Can Oregon State Football Actually Threaten Houston in 2026?

Houston and Oregon State are set to face off in the 2026 season opener in early September.

Nov 8, 2025; Corvallis, Oregon, USA;Oregon State Beavers running back Anthony Hankerson (0) takes the handoff from quarterback Gabarri Johnson (5) during the first half against the Sam Houston Bearkats at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images | Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images

Houston football is now just four months away from the start of the season, where they will take on the Oregon State Beavers on Sept. 5 at TDECU Stadium in Houston, Texas.

The two teams are set for an exciting rematch after this season the Cougars were able to complete a comeback victory in overtime to win 27-24 on the road.

With Houston football fully reloaded, will the Oregon State Beavers actually threaten the Cougars in 2026?

Houston vs Oregon State Game Preview

Dec 27, 2025; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Cougars defensive back Blake Thompson (0) and defensive back Latrell McCutchin Sr. (1) reacts during the second half against the Louisiana State Tigers at NRG Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images | Maria Lysaker-Imagn Images

What makes college football so great is that no matter how much a team is projected to win by, none of that matters once you get on the field, and Oregon State proved this last year against Houston.

The Cougars traveled to Corvallis, Ore., and they were heavy favorites with an 81.6 percent chance to win.

Houston was riding a three-game win streak, while the Beavers had lost four straight.

The Beavers began with an early 14-point lead and held it with just over 14 minutes in the fourth quarter.

Houston escaped with a narrow win with back-to-back touchdowns and a game-winning field goal in overtime, proving that nothing matters until the game is played on the field.

Now, Houston is set to host the Beavers and should be a heavy favorite playing at home.

The Beavers are on full reset mode, and the first step was hiring JaMarcus Shephard, who was formerly an assistant at Alabama and Washington, to be their new head coach.

Shephard went on full rebuild mode by not retaining any of the 2025 coaching staff, and he wanted to start fresh and set a new culture at Oregon State.

The Beavers went in and hired Mitch Dahlen to be the new offensive coordinator and Mike MacIntyre to be the defensive coordinator.

While the coaching staff is completely new, so is most of the 2026 roster.

Oregon State had 35 players leave via the transfer portal, and they brought in a total of 37 new players through the portal and the 2026 high school class.

This is a super high roster turnover and the only shot Oregon State has at coming away with a week one win is that if its star quarterback shines.

Senior quarterback Malik Murphy is the main threat on the roster, and he has plenty of experience between Texas, Duke, and Oregon State. He is primarily a pocket passes and he can really hurt teams with his arm.

In 2025, he passed for 1,805 yards and nine touchdowns, and he is set for a better showing in his final season.

Oregon State also lost its two top weapons on offense in the offseason. Former running back Anthony Hankerson was a real bright spot last season for this team; however, he was selected by the Miami Dolphins in the 2026 draft.

The Beavers’ top target, Trent Walker also transferred to the University of Houston, so he will get to face his former team in the opener.

Last season, the Beavers’ offense ranked No. 52 nationally while the defense sat at No. 102 overall.

With Oregon State having a complete rebuild with a new coaching staff and roster, while coming off a 2-10 season in 2025, it is hard to see a way that the Beavers can compete with Houston when the first game rolls around.