Oregon State coach JaMarcus Shephard sees the College Football Playoff expansion question through one lens first: access.
A 24-team CFP is not official, but it is looking increasingly likely after reports of an agreement with ESPN. Shephard said his biggest concern is that the new format should open the door wider for the whole sport instead of simply carving out more openings for the Big Ten and SEC.
“I don’t want to be disrespecful, but if you’re in some of these conference around the country, specifically outside of the top five - Pac-12 being one of those top five - if you’re outside of those top five, it’s sometimes a little more difficult to get into the dance, even with winning your conference, if you’re trying to guard against it,” Shephard said.
He also compared the proposed playoff setup to March Madness, where teams from all conferences can earn a spot in the tournament. Football, he said, hasn’t provided that same level of access.
“Let’s try to make it more accessible to more people, rather than just trying to make the rich richer. And that’s what it ends up boiling down to, the rich get richer. And I’m hoping that the NCAA actually does care about student athletes, all student athletes, not just the ones in the SEC and Big Ten,” Shephard said.
The Beavers returned to practice Sunday after their bye week. Shephard said the team handled the time away well, even though the break arrived with five games left in the regular season and the Beavers were riding a five-game winning streak.
“There’s a level of intensity and focus … that we have as a football team as the season is going on. So sometimes the bye week kind of interrupts that a little bit, and so you’re trying to guard against it interrupting what we have built to this point,” Shephard said.
Still, he liked how the group responded to the weather and the work on the field.
“It has to be our advantage as a football team here … being able to perform well under the elements. And so our guys were excited to get back out there and didn’t hear a single player complain about the rain or anything like that,” Shephard said.
Injury-wise, the Beavers will get several players back after the bye week. Cornerback TJ Crandall missed the Washington State game with a concussion, but he has been cleared and returned to practice Sunday.
Receiver Adoinys McDaniel is expected to make his season debut Saturday against Fresno State. McDaniel tore his Achilles last winter and has been working to get on the field this season.
Shephard said the team has taken a patient approach with offensive linemen Carter Guilleaume and Josiah Timoteo. Both are ready to go, and the Beavers have plenty of options on the line.
During the absences, linemen such as Jacob Anderson and Teko Shoats have played well.
Shephard said the added depth gives the Beavers pressure to perform in practice and, if needed, someone else can step in.
“We got a good room, we got a good football team that they’re not necessarily worried about who’s going to actually start. They just want to contribute to us winning,” Shephard said.
In Other News...
Oregon State Heads Into Iowa State With A Clear Edge At Quarterback
The quarterback matchup is shaping up as one of the clearer storylines when Oregon State heads to Iowa State, and Drew Mestemaker has given the Beavers a real advantage there. Mestemaker has piled up multiple games with at least 300 passing yards, giving Oregon State a more settled and productive passing game as it prepares for a road test against a Big 12 opponent still trying to find its offensive rhythm.
Jaylen Raynor is expected to be back under center for Iowa State after the Cyclones turned to him again last week, but the broader picture around that offense has been shaky. Sustaining drives has been a problem, and the third-down work has been especially uneven, which makes this a matchup where Oregon State will look to press its edge early and put Raynor in a difficult position to keep up. [Read more 🡒]
Boise States Playoff Path Suddenly Looks A Lot More Real
Boise States push toward the College Football Playoff got a noticeable boost after its Week 8 win over Washington State, with DraftKings Sportsbook moving the Broncos to +105 to make the field. The number reflects how quickly their path has sharpened, and it comes as Boise State sits 12th in the national CFP odds picture and continues to look like one of the frontrunners among Group of Six programs chasing the automatic bid.
The next stretch will go a long way toward sorting out how serious that case really is, starting with a home game against Texas State before the schedule eventually brings Oregon State into the picture. That matchup is still weeks away, but for the Beavers it already carries extra relevance because Boise State is no longer just a good team on the rise, it is a program with a playoff route that suddenly looks very real. [Read more 🡒]
Miami Suddenly Has Two Names In A Heisman Race To Watch
Robert Griffin IIIs latest Heisman watch list put Oregon State squarely in the conversation, even if the national spotlight is still shining brightest elsewhere. The former winner and current analyst had Jeremiah Smith at the top of his Week 8 rankings, but the Beavers also showed up twice among his five names, a sign that their season has produced more than just regional attention.
Jesse Legree and Braden Atkinson have both pushed themselves into the broader award picture by carrying major weight for Oregon States offense, with Griffin tying his list to individual production and each players role in the national championship chase. For the Beavers, it is the kind of recognition that can change how the rest of the country sees them, even if the real test is whether either player can keep that momentum going when the schedule tightens. [Read more 🡒]