5 Thoughts On Oregon State Kickoff Times/TV Channels

By STEVEN VAUGHAN, 750 THE GAME

There are less than 100 days till college football starts and I can’t wait!

The non-conference kickoff times and television details have been announced and Oregon State, who is coming off of a 10-win season, has a lot of expectations regionally and nationally.

I looked at the schedule and had five thoughts stemming from the kickoff times and tv channels released Wednesday.

1. The nation will be able to see DJ Uiagalelei’s first game with the Beavers.

Sun., Sept. 3rd: Oregon State at San Jose State – 12:30 p.m., CBS

When you are the no. 2-rated prospect out of high school, there are some expectations. DJ Uiagalelei was ranked one spot behind the future number-one overall pick in this year’s NFL draft, Bryce Young. For Uiagalelei, it has been a different road than Young took at Alabama. DJ burst onto the scene at Clemson when he filled in for Trevor Lawrence in 2020 against Boston College and then threw for 439 yards and 2 touchdowns on the road against Notre Dame. Uiagalelei was looked at as a star. But two seasons later, it didn’t turn out the way many expected, and DJ is in Corvallis, but his name still resonates across the nation.

The Beavers take on San Jose State at 12:30 p.m. on CBS on Sunday, Sept. 3rd. It will be Oregon State’s season-opener, but the second game for the Spartans who visit Caleb Williams and USC in week zero. The interesting thing about this game is that it’s the only college football game on that day and is a week before the NFL claims Sundays. Beavers on national television, all by themselves, when every fan will be craving football. And the Beavers will trot out their new quarterback (presuming DJ wins the job). A big game from Uiagelelei on this stage could elevate OSU’s national perception for the season.

2. San Jose State on the road, and the only college football game in town (and across the country).

Another takeaway from OSU’s opener: A true road game for a Power 5 team at a Mountain West school. In front of the nation. With no other games on in that time slot. What could go wrong?

The Pac-12 has struggled recently in these types of games against lower conference competition. For the Beavers, it SHOULD be a win. But San Jose State is a well-coached team with former Beavers assistant, Brent Brennan, as the head man. It’s also a team with a very experienced quarterback in senior Chevan Cordeiro who was second-team all-Mountain West last year. And SJSU’s defense was good last year. The Spartans allowed only 3.3 yards a rush which was eighth-best in the nation. They also had the second-best sack percentage in the nation. San Jose State is going to look to be able to stop the run and get after the Beavs new QB at home. The early point spread — OSU favored by 16-1/2 — says the Beavers should handle their business. But when I look at this opener, it’s no gimme.

3. A future Pac-12 Matchup? San Diego State Travels to Corvallis.

Sat. Sept. 16th: Oregon State vs SDSU – 12:30 p.m., FS1

San Diego State has been in the news lately with a surprise run to the men’s basketball NCAA tournament national championship game, as well as a much-discussed potential move to the Pac-12. A week three matchup at Oregon State could be a lot of fun. What interests me about this matchup is that we could be seeing this game a lot in the future. If SDSU joins the conference, they could be a force. The Aztecs are also a talented team that shouldn’t be taken lightly. Quarterback Jalen Mayden returns for another season. But this time he has the full offseason to get ready after transferring from Mississippi State last fall. Mayden had some nice games a season ago and is a true dual-threat QB. Oregon State loses a lot in the defensive backfield with Rejzohn Wright, Alex Austin, and Jaydon Grant having completed their eligibility. We all remember the tackle for loss by Grant on Bo Nix to help win the Civil War. Who on the Beavers defense steps up to help contain Mayden?

4. Another Tough Friday Night Conference Matchup.

Fri., Sept. 29th: Oregon State vs Utah – 6:00 p.m., FS1

Last year the Beavers went to Seattle and took on Washington on a stormy Friday night. A 24-21 loss to the Huskies left Oregon State fans feeling like they let a win slip away. This year, it’s another tough Friday night matchup, but it’s going to be at home. A September 29th date with Utah is on the schedule. It will only be the Beavers’ second conference game of the season. Utah is the back-to-back Pac-12 champions, but there are questions with the Utes heading into the season including the health of star senior quarterback, Cameron Rising. Nobody knows the timetable for Rising, but it seems more likely you would want to play Utah early in the season rather than late. It will be the game of the night and gets a great spot early on in the conference schedule with a pair of respected teams on FS1.

5. Oregon State @ Oregon. Enough Said.

Fri., Nov. 24th: Oregon State @ Oregon – 5:30 p.m., FOX

The rivalry game is always fun. And with Oregon State coming back and winning a season ago, there is even more on the line this year as the Ducks want revenge. This is the first time in a long time that the Beavers could say – going into the season – they are the best football team in the state. This game will be on Thanksgiving weekend on Friday, November 24th in Eugene with a 5:30 p.m. kickoff on FOX. That Black Friday has a handful of games on it, as always, but Oregon State-Oregon should be the highlight of the day. With both teams looking to play in Las Vegas at the end of the season in the Pac-12 championship game, this matchup could be even bigger than usual.

Check out our 5 things from the Oregon Ducks early-season kick times and television details here.

@steven_von