Ranking the Top 131 College Football Programs of the Last 40 Years: 69. Oregon State
Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it...
Nice.
Best Seasons and Highlights
+------+--------------+------+--------------+--------+
| rank | team | year | resume score | record |
+------+--------------+------+--------------+--------+
| 6 | Oregon State | 2000 | 38.55 | 11-1 |
| 17 | Oregon State | 2022 | 24.28 | 10-3 |
| 17 | Oregon State | 2008 | 22.348 | 9-4 |
| 22 | Oregon State | 2012 | 19.244 | 9-4 |
| 24 | Oregon State | 2006 | 18.489 | 10-4 |
| 28 | Oregon State | 2007 | 14.033 | 9-4 |
| 38 | Oregon State | 2009 | 9.866 | 8-5 |
| 38 | Oregon State | 2003 | 9.373 | 8-5 |
| 37 | Oregon State | 2002 | 5.852 | 8-5 |
| 34 | Oregon State | 2004 | 4.579 | 7-5 |
| 43 | Oregon State | 1999 | -1.159 | 7-5 |
| 53 | Oregon State | 2021 | -2.202 | 7-6 |
| 60 | Oregon State | 2013 | -2.268 | 7-6 |
| 51 | Oregon State | 1988 | -5.817 | 4-6-1 |
| 60 | Oregon State | 2010 | -6.842 | 5-7 |
| 62 | Oregon State | 2001 | -9.147 | 5-6 |
| 56 | Oregon State | 1998 | -10.826 | 5-6 |
| 72 | Oregon State | 2019 | -12.436 | 5-7 |
| 68 | Oregon State | 2005 | -13.291 | 5-6 |
| 65 | Oregon State | 1994 | -16.587 | 4-7 |
| 87 | Oregon State | 2020 | -17.086 | 2-5 |
| 87 | Oregon State | 2014 | -19.148 | 5-7 |
| 68 | Oregon State | 1993 | -19.203 | 4-7 |
| 90 | Oregon State | 2016 | -22.918 | 4-8 |
| 73 | Oregon State | 1989 | -23.628 | 4-7-1 |
| 97 | Oregon State | 2011 | -31.326 | 3-9 |
| 83 | Oregon State | 1986 | -32.142 | 3-8 |
| 89 | Oregon State | 1997 | -34.727 | 3-8 |
| 94 | Oregon State | 1985 | -40.483 | 3-8 |
| 94 | Oregon State | 1984 | -43.066 | 2-9 |
| 96 | Oregon State | 1983 | -43.271 | 2-8-1 |
| 96 | Oregon State | 1987 | -44.241 | 2-9 |
| 98 | Oregon State | 1992 | -45.286 | 1-9-1 |
| 99 | Oregon State | 1996 | -46.698 | 2-9 |
| 116 | Oregon State | 2015 | -47.395 | 2-10 |
| 118 | Oregon State | 2018 | -47.594 | 2-10 |
| 100 | Oregon State | 1995 | -50.717 | 1-10 |
| 102 | Oregon State | 1991 | -54.567 | 1-10 |
| 102 | Oregon State | 1990 | -58.676 | 1-10 |
| 124 | Oregon State | 2017 | -60.763 | 1-11 |
+------+--------------+------+--------------+--------+
Overall Score: 13931 (69th)191-274-4 record
1 conference title
8-6 bowl record
3 consensus All-Americans
67 NFL players drafted
No no wait a second. I know it’s the sex number. But as a USC fan, OREGON STATE? NOT NICE. NOT. NICE. I’m kidding, I know as a Trojan fan I’m supposed to hate them, but Oregon State’s actually one of my favorite Pac-12 teams for their color scheme and short kings on the football field.
Overall, Oregon State’s actually had a pretty bad last 4 decades, but the 2000s have been significantly better than 1983-1998. If we extend that back even further, Oregon State didn’t have a single winning season from 1971-1998! Splitting up the eras in the last 40 years, 1983-1998 had a record of 42-131-4, while since then they’ve gone 149-143. The one title was a co-championship in the Pac-10 in 2000, Oregon State’s best ever team in their 100+ year history. The 2 consensus All-Americans we won’t discuss below are DT Stephen Paea (2010), who broke the NFL combine bench press record with 49 reps of 225 lbs, and WR Brandin Cooks (2013), who won the Biletnikoff with 1947 yards and 18 TD from scrimmage. Other recent notable players include WR Mike Hass, who won the Biletnikoff in 2005, WR Chad Johnson, and RB Steven Jackson.
Top 5 Seasons
Worst Season: 2017 (1-11 overall, 0-9 Pac-12)
It’s not really that surprising why Oregon State fans don’t like Gary Andersen. After going 85-66 under Mike Riley from 2003-14, Gary Andersen went just 6-18 the next two seasons (2015-16). After beating Oregon in 2016, who was actually worse under Mark Helfrich in 2016 than Oregon State was, OSU had some hope heading into 2017. But they’d quickly reclaim their rightful spot on the throne of worst team in the state. The opening game was a 27-58 loss to Colorado State. OSU’s lone win came in week 2 against FCS Portland State, 35-32, and they didn’t win another game all season. Best hits included a 14-48 loss to Minnesota, 23-52 to Washington State, 7-42 to Washington, and finally 10-69 to Oregon in a game where the Ducks hung half a hundred in the first half. Some losses weren’t bad. #20 Stanford needed a TD with 20 seconds left to beat Oregon State 15-14. No player made 1st/2nd Team All Pac-12, and OSU finished as the 6th worst team in the country in my rankings.
5. 2006 (10-4 overall, 6-3 Pac-10)
The year spooky Corvallis magic caught the national eye. It was a typical year for Oregon State, starting 4-3 with a 2-2 conference record. Blowout losses to Boise State and Cal weren’t ideal, but both would turn out to be really good, and road wins over Washington and Arizona were big wins toward bowl eligibility. With that came the mighty #2 USC Trojans to Corvallis. USC was 51-2 in their last 53 games, had a 38 game regular season win streak, 27 game Pac-10 win streak, 18 game road win streak, and 18 game October win streak. But as great as USC was, they had shown some cracks throughout the first half of the season. The Beavers burrowed through those cracks, the dam burst, and the floodgates opened. All-American punt returner Sammie Stroughter took back a punt 70 yards for a TD to go up 30-10, and a FG later would make it 33-10 in the 3rd quarter. USC did their best to come back, scoring a TD with 7 seconds left to make it 33-31 OSU, but came up short on the 2 pt conversion and Oregon State had one of the best wins in school history. After that, the rest of the season was gravy, winning 4 of their last 5 games including 44-10 over 7-6 Arizona State, 30-28 in the Civil War over Oregon, and 39-38 in the Sun Bowl over Missouri.
Future NFL veteran QB Matt Moore was a steady hand, throwing for 3022 yards 18 TD 7 INT and rushing for 5 more TD. RB Yvenson Bernard was 1st Team All Pac-10, rushing for 1307 yards and 12 TD. WR Sammie Stroughter was team MVP, with nearly 1300 receiving yards and was a 3rd Team All-American PR with 3 punt return TDs. Kicker Alex Serna, the returning Lou Groza winner, ranked 3rd in the nation in FGs made going 22/29 with a 2nd Team All Pac-10 selection.
4. 2012 (9-4 overall, 6-3 Pac-12)
Coming off a 3-9 season and 2 straight losing seasons, it was sort of accepted among Pac-12 fans that Oregon State was going to go back to being a cellar dwellar in the conference. Mike Riley had other plans. Opening week in Corvallis, the Beavers upset #13 Wisconsin 10-7, holding Heisman hopeful RB Montee Ball to just 61 rushing yards. With some thinking it was a fluke, OSU proved those doubters wrong as well, beating #19 UCLA in Los Angeles the following week. The season only got more absurd for Oregon State, winning 4 more to improve to 6-0 and be ranked #7(!!) in the nation. Among those wins were 3 Pac-12 opponents and BYU on the road. Unfortunately the unbeaten run came to an end in Seattle, outgaining Washington by 100+ yards but giving up 4 turnovers leading to a 17-20 loss. OSU would continue trading wins/losses until they were 8-2 and #16 meeting with 10-1 #5 Oregon. Oregon had just lost their 0 in an upset to Stanford, so they were stark mad and blew the doors off the Beavers 48-24. A 77-3 win over Nicholls State and loss to Texas in the bowl capped off a 9-4, #20 final ranking, 3rd place in the Pac-12 North year.
QBs Sean Mannion and Cody Vaz split time with neither taking the full reigns. Mannion completed 65% of throws for 2446 yards 15 TD 13 INT, while Vaz completed just 59% of throws for 1480 yards but with 11 TD to just 3 INT. Mannion would take over full time the next year and become Oregon State’s all-time leading passer. OSU had one of the best WR tandems in the country with 1000+ yard receivers Markus Wheaton and Brandin Cooks. Wheaton was 1st Team All Pac-12 while Cooks won the Biletnikoff the next year. DE Scott Crichton was 1st Team All Pac-12 with 9 sacks and 8.5 TFL. CB Jordan Poyer was one of the nation’s best, picking off 7 passes and earning consensus All-American accolades. Even the kicking game was good! Trevor Romaine hit 16 of 18 FGs.
3. 2008 (9-4 overall, 7-2 Pac-10)
Welcome to Hotel Corvallis. You can check out any time you like, but you can never leave. Oregon State, as usual, was expected to return to the cellar. They were making good on that promise, starting 1-2 with losses to bottomfeeder Stanford and Penn State in a blowout. Then they had to go and mess it up by beating #1 USC. The Trojans seemed like a shoe in for the national title heading into the game. They had just beaten a top 5 Ohio State team 35-3, and had the best LB trio the game’s maybe ever seen. Enter the Rodgers brothers: Jacquizz and James, both standing at a very generous 5’6. Jacquizz, just a freshman, had the game of his life, running 37 times for 186 yards and 2 TD. USC couldn’t stop him. James kept USC honest in his own right, taking handoffs, catching passes, and returning kicks.
The win gave OSU some juice. They lost to Utah the next week, but the Utes would finish the season unbeaten, and the loss wasn’t in Pac-10 play. Oregon State would keep winning, to the dismay of USC, who remained tied for 1st place with the Beavers in the Pac-10 but were really 2nd on the tiebreaker. Finally the Civil War arrived, with the Beavers still in 1st place at 8-3 overall and 7-1 in Pac-10 play. With a Rose Bowl berth on the line, Oregon State’s defense was subject to a Chip Kelly (Oregon’s OC at the time) masterclass, and Oregon ran away with a 65-38 victory. OSU practiced nothing but defense for a month straight after, and responded by beating #18 Pitt 3-0 in the Sun Bowl.
The accolades were aplenty for Oregon State. Jacquizz Rodgers was the Pac-10 Offensive POTY, accumulating 1500 yards and 12 TD from scrimmage. James Rodgers had 400+ rushing yards, 600+ receiving yards, and was 1st Team All Pac-10 as a KR. WR Sammie Stroughter rebounded from missing nearly all of 2007, finishing his career with a 1000+ yard receiving season and earning 1st team all-conference. OT Andy Levitre was a 1st Team All-American and eventual 2nd round NFL pick. DT Stephen Paea won the Morris Trophy given to the Pac-10’s best lineman. He opened up holes for DE Victor Butler (12 sacks) and LB Slade Norris (10 sacks), whose combined 22 sacks was the most by a tandem in the Pac-10. Even Mike Riley got an award, winning Pac-10 Coach of the Year. The season was one of the most memorable in OSU history.
2. 2022 (10-3 overall, 6-3 Pac-12)
There’s a theme with Oregon State’s best years. They’re always surpassing expectations. Former QB turned head coach Jonathan Smith turned around the program after Gary Andersen left, going 7-6 in 2021, and looked to improve on that in 2022. A 3-0 start included a heart-stopping win over Fresno State, with RB/FB/WR/TE/LB Jack Colletto running in a winning 2 yard TD as time expired. It had the Beavers dreaming upset over a top 10 USC team, but the Trojans escaped with a narrow 17-14 win. OSU gave Caleb Williams his toughest game all season, going just 16/36 on throws for 180 yards. After losing to Utah, winning 3 more, then losing to Washington, OSU was 6-3, 3-3 in the Pac-12, and it was make or break time. Could they possibly get a double digit win season? Would they top out at 6 wins and barely slip into a bowl? After blowout wins over Cal and Arizona State, #22 Oregon State hosted #10 Oregon for the Civil War. Despite throwing for just 60 yards, Oregon State pulled out a 17 point 4th quarter comeback to win 37-34 and stick it to the Ducks, who would’ve made the Pac-12 title game with a win. OSU proceeded to EMBARRASS Florida in the bowl, taking a 30-0 lead before Florida hit a FG with 30 seconds left to cut the lead to 27. Oregon State finished with just their 3rd double digit win season ever.
8 Oregon State players made 1st/2nd Team All Pac-12, tied for the most in the conference with USC and Washington. PR Anthony Gould (2 punt return TDs) and OG Brandon Kipper were both All-Americans. Converted QB Jack Colletto won the Paul Hornung Award, doing it all with 103 rushing yards and 6 TD, 46 receiving yards, 53 passing yards, 27 tackles, and lots of blocking. Jonathan Smith was the Pac-12 Coach of the Year.
1. 2000 (11-1 overall, 7-1 Pac-10)
It’s 2000 at #1 and it’s not even close. 1999 was Oregon State’s first winning season in nearly THIRTY years. In 2000, they were just hoping to get to a bowl again. A 3-0 start was solid, but it wouldn’t be obvious to Oregon State players that the team was special until a 31-21 win over #7 USC in Corvallis. That got Oregon State their first ranking (#23) since 1968. #23 Oregon State and #11 Washington duked it out in a sleepy late night game that nobody watched, with Washington winning 33-30 off a missed OSU FG. The game had no impact on national storylines at the time, but that would quickly change as both teams continued winning. Oregon State didn’t falter, blowing out Stanford and beating #23 UCLA. They were now 6-1 and #18. There was clearly something special with this roster. With 2 more wins over Cal and Arizona, it was #8 Oregon State vs #5 Oregon in the biggest Civil War game in decades. Maybe ever. OSU bullied Oregon’s future 3rd overall pick Joey Harrington all game long, who threw 0 TD and 5 INT in a 13-23 loss. With the win, Oregon State clinched a share of the Pac-10 title at 10-1 (7-1 in conference), their first conference title since winning the Athletic Association of Western Universities in 1964.
In the Fiesta Bowl against #10 Notre Dame, Oregon State was actually the bigger, faster, better team, and dominated from start to finish, winning 41-9. OSU finished the year at 11-1 and #4 in the AP Poll. Coach Dennis Erickson thought it might be the best team he’s ever had, that’s including his time at Miami (FL) where 2 of his teams won national titles. Irish coach Bob Davie remarked “We knew they were good, very fast, but we didn't know they'd be as big or as physical as they were.” There was plenty of talent on this Oregon State squad. Had they gotten the win over Washington and finished the season 11-0, they would’ve played Oklahoma in the title game. Over the next 4 years, Oregon State had 12 players drafted to OU’s 11. That’s not to say Oregon State would’ve won, but it’s certainly a what-if.
Future NFL WR tandem Chad Johnson and TJ Houshmanzadeh dominated defenses, combining for 85 catches for 1536 yards (18 YPC) and 15 TD. RB Ken Simonton finished 9th in Heisman voting with 1559 rushing yards and 19 TD. QB and future OSU head coach Jonathan Smith had a fine year, leading the Pac-10 in passing efficiency throwing for 2773 yards 20 TD 7 INT. Simonton, C Chris Gibson, and DE DeLawrence Grant were All-Americans. Erickson won the Sporting News Coach of the Year. This was an extremely good Oregon State team, and one of the teams in Pac-10/12 history.
2000 Oregon State ranks as my 199th best team since 1983.
5th Quarter
Think #69 is just right for Oregon State? Any too low, too high takers? Which QBs/RBs/WRs from these teams listed would constitute an All-OSU team from the last 40 years? Was the 2000 team good enough to win a national title like some think? Oregon State fans, how would you rank your top 5 seasons not by resume like I did, but by enjoyment as a fan? Which was the better win over USC: 2006, 2008, or other? Is Jonathan Smith one of the best coaches in America for what he did in 2022?
Ranking the Top 131 College Football Programs of the Last 40 Years - Main Hub
Nice