The Michigan Wolverines face a grueling schedule for the 2015 college football season. To be clear, the slate does not hold a single "small" conference opponent, and given the Big Ten's difficult nature with rivals like Michigan State and Ohio State on the agenda, the sledding could be tough for Jim Harbaugh during his maiden voyage as the head coach in Ann Arbor.
Leading up to the start of the season, we will take a quick look at each of Michigan's 12 opponents, ranking them from easiest to toughest in terms of difficulty. Obviously, things are quite fluid once the season begins, but in advance of the campaign, this is an informed estimate of what to expect on the field in the Fall.
We began the breakdown with breakdowns of UNLV, Rutgers, Indiana and Northwestern, and today, we continue by evaluating the Oregon State Beavers.
2014 Performance
The Beavers finished 5-7 and missed a bowl last season, but that doesn't suggest that Oregon State was non-competitive. Sean Mannion led the team with competent quarterback play, and Mike Riley's squad upended Arizona State on November 15 in what was a massive upset.
Mannion was the most high-profile player for the Beavers, throwing for more than 3,000 yards and emerging as a legitimate NFL prospect. Unfortunately, Oregon State wasn't nearly good enough on defense, surrendering 30 points or more on seven separate occasions to contribute to what was a disappointing final record.
What to expect in 2015
Mannion is gone, and that is the biggest concern. Oregon State opens with seven (!) quarterbacks in competition for his spot, but only backup Luke Del Rio has any real experience, and that was limited at best. Storm Woods and Victor Bolden return as the leading rusher and receiver, respectively, but getting them the ball will be an issue, even if the offensive line (returning all 5 starters) is a quality unit.
Defensively, Oregon State plans to move to a 3-4 scheme under former Wisconsin head coach Gary Andersen, and that places a high emphasis on the play of the linebacking corps. The secondary loses three starters, but against Michigan, that may not matter a great deal unless the Wolverines solicit steady play from Shane Morris and/or Jake Rudock.
Baseless prediction
The early nature of this game is a bit worrisome for Michigan. Oregon State enters the Big House on September 12, but even given the friendly venue, there is some real uncertainty as to how the team will look at that point in the season. It is fair to say that Jim Harbaugh's club is more talented, but Oregon State isn't a pushover, and they can't be treated as such.
