State of the Beavs: The 2026 College Football Season Begins
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Welcome to this week's episode of State of the Beavs, our weekly podcast highlighting what you need to know about Oregon State football, basketball, baseball, and more. Subscribe and listen at the links below!
The Oregon State football program will begin their 2026-2027 campaign on Saturday morning with a road game against the Houston Cougars. After a very long offseason in which JaMarcus Shephard was introduced as the program's latest head coach, what should the expectations be for the Beavers' new season?
Your host Matt Bagley gives his thoughts on Oregon State's potential in the first year of the rebuild. Bagley also makes some predictions for the greater Pac-12 season ahead and who we could see contend for the college football championship at the end of the year. Plus, the return of five games to watch in the Week One slate.
MORE: Classic in Corvallis: #25 Oregon State Takes Down #11 Washington 4-3
You'll also hear audio from Shephard's media availability ahead of the Houston game, as the clock ticks toward kickoff. Go Beavs.
MORE: Relive Oregon State Quarterback Braden Atkinson's Award-Winning 2025 Season
This Week's Topics:
-What should realistic expectations be for the Beavers this season under the leadership of Shephard and company?
-In the first year of the retooled, revamped Pac-12 Conference, which team will make some noise amongst all the new faces? Is the league ready to secure a new playoff spot, or will it take longer to make an impact on the national scene?
-Oregon State head coach JaMarcus Shephard was available to the media ahead of the team's travels to Texas for the early kickoff. Shephard indicated he hopes his squad sets a strong tone for the rest of the year.
-With the new college football season in full-swing this Saturday, Matt gives you his five games to watch within the Week One slate. What games are you watching other than the Beavers?
More Reading Material From Oregon State Beavers On SI
About State of the Beavs
Each week, veteran sports broadcaster and writer Matt Bagley examines the news and storylines at play for Oregon State University Athletics. Occasionally joined by contributors for On SI's coverage of the Beavers, as well as the occasional guest spot from Beavers past, present, and future. Get caught up with the playlist below. New episodes are typically released on Tuesday mornings.
Want to interact with the show? Talk to Matt: mbagleyradio@gmail.com
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Joe Londergan joined the SI brand in 2023 with G5 Football Daily. With over 15 years of experience in covering and working directly in college and pro sports, Joe's expertise has been featured in Front Office Sports, SB Nation, and XRAY.FM. He is a member of both the Football Writers' Association of America and the National Collegiate Baseball Writers' Association. Joe holds a bachelor's degree from the University of Louisville and a master's degree in sports administration from Seattle University. Outside of his writing career, Joe enjoys golfing, although he admits that while he hits driver decently, his short game is a liability.
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Matt fell in love with radio during his college days at Oregon Tech, and pursued a nine year career in sports broadcasting with Klamath Falls' and Medford's highest-rated sports radio stations. He currently lives in McMinnville wine country and is excited to talk about the Beavers again.