Pac-2 Preview, Analysis & Best Bets

Let’s start with a moment of silence for the Pac-12. Eight players were drafted in the first round from the Pac-12 this year, three of which landed in the top twelve. By far, it was one of the more intriguing and successful seasons in Pac-12 history, and now it’s gone. Well, not exactly. Below is my official Pac-2 preview and best bets!

There are two teams who are still fighting and clawing to keep the Pac alive. Both teams have been slightly adopted by the Mountain West, which makes up the majority of their schedule this year.

In addition to the conference shift, both teams are going through massive roster and/or coaching turnover. The schedule for both is much easier than last year. The record at the end of the year may not show it, but not facing Bo Nix, Caleb Williams, and Michael Penix is a win.

CHECK OUT THE SPORTS GAMBLING PODCAST’S DAILY BEST BETS

Pac-2 Preview, Analysis & Best Bets

Oregon State Beavers

Win Total – 7.5

As mentioned in the open, this is a full rebuild for the Beavers. From the coaching staff to the players, Corvallis will be filled with new faces. A not-so-new face is defensive coordinator turned head coach Trent Bray.

The former All-PAC-10 linebacker is in his second stint with the Beavers, but now it’s a bit different. He hired two former alumni to be his coordinators, but with a staff full of first-year coaches, will it work?

That question will likely not be answered this year and maybe not even next year. This is a true year zero for the staff after losing nine starters. They also lost a backup quarterback who would’ve likely beat out the returning starter if all things were equal. Both sides of the ball have their own respective questions, but which can we expect more from in year zero?

Offense

New offensive coordinator Ryan Gunderson comes over from UCLA, where he was the quarterback coach. This will be his first time calling plays, so it is likely going to be an adjustment period. When describing what kind of play-caller he would be or the type of offense the Beavers would be running, he stated it was strictly personnel-based.

Without giving away a specific system, he hinted it would be a balanced attack that also caters to the opponent’s weaknesses. He’ll first have to figure out who he wants to be his signal caller. Returning backup Ben Gulbranson and transfers Gevani McCoy and Gabarri Johnson are all in competition for the job.

Quarterback

Gulbranson is no stranger to competition, as he has been involved in one every offseason. Although he has yet to win the job, his experience and 7-1 record as a starter gives him something the other two guys do not have.

If the Beavers want to take an upside swing, McCoy would be my pick. He is coming off a successful stint at Idaho, where he won the Jerry Rice Award and was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award last year.

He’s a proven commodity and the step up in competition is not as drastic as it would’ve been last year. McCoy has the higher ceiling, but Gulbranson is more proven, so I think they will be one and two, followed by four-star prospect Gabarri Johnson.

Skill Position

Skill position is a question mark. They will need multiple players to emerge to help out whoever wins the quarterback job. Offensive line play for the Beavers is generally positive, but the skill position talent is a few notches down.

They brought in two talented backs, Anthony Hankerson (Colorado) and Jam Griffin (Ole Miss), but can they be productive as the focal point? The receiving core needs a leader to emerge, and I believe it will be Jimmy Vaslin, who did not see much time last year but had a great spring. The offense has talent but no continuity, which is why I am down on this side of the ball overall.

Defense

The Beavers’ strength will be on this side of the ball. They will be tasked with creating short fields and cleaning up any miscues from a young, inexperienced offense. They brought in several key transfers to solidify their pass rush. The depth of the front is solid, and a secondary that, on paper, looks really good should help.

Losing Oladipo and Arnold at Safety is a huge hole to fill, but the emergence of Skyler Thomas could potentially help. The cornerback room is the best unit on either side of the ball. Jaden Robinson is a potential star who had eight pass breakups and allowed a 40% completion rate when targeted last year.

He will get some help with Liberty transfer Kobe Singleton opposite him. Singleton was dynamic for the Flames, breaking up double-digit passes and intercepting four. He and Robinson, as well as Exodus Ayers, will be a dynamic duo all year.

Ayers is a three-star freshman who coaches are extremely excited about. As with most freshman, it is unclear how effective he will be early on, but they love his upside. We will know right away how good this secondary is as they will face three high-powered passing attacks in the first four weeks.

If the offense can play clean football and not put the defense at a disadvantage, I think this will be a solid defensive team. Their defensive coordinator was the secondary coach here in 2008 and is back after previously being with the Las Vegas Raiders.

His plan is to use as simple and concise verbiage and schemes as possible to get the most out of this defense. I think he has a shot at having a really good one in year one.

Over? Under?

I love the potential of this defense and feel they made good hires on that side of the ball. The offense’s volatility is what is keeping them away from an eight-win debut for Bray. We can all agree that this team is several points lower than last year, right? Well, that team only won eight games, albeit a tougher schedule but even if things go their way, I can’t see eight.

While their schedule is lighter than last year’s, it is far from a walk in the park. Depending on how you feel about Sean Lewis and the new-look Aztecs, the Beavers could go into their bye 1-3. If that happens, we can cash this win total by Halloween.

Let’s be optimistic and give them 2-2 through their first four. They will be coming out of the bye to a good Colorado State team and finishing with four of their final six on the road. I like our chances in either scenario.

Best Bet: UNDER 7.5

Washington State Cougars

Win Total – 7.5

Offense

The Cougars did not lose as much as Oregon State, but they do have more questions than answers when discussing their roster. Let’s start with Quarterback. Well, there will be an ongoing battle between John Mateer and newcomer Zevi Eckhaus, who transferred in from Bryant. All reports say this will be a competition, but I would not be surprised if we see a lot of both throughout the year.

Quarterback(s)

Mateer does not have a ton of playing experience, but he has been in the system for multiple years. His ability to be a dual threat and his understanding of what Ben Arbuckle wants in his offense will keep him on the field.

If the Cougars are looking for a higher ceiling, Zevi Eckhaus is the guy. He was a Walter Payton finalist at Bryant after finishing the year with over 2800 passing yards and 33 touchdowns. He is a dual-threat option as well, but Mateer is slightly better in that department. Obviously, this is a step up for Zevi coming from the OVC but look no further than what Cam Ward became after transferring in from Incarnate Word.

Skill Position(s)

Regardless of who is starting, the weapons will all be new after losing their two best weapons outside of Ward. The offensive line returns four starters and should be better after allowing over 85 pressures and 30+ sacks. Kyle Williams is a name to watch at receiver after finishing with over 800 yards and six touchdowns as a secondary option. Despite the loss of Ward and others, the offense should be fine.

Defense

This side of the ball is the biggest cause for concern. All of the impact players on the Cougars’ defense were either drafted or signed to an NFL roster going into training camp. Everyone is going to have losses to the next level or transfer portal. The problem occurs when multiple players of the same position group leave all at once.

The secondary is the biggest weakness of any positional group. Luckily for them, this isn’t the 2023 Pac-12 schedule. So, there will be time to get players acclimated and adjusted to new roles.

Kapena Qushiken at corner will try to lock down one side in an expanded role. Behind him are big shoes to fill, with Jadon Hicks (Chiefs) and Chau Smith-Wade (Panthers) both moving on. Akron transfer Tyson Durant had a great spring and will try his best to fill some of that void.

The front of the defense is in better shape, especially at linebacker. Tariq Al-Udah and Kyle Thornton will anchor the front and clean up everything. The defensive line will need a big season from Utah Tech transfer Syrus Webster. He was a havoc-raising machine for the Trailblazers, totaling over 11 tackles for loss and 70+ tackles.

If the front seven can cause havoc and make teams play behind the chains, it takes a ton of pressure off a young and inexperienced secondary. Thankfully for them, the schedule of quarterbacks they face is not overwhelming.

Over? Under?

Despite the turnover, I can’t look anywhere but over. I have them favored in nine games and a coin-flip type of game in the Apple Cup. Their tougher games are on the road, which is a positive, and their two swing games are early in the year. Those two games (Texas Tech, Washington) will prepare them for the back end of their schedule, which they should be able to navigate.

The offense will be fine, and having good quarterback depth keeps things from spiraling if there is an injury. They are due for some positive regression this year after losing three games by a field goal or less and another by eight.

They had numerous chances to win those games but came up short. A first down here, a penalty there, and they would have been a lot better. With a lighter schedule added to that, even in a year of turnover, the Cougars should flirt with 8 wins.

Best Bet: OVER 7.5 Wins

Discover more college football content

The College Football Experience podcast is working their way through team previews. Check out the latest episodes as Colby, NC Nick, Patty C, and a host of others run through the roster changes, the schedule, and betting odds for each team. Listen to TCE, take our expert college football gambling picks, and let it ride!