yards in seven of the Beavers’ 10 games.

Next year, he’ll get even more action due to the departure of senior Markus Wheaton.

1. Scott Crichton

NFL scouts are watching Crichton closely.

The 6’3”, 263-pound defensive end is only a sophomore, but youth or opposing offensive tackles couldn’t stop him from racking up nine sacks this season. He wasn’t a one-trick pony, though. He was more than just a designated pass-rusher. Crichton was also a force against the run as he led the team in tackles for loss with 16.0.

With Jordan Poyner headed to the league, Crichton will be the poster boy of the Beavers' stop unit next season.

David Daniels is a featured columnist at Bleacher Report and a syndicated writer.

Follow @TheRealDDaniels

The Oregon Ducks were in prime position for a second BCS National Championship appearance in three seasons.

But along came Stanford, and Oregon is on the outside looking in.

If the last two weekends taught college football nation anything, it's that the often-used phrase of "no team is safe" is absolutely true.

No. 1 Alabama? Lost.

No. 1 Kansas State? Pounded.

No. 2 Oregon? Shocked.

The Ducks dropped to fifth in the latest BCS rankings and are watching their slim national title hopes dwindle.

Unless UCLA can take down the Cardinal, Oregon will miss the Pac-12 Championship Game as well.

Enough negativity, let's flip it to the positive side.

Chip Kelly's crew is still in the hunt for the big game. Notre Dame travels to rival USC, Alabama and Georgia play each other next week after facing their respective rivals this weekend and Florida travels to Tallahassee to take on the Seminoles.

Remember, no team is safe.

But first, the Ducks head to Corvallis for the 2012 edition of the "Civil War" against the Oregon State Beavers.

Head coach Mike Riley shot down speculation (per John Hunt of The Oregonian) that a "blueprint" for beating Oregon exists now that Stanford took down the fast-paced team.

His Beavers do, however, boast the 26th-ranked defense in the nation and allow a measly 109 yards per game on the ground.

The Cardinal held the Ducks' top playmakers—Kenjon Barner and De'Anthony Thomas—to an identical 109 yards on 28 carries, but that number does not count quarterback Marcus Mariota.

He ran for 89 yards last week and led the Ducks into scoring territory five times, but Oregon came away with only 14 points in the game. Mariota is a key factor in this matchup.

In the Ducks' first 10 games, the freshman QB was simply a distributor.

Mariota led the nation in passing efficiency, as Oregon's speed was too much for the opposition to handle. But during last week's loss, he turned into too much of a playmaker at times.

He threw his first interception in six games against the Cardinal, so turnovers have not plagued the freshman throughout the 2012 season—a huge advantage for this game.

The Beavers have intercepted 17 passes while giving up 14 touchdowns to their opponents, giving Oregon State the 17th-ranked passing efficiency defense in the country.

If Mariota can settle back into his distribution role, the Ducks will avoid turnovers that Oregon State is so good at forcing.

When OSU faced Stanford a couple of weeks ago, the Cardinal had no trouble running the ball against the Beavers. The Ducks have weapons and speed all over the field—especially in the backfield.

Barner has run for 1,426 yards and 19 touchdowns while Mariota and Thomas have combined for another 1,169 yards and 11 scores.

Even on the outside, though, seven players have recorded 19 or more catches for Oregon, making the offense balanced.

All these playmakers are Mariota's to use. He just has to find them.

Mariota must lead the Ducks to a win over the rival Beavers to stay in National Championship and Pac-12 title contention, but Oregon isn't worrying about what other teams do.

The Ducks are focused on Saturday. Rob Moseley of The Register-Guard quoted Oregon linebacker Michael Clay saying what the team is playing for: “Pride. It’s the Civil War. How can you not be ready for the Civil War?”

Clay is ready. Mariota is ready. Are you?

Even after a loss, Oregon still has an outside chance at playing for the national championship. This will not be the case if Oregon State has its way.

The Beavers have lost four straight games against their bitter rivals, but the current team is one of the best in years. There is enough talent to handle the Ducks and give them their second loss of the season.

Of course, a few players will need to have some big games in order to make that happen. While everyone must play to the best of their abilities, these are the most important players for Oregon State in the last game of the year.

Sean Mannion 

The quarterback has had an up-and-down year. He was leading an undefeated team into the Top 10 before getting hurt. When he came back, he threw four interceptions in a loss to Washington.

He got another opportunity against California and made the most of it with four touchdowns and 325 passing yards.

Mannion will start on Saturday, but now the pressure is on him. He has played well at times this year, but two games of three interceptions or more really stand out.

If his team has any chance of beating Oregon, the quarterback must stay composed and not make mistakes that will hurt his team.

Markus Wheaton 

Though the quarterback play has been inconsistent, receiver Markus Wheaton has been great all year.

The senior has been a force on offense, totaling 10 touchdown receptions after scoring just once last season.

He only had two receptions for 25 yards in the loss to Washington, and the team learned its mistake. Since then, he has 19 catches for 307 yards and four touchdowns in three games.

Wheaton does not have great size, but he knows how to find openings in a defense and he works hard to get himself into the end zone. 

Oregon allowed Stanford receiver Zach Ertz to finish with 11 receptions for 106 yards and a touchdown in the recent loss. Although he is a tight end, the gaps are there in the defense for Wheaton and Brandin Cooks to have big days.

Scott Crichton

Stanford was able to defeat Oregon because speedster running backs Kenjon Barner and De'Anthony Thomas were unable to get anything going on the ground.

Barner averages 6.5 yards per carry on the season, but he only finished with 66 yards on 21 carries against the Cardinal because the defense tackled well and dominated the line of scrimmage.

Defensive end Scott Crichton has the ability to get into the opposing backfield as well as anyone in the country. He has nine sacks and 15 tackles for loss, both of which are at least twice as many as the next highest on the team.

He can cause some serious disruption to the Ducks' offense if he can stop Barner and Thomas before they are able to get going.

Everyone on the defense has to make sure they wrap up and prevent broken tackles, but Crichton will be the key. If he plays to his ability and gets help from Mannion and Wheaton, the Beavers will leave with a big win. 

Follow @TheRobGoldberg