2025 Oregon State Football Predictions: Beavers Ranked 65th in RJ Young's Ultimate 136

By RJ Young
Published

This isn't your average college football ranking.

My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it's my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:

  • Who do I think is good?
  • Why do I think they're good?
  • What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?

Here is a look at where Oregon State lands in my Ultimate 136.

Oregon State ranking: 65
Last year’s ranking: 79
Top player: QB Maalik Murphy: Went 9-3 as a starter at Duke last season, setting a single-season school record for TD passes with 26; led Duke to four wins when trailing in the fourth quarter.

[Oregon State's 2025 schedule]

RJ's take: Last year, the Beavers needed to run the ball really well to win ball games. They were 1-7 when they didn't rush for at least 230 yards. That’s a tough trick to turn every week unless your last name is "Academy." 

Enter Duke transfer Murphy, who threw for nearly 3,000 yards and 26 touchdowns last year. Now, Inglewood’s finest, at 6-foot-5, a grease bucket of chicken short of 250 pounds, is going to try to help Oregon State air it out without throwing it to folks who aren't wearing the house colors; Murphy threw 12 picks last year.

The Beavers better be eager. They have to start fast and keep the pedal on the floor with a schedule that looks a lot like Stormbreaker bombing at Thanos’ neck: Cal, Fresno State, Oregon, and Houston. And that's just the first five weeks. There's just one FCS opponent on Oregon State’s schedule (Lafayette). Well, two if you count Tulsa — and I do.

[Check out RJ Young's Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here]

Oregon State Win Total Odds: Over 6.5 (-178) Under 6.5 (+144)

Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school's rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young, and I'll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.