Beavs produce a beaut against the Utes
CORVALLIS — Quotes, notes and observations from Oregon State’s 21-7 victory over Utah Friday night at Reser Stadium …
With Scott Barnes and Bob de Carolis, talking everything Reser Stadium
On Tuesday, five days after the seismic announcement that Oregon State will “complete” Reser Stadium, I spoke for a half-hour with Scott Barnes via telephone.
The Beavers’ athletic director seemed flush with emotion over reaction to plans for a $153-million project that will upgrade the west side of Reser and augment the $80-million renovation to the east side that was completed in 2005.
On the Pac-12 bowl picture, the Heisman, the Eagles’ curious two-point call and more …
A few football thoughts, along with a closing note about golf …
• The lineup of Pac-12 bowl affiliates has been slimmed considerably with the shut-down of the Sun, Holiday, Redbox and Las Vegas Bowls for this year due to COVID-19 complications.
That leaves the Rose Bowl — a CFP semifinal game this year, meaning that the Pac-12 will almost certainly not be a participant — the Alamo Bowl, the L.A. Bowl and the Independence Bowl. The Pac-12 requires a team to be .500 or better to be bowl eligible, so if a team is able to get in its scheduled seven games, it must go 4-3.
The conference has yet to announce a plan for the final weekend of regular-season play (Dec. 18-19).
A game for the ages in the fog at Reser
Here is what’s on my mind after Friday’s epic 41-38 Oregon State victory over Oregon in the foggy, eerie solitude of Reser Stadium …
• The Beavers’ come-from-behind win over the ninth-ranked Ducks becomes an instant classic in this, the strangest of all football seasons in the most unsettling year of our lifetime.
On shoddy officiating, COVID’s impact and Pac-12 women’s hoops, along with a little Terry Stotts and Charles Barkley …
Reflections from ye old scribe on a few sporting subjects …
• I’m rarely one to criticize sports officials. I have friends who are referees and admire their integrity and intestinal fortitude. I umpired and refereed during my high school and college years. I believe those who work college and pro sports most often do a very credible job.
But what happened Saturday night in Seattle was nothing short of a travesty.
From Lincoln Logs to football stadiums: Jim Wilson’s thoughts on each of the Pac-12 venues …
It is a strange feeling to watch a football game without fans in the stands. It is even stranger to watch college football on Saturdays knowing that Pac-12 football stadiums are sitting idle.
Through these unprecedented times, I’ve learned how much I appreciate all the pageantry and build-up around the stadiums and the energy that college football fans bring to the overall atmosphere.
And I miss the stadiums themselves.
On Pac-12 football, Pat Casey and Bud Ossey, MLB to PDX, Erik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat and Chad Doing and the Denver Broncos …
The Pac-12 football schedule was (finally) announced Saturday, with Oregon fans happy with the Ducks’ lone crossover game, Oregon State fans not so much.
The Ducks, ranked 14th in the latest AP poll, play host to Chip Kelly’s UCLA Bruins on Nov. 20. The Bruins were 4-8 a year ago. The Beavers’ only game against a South Division opponent, meanwhile, is at defending South champion Utah on Dec. 5.