Welcome to a new feature on the Hotline — an assessment of the eight teams in the rebuilt Pac-12 as if they were competing in the conference this season. We’ll even recognize one lucky team as the regular-season champion. The power rankings will be published each Sunday throughout the regular season.
For most of the 136 teams across major college football, it remains early in the 2025 season. For Oregon State, it’s rapidly getting late. The Beavers are 0-2 entering the toughest stretch of their schedule. The mistakes are prevalent, the frustration is evident and the head coach looks overmatched.
Trent Bray’s halftime interview Saturday afternoon on The CW, in which he used a seven-letter expletive to describe the special teams, was totally inappropriate and completely revealing at the same time.
After the 36-27 loss to Fresno State, Bray apologized. He vowed to “work to ensure I set the right example moving forward.” He acknowledged the need “to grow as a coach.”
Can the Beavers afford to give him the time?
Bray is 42. He was a major college coordinator for just two years — both at Oregon State, his alma mater — before being elevated to the top spot after Jonathan Smith’s departure in December 2023.
It’s worth wondering if Bray is ready for the task. Does he have the temperament and the patience needed to lead OSU through this vexing stretch? Did he hire the best coaching staff? Are the schemes appropriate? What about the talent evaluations and the player development and the culture building?
Everything is fair game following the face plant against Cal in the opener and the self-inflicted loss to Fresno State. (Add the downturn in the second half of last season, and the Beavers have lost eight of their last nine.)
Everything is fair game because the expletive Saturday afternoon wasn’t the first time indication of his need to “grow.” He was visibly irritated during the halftime interview with ESPN last weekend, as well. There was no cursing, but Bray hardly projected the calm, matter-of-fact demeanor usually seen from veteran coaches after bad first halves.
Everything is fair game because the Beavers looked completely ill-prepared for their season opener despite nine months of preparation, and then were astoundingly sloppy in their second game. Week 2 is when the greatest improvement takes place, but that wasn’t the case with OSU. The special teams were a mess, the penalties were relentless (10 for 70 yards) and the defense could not get off the field when it needed to, late in the fourth quarter.
Everything is fair game because the Beavers are in the second and final year of their transition phase, desperate for leadership and momentum in advance of the rebuilt Pac-12 coming online next summer. But precisely when they need to look the part of a program on the upswing, they are spiraling.
The situation could get much worse very soon with back-to-back trips to Texas Tech and Oregon, followed by tougher-than-they-look dates with Houston and Appalachian State.
It’s increasingly easy to envision the Beavers with an 0-6 record at the midseason turn, with zero margin for error in the bowl race and the darkest of clouds circling Reser Stadium.
Athletic director Scott Barnes promoted Bray after Smith left for Michigan State. Barnes has experienced everything in college sports, including the collapse of a conference. He won’t panic. He’ll make every effort to provide Bray with the resources and advice needed to steer the Beavers out of this mess.
But with the new conference looming and the Beavers grasping for relevance — to position themselves for a super league, to grab a Power Four invitation if it arrives, to prove they are a cut above their new peers — the school cannot cannot afford to play the long game.
Bray needs time, but his alma mater has precious little to offer.
To the power rankings …
(All times Pacific)
Last week’s rankings can be found here
1. Texas State (2-0)
Result: won at UTSA 43-36
Next up: at Arizona State (7:30 p.m. on TNT)
Comment: The Bobcats could not have asked for better circumstances to avenge last year’s home loss to ASU, what with the Sun Devils wounded (from the last-minute meltdown at Mississippi State) and not fully locked in against an opponent they handled 52 weeks ago … by three points. (Previous: 1)
2. Fresno State (2-1)
Result: won at Oregon State 36-27
Next up: vs. Southern (7 p.m. on Mountain West Network)
Comment: Road wins are road wins, even if the opponent contributes (mightily) to its own demise, as was the case with Oregon State. The Bulldogs’ ground game will be a problem for everyone on the schedule. But the defense must improve on third down after allowing OSU to convert 10 of 17 opportunities. (Previous: 4)
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3. Colorado State (1-1)
Result: beat Northern Colorado 21-17
Next up: idle
Comment: The season-opening loss in Seattle, in which the Rams were dead even with UW late in the third quarter, looks even better after the Huskies hung 70 on UC Davis. Then again, close calls against FCS teams — and Northern Colorado isn’t a particularly good FCS team — tend to look even worse in hindsight. (Previous: 3)
4. Utah State (1-1)
Result: lost at Texas A&M 44-22
Next up: vs. Air Force (6:45 p.m. on FS1)
Comment: After the conference opener this week, the Aggies don’t play another Mountain West team for a month — that should give first-year coach Bronco Mendenhall plenty of time to refine his depth chart and playbook and prepare for a run at the title. (Previous: 2)
5. Boise State (1-1)
Result: beat Eastern Washington 51-14
Next up: idle
Comment: The loss at South Florida certainly has a different feel after the Bulls toppled Florida. It’s like when you’re weak and fragile but the worst of the nausea and vomiting has passed and you can envision eating again in a day or two. (Previous: 5)
6. Washington State (2-0)
Result: beat San Diego State 36-13
Next up: at North Texas (12:30 p.m. on ESPNU)
Comment: The yellow alert has been canceled in Pullman after the lopsided victory, but the performance — specifically, the awakening of the running game — raises more questions about the Cougars’ preparation (or lack thereof) ahead of the opener against Idaho. (Previous: 7)
7. San Diego State (1-1)
Result: lost at Washington State 36-13
Next up: idle
Comment: Unless Washington State’s defense is better than we thought, the Aztecs’ offense is worse than we thought and the road ahead will be more treacherous than we thought, and we might have to rethink everything we thought about the Sean Lewis era. (Previous: 6)
8. Oregon State (0-2)
Result: lost to Fresno State 36-27
Next up: at Texas Tech (12:30 p.m. on Fox)
Comment: On the bright side, the Beavers amassed 544 yards, they were terrific on third down and quarterback Maalik Murphy looked far more comfortable than he did in the opener. (Previous: 8)
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