With Boise State and Louisville already on the slate, Oregon State was looking at a challenging start to the 2010 season. OK, at least with the former.
Now, both the Portland Tribune and The Oregonian are reporting, the Beavers are poised to --willingly -- add an even tougher foe to their non-conference schedule next season.
With just a little bit of tinkering left to do, it’s all but a certainty that OSU will open next season with a game against No. 3 TCU in the new Texas Stadium. The match-up is being brokered by ESPN, and appears to be in the final stages before officially becoming a reality.
“It’s looking good, but there are still some things that need to come together,” OSU athletic director Bob De Carolis told the Tribune.
While part of the reason for the game is, obviously, money -- the Beavers stand to make upwards of $1 million for the game -- another is the Rodgers brothers. Head coach Mike Riley said he wanted to get a game for James and Jacquizz in their home state, and this was the final opportunity to do it.
“We’ve wanted to take the Rodgers brothers back to Texas for a game before James graduates,” Riley says. “This is our last chance to do that. Plus, I’ve always liked the big games, and it’s a lifetime experience to play in that stadium. I said go for it.”
As noted by both papers, it’s a risky schedule for the Beavers to undertake, but, as De Carolis puts it, "[i]f you’re fortunate to pull off a win, you’re in the national conversation.”
Especially when you return 19 starters from a team that was one win away from representing the Pac-10 in the Rose Bowl.