No. 19 Oregon State vs No. 16 Notre Dame

Friday, December 29
11:00 am PT, CBS
El Paso, TX

That’s the only word that adequately describes the condition of Oregon State Football.

Jonathan Smith jetted for Michigan State and brought multiple key players with him. Aidan Chiles was expected to be the quarterback of the future, but instead, the freshman jumped ship to East Lansing.

Tight end Jack Velling was arguably the top tight end in the Pac-12, and he, too, left for MSU.

Starting quarterback DJ Uiagalelei also hit the portal, along with All-Conference linebacker Easton Mascarenas-Arnold.

Making matters worse, the status of star running back Damien Martinez is questionable at best.

That’s without even mentioning the conference realignment issue that is coming into play for next season.

In other words, it’s a disaster in Corvallis.

But, the Sun Bowl presents an opportunity for the remaining players to end the season on the right foot.

Former starting quarterback Ben Gulbranson is expected to get the nod under center and figures to be motivated to take advantage.

Gulbranson has started eight games for the Beavers and has had success. Owning a 7-1 record as a starter, he won’t be unfamiliar with the offense.

The redshirt sophomore QB led Oregon State to a dominant victory in last year’s Las Vegas Bowl and has 15 total touchdowns in his career.

He may not be the most athletic runner, but he can punch scores in on the ground deep in the red zone.

The Beaver offense has always been run-based and figures to be more of the same in El Paso.

Unless OSU falls behind early, Gulbranson will likely attempt fewer than 25 passes with most of the offense funneled through the running backs.

If Gulbranson can execute the play-action throws with reasonable success, the game might be somewhat closer than many are anticipating.

The Beaver offense is fairly unique in its old-school tradition.

It’s not designed to come from behind but is hard to stop when the running backs get going. If Oregon State can control the time of possession and not turn the ball over, its chances of winning rise dramatically.

If star running back Martinez isn’t able to go, the torch will be passed to Deshaun Fenwick. The senior running back is a strong runner and enters the game with 500 yards rushing and five touchdowns.

At the receiver position, Silas Bolden enters the game with 718 yards receiving and five touchdowns. He should be the primary option for Gulbranson for deep shots off of the play-action calls.

And it’s not like Notre Dame is at full strength, either.

Starting quarterback Sam Hartman has opted out of the game along with starting running back Audric Estime. Numerous weapons at wide receiver have transferred out, too.

On top of all of that, the Irish lost their offensive coordinator.

In many ways, both teams are shells of themselves.

With so much uncertainty within both rosters on each side of the ball, the game has the potential to be closer than expected. Oregon State should have the motivation advantage and could keep the game within reach.

If Gulbranson is hitting on all cylinders and the running backs are effective, there’s a chance the Beavers could pull off the upset.

Game Picks from Our Senior Writers and Broadcasters