Catching up with Oregon State: Do Beavers have what it takes to end Boise State's home winning streak?

Lost in the hype of Boise State vs. Virginia Tech is the Broncos' late September matchup against Oregon State. Is this an Oregon State team that could take down BSU at home? 

After the jump, find out what the Beavers have been up to this spring, including their QB carousel and LB roulette. And weigh in with your thoughts on whether the OSU game deserves more anxiety and if you would rather Boise State's home streak ends with the Beavers or with a WAC school.

All this week, OBNUG will be checking in with Boise State's 2010 opponents to see how their spring is going. Now: Oregon State. Next: Toledo. Previously: Virginia Tech and Wyoming. 

The last indelible image of Oregon State's 2009 season

The Beavers lost out on a Rose Bowl berth when they fell to Oregon in last year's Civil War, and OSU followed that up by losing the Las Vegas Bowl to the Max Hall Gamblers. But oh, those six wins in seven games were good while they lasted.

What has changed

The Beavers will be short on quarterback experience with the departures of Sean Canfield and Lyle Moevao. Canfield, who started all of 2009, turned in one of the best QB seasons in OSU history and then graduated. Moevao, a starter during the 2008 season, applied for a sixth year of eligibility but was denied because who does he think he is? Yonus Davis?

Linebacker was hit particularly hard as well with the losses of Keaton Kristick and David Pa'aluhi and the spring Achilles' tear of Keith Pankey. And this just in: projected starting DE Matt LaGrone has left the team for personal reasons. His personal reasons? Brenel Myers.

What hasn't changed

As you are to become intimately familiar with by late September, Oregon State's Rodgers brothers are two of college football's most renown siblings (the others being Good Nathan Enderle and Evil Nathan Enderle). Jacquizz returns at RB. James returns at WR. Both are very good at what they do.

The Beavers also have big man DT Stephen Paea back to clog the middle, and four of the five offensive linemen return. But perhaps most importantly, Mike Riley is still on the sidelines in Corvallis which pretty much guarantees eight or nine wins and at least a Sun Bowl. I am surprised Phil Knight has not offered him $100 million by now.

Biggest spring storyline

Who will be getting the Rodgers brothers the ball?

With Canfield and Moevao on the outs, the QB battle falls to last year's backup Ryan Katz and Virginia transfer Peter Lalich. Katz is the presumed No. 1 because he was last year's No. 2 and, unlike Lalich, has not been influenced by Al Groh. However, Riley has made it clear that the QB competition will be open all offseason long, kind of like Bush Hamdan vs. Kellen Moore except replace Kellen Moore with Nick Lomax.

"It's about as good as it could be considering we lost two starters who won a lot of games," Riley said. "This transition at quarterback is always a mystery, but I like what we have."

Did someone say mystery?

The question: Would you rather Boise State's home winning streak end against Oregon State or a WAC team?

Let me first make something clear. The correct answer is "I do not want Boise State's home winning streak to end." I think it is safe to say that we all would have chosen that answer.

Assuming though that the Broncos' streak will have to come to an end sometime, how do you want it going down? At the giant menacing hands of a BCS power or at the delicate troll paws of a WAC underling?

• Choose Oregon State and you risk getting the wrath of national media pundits who will forever point out that the Broncos can't even take care of business against the BCS on their home turf.
• Choose a WAC team and you may not be able to show yourself in public again for three months. Can you even fathom losing to Fresno State at home? When would we hear the end of that? 2014?
  

Your thoughts are appreciated.

You may start disliking these people

Mini Reggie Bush and Tracy McGrady. (via media.oregonlive.com)

The Rodgers brothers

There will be a point during the BSU-OSU game where J.C. Percy misses a tackle on Jacquizz or Brandyn Thompson interferes with James and you will think to yourself, "Man, I wish I started disliking these brothers back in March. I would have so many good zingers right now." Don't get caught unawares. Start your acrostic flame wars now.

Spring schedule

• Yesterday: Spring practice began
• May 1: Spring game

Spring reading

Building the Dam is SB Nation's Oregon State blog, and unless you care about OSU baseball, I would suggest catching up on the football team using the Building Dam football feed. Other than BtD, Cliff Kirkpatrick of the Corvallis Gazette-Times is one of the best sources for Oregon State information, including but not limited to gymnastics.

To the comments ...

How concerned are you about Oregon State coming to town? Where do you stand on the topic of Boise State's home winning streak coming to an end? Think the Beavers don't stand a chance without a proven QB? Share your thoughts in the comments.