Posted By ESPN.com's Ted Miller

Oregon State has won five consecutive bowl games, is 28-12 over the past three seasons and has finished each of those years ranked in the final top 25.

Surely that will earn Oregon State some national love and a preseason ranking in 2009?

Probably not.

Heck, the Beavers might just settle for some local respect. The spring media guide wryly notes that Oregon State "continues to overachieve, at least according to the media who regularly cover the Pac-10."

It then provides this graphic based on the conference's preseason media poll:

Pac-10 Preseason Media Poll Year Predicted Actual 2008 6th T2nd 2007 5th 3rd 2006 7th 3rd

Golly.

So while Oregon State only welcomes back 13 starters and is completely rebuilding its secondary and receiving corps, it might not be wise to predict it will slip in the conference pecking order.

Or maybe coach Mike Riley has something to say about that.

	AP Photo/Wily Low
	Despite low expectations from outside the program, Oregon State coach Mike Riley continues to put a winner on the field.

The Beavers' recruiting class wasn't ranked among the nation's elite again this winter. Are there plans to disband the program because the recruiting rankings aren't up to snuff?

Mike Riley: Oh, you know, I think we're still going to suit up.

I'm really excited about the class. We got, and this was unusual for us, six offensive linemen in the group. I really like that four of them are big, lanky kids who can run and will fill out. I just like the group. I think the receiving class is pretty good and we got a couple of quarterbacks that both played in their high school state championship and they can throw the balls we want to throw.

You really like guys who were productive in high school, production being more important than measurables.

MR: That's exactly right. The best predictor of production is past productions. We don't worry about notoriety. Our coaches do a good job of searching their area and evaluating guys well and passing those guys through our system. When we feel good about them and get them committed, there's no buyer's remorse. It's a good fit. They know why they are coming to Corvallis and we know why they are coming to Corvallis.

You know Oregon State football. You grew up in Corvallis. You guys have finished ranked in the Top 25 three consecutive seasons. Would you have thought, 25 years ago, that could ever happen?

MR: Oh, man. You know I looked at Oregon State from afar during that period when I went out into the coaching world — I tell people I made a big circle back to where I went to high school — but if you flashback even to when we came back in 1997 it would be hard from that point to envision the program and our facilities and the school where it is right now. I'm extremely excited about it. But we still feel like we've got to fight like crazy to get rid of the ghosts of the past a little bit. I am proud of what we've done, but we've got to fight to keep it that way.

You've got 13 starters back — do you feel like this group can keep the run going?

MR: I think that the big factor is our secondary. That's going to be the key. We lose four starters, and when we lose corners, it's always a major transition time for us. We've played with Brandon Hughes and Keenan Lewis for three and a half straight years and they were pretty darn good. Whoever the heir apparents are, they've got to play well and be consistent. Then our safeties, Al Afalava and Greg Layborn, were productive players, so the shoes to fill are big back there. That's my biggest concern heading into next year.

<!–more–> With Lyle Moevao (shoulder) out this spring, it seems as though quarterback is pretty wide open even though he was your starter. True?

MR: Yeah, it is. I'm really proud of the way Sean Canfield has handled the thing. He was hurt at the start of last year but stayed engaged and really fought to get back, and when called upon did well. We could have conceivably started him down the stretch after he won a couple of games for us. I thought he really grew as a quarterback. I told him that he's always been able to throw the ball but that he was really getting a picture of being a quarterback. I think spring will be really good for him. My goal when we get to fall camp is we'll have two guys who could start and win games for us. That feels good. I'm hoping rehab goes smoothly for Lyle so we get to that point.

It's always been that Canfield had the talent and Moevao has the charisma — the moxie. You think that Canfield might have picked up some of that from watching how Lyle handled being the starter?

MR: That is where he's made the biggest strides. There's some plays a quarterback has to do that are sort of gamesmanship, moxie, savvy. When Sean played against Arizona State, Arizona, played against UCLA, he made some plays that maybe weren't blocked perfectly. He threw the ball away when nothing was there. Just played quarterback better. And, you're right, he's always been a beautiful passer and I'm glad to see his arm is back now. He's throwing the ball well. I feel good about him and the control he's taking. I do think those two guys working together, some good parts have rubbed off on Sean.

The Rodgers brothers, Jacquizz and James, how much action will they see this spring?

MR: James could probably go full-speed with everything we do, but I'm keeping him out. Just letting him do individual drills. Quizz isn't practicing at this time, but hopeful
ly we'll get him doing at least what James is doing now sometime during spring ball. We'll get the results of that MRI and then play it pretty cautiously. We like to get him running the ball a little bit, but not full-speed drills. I'd like to get some more stuff to him in the passing game. He's a very capable receiver who could catch 50 balls. If we get those things done with him during spring, that will be enough.

What are the top competitions on offense and who needs to step up?

MR: The receiving corps, losing Sammie Stroughter and Shane Morales. We're looking at some guys in the slot there where Shane played. Casey Kjos has been in our program like Shane and he started out yesterday looking real good. We've got three redshirt freshman receivers who we're looking at for big competition — Jordan Bishop, Kevin Walker and Geno Munoz — they have talent and had good falls playing against our defense. And we're looking for Darrell Catchings to step up. The receiving corps, rounding that into fall camp, will be big for us.

And you've got a couple of vacancies on the offensive line.

MR: Big shoes to fill with [tackle] Andy Levitre. He was one of the best players we had. Right now, we're thinking Mike Remmers, who started for us some at right tackle; we're working him at left tackle. Then Timi Oshinowo and Colin Kelly are the two biggest factors on the other side. We lost Adam Speer, who was a solid offensive guard for us. So Ryan Pohl or Michael Lamb, they've got to step forward to replace him.

I feel like a broken record on this: It looks like you're rebuilding the defense, but we said that last year and things turned out OK. Where does that stand and who needs to step up.

MR: I already mentioned the secondary, but probably as big a factor is the front. We lose [ends] Victor Butler and Slade Norris, who were pass rushers who became really good all-around players. We've got good athleticism and good speed. Kevin Frahm and Ben Terry, they'd be the two starting ends right now. Then we'll have a newcomer, Matt LaGrone, who will be a factor there. We've moved Gabe Miller from H-back to defensive end. It was Gabe's idea, and I told him that when we recruited him I thought he'd be a good end. He's going to be a factor just because of his athleticism. He looked pretty natural yesterday. I think we've got one of the best players in the Pac-10 in the interior in Stephen Paea.

I wanted to ask you specifically about him because it seemed like Paea became dominant toward the end of the season.

MR: You're right on. This guy is a really good player. We got him out of a junior college after one year. He was eligible, but he had hardly any football experience. He played rugby — he's Tongan. He's the neatest kid in the world. He's really grown into this thing. By the end of the year, he was really dominant and had a tremendous bowl game. We find some ends to complement him and it's going to be fun.

Are the guys at end going to be as athletic as Victor and Slade last year?

MR: Ben Terry can be. I just talked to Joe Seumalo, our line coach, today and we talked about Terry becoming that sort of every-down player who has the athleticism to make something happen, to be explosive. But I don't know who that other guy is yet. Kevin Frahm is a solid guy and will be a good player, but he's never going to have the speed that Slade had or Victor had. Ben Terry can have that speed. That Matt LeGrone — he's 6-foot-6 and played basketball at Nevada-Reno. His younger brother signed with us — a safety — and his dad called me saying Matt wanted to play football, that it wasn't going to work for him to play both at Reno. He was the sixth man on a good team down there but he wanted to play football. I told him he could walk on here and he played scout team against us all year and I'm very excited about the guy. He's got a wrist problem right now, so he's not going to be real involved, but I think when the fall gets here he could be a factor because he could rush the passer. He just needs to play and get into scrimmages.

As a media member, it's my duty to underrate Oregon State. Where do you figure we should underrate you next year in the Pac-10?

MR: Seven or eight would be good. Frankly, if I was you, I'd say with question marks in the secondary, we've got to see how it goes. That bothers me a little bit.

I feel good about the fact that we've been here long enough, though, that guys are developing who can take over roles. How they do that is another matter.

So, as far as karma goes, we should pick you seventh or eighth?

MR: I think that would be a good spot for us. And we can go from there.