The Oregon State football team dropped another Pac-12 game against Washington State last weekend, and fans are starting to become vocal about their impatience with recent losing ways. The home loss against the Cougars marks their fourth straight defeat and they have lost 10 out of their last 11 conference games. That lone conference win came against the hapless Colorado Buffaloes, who are suffering in the competitive Pac-12 almost as much as their mascot suffers in Yellowstone. The Beavers will almost assuredly miss a bowl game this season, and many fans are quick to point fingers.
The rushing game never really got going and it ranks next to the cellar for the Pac-12. Sean Mannion, who has thrown for more yards than any Pac-12 quarterback ever, has managed only 10 touchdown passes all year (last year he threw 37). Their defense has been inconsistent and uninspiring. At the center of all it stands head coach Mike Riley. When asked about the recent struggles, he admitted “…it’s getting a little old.”
He is probably getting tired of defending himself too. Critics are pointing fingers at his obsolete pro-style offense, the lack of a running game for another season, and his inability to close out games. Riley understands where the criticism comes from and said this week “…what you have to do is be good…and win, and then nobody talks about your system.” Until he wins a few games, I expect to see a great deal of angry Facebook statuses and more #firemikeriley activity.
However, I must caution the frustrated fans. I understand the Beavers have wet the bed over and over in the fourth quarter and will probably be embarrassed on Saturday by a talented Arizona State team vying for a playoff spot. But firing Mike Riley will not turn this program around. Riley is a very good coach who is having a very poor stretch in his career.
Many young fans might forget that Riley brought the Beavers out of the Dark Ages. From 1971 to 1999, the football team never had a winning season. This set an NCAA record and probably inspired countless jokes from the rest of the conference. (The infamous 1983 Toilet Bowl serves as the greatest example). Since 2003, Riley has coached the Beavers to eight bowl games, which is nearly as many as all the other Oregon State coaches put together. He has turned a program that was the laughingstock of the (then) Pac-10 into a respected and competitive team. Simply, Riley is the best thing to ever happen to Oregon State football.
Does this mean he is safe from criticism and the ax? Absolutely not. Even the most devoted Riley fans (myself included) will start doubting his leadership if the Beavers keep losing with excessive penalties, poor tackling, and inconsistency. When I ask older fans how they kept rooting for teams from the 80s or 90s, they tell me its about devotion and heart. Fans that only cheer during times of prosperity are hardly fans at all (right now is a opportune test of devotion for Los Angeles Lakers fans).
This is what Mike Riley must remember when he coaches for the remaining three games and when he prepares for next season. If he preaches playing with heart to his players, the fans will see it. If the team comes out in the Civil War and plays their hardest for 60 minutes, the fans will notice. Even if the athletically (and financially) superior Oregon Ducks win by four touchdowns, Mike Riley will know he did all he could. That is what we expect from him and, win or lose, the true fans will be back in the stands next year.
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