OSU picked to finish 3rd in Pac-10 media poll

DESPITE A NEW starter at quarterback and some key personnel losses from an '09 Beaver squad that went to the Las Vegas Bowl, the Pac-10 media has picked Oregon State to finish third in the conference. It is the highest Oregon State has been picked to finish by members of the West Coast media in recent memory. The Beavers received three first place votes.

Research is ongoing but a quick check shows the third place projected finish in the media poll is, at the least, one of OSU's best showings in the poll. The Beavs were picked to finish fourth last year, as well as in 2004, which marked their highest slotting by the media since at least 2000.

l The Beavers have finished higher than forecast in the West Coast media's poll in five of the last six seasons.

During Mike Riley's second coaching stint in Corvallis beginning in 2003, the football team has achieved a higher completion in the standings than forecast in five of his seven seasons.

A whopping seven teams received at least one first place vote. The Pac-10 media poll, with first place votes in parentheses:
1. Oregon (15), 314
2. USC (12), 311
3. Oregon State (3), 262
4. Stanford (1), 233
5. Arizona (2), 222
6. Washington (1), 209
7. Cal, 175
8. UCLA (1), 134
9. Arizona State 81
10. Washington State 39

Pac-10 Media Polls 2000-2009
2009 (Actual champ: - Oregon | Actual OSU finish: Tie for second 1. USC (28) 316 pts. 2. California (3) 277 3. Oregon (1) 250 4. Oregon State 216 5. Arizona State 155 6. Stanford 150 7. UCLA 145 8. Arizona 142 9. Washington 74 10. Washington State 35	2008 (Actual champ: USC | Actual OSU finish: Tied for second) 1. USC (38) 389 pts. 2. Arizona State 330 3. Oregon 295 4. California (1) 274 5. UCLA 204 6. Oregon State 192 7. Arizona 185 8. Washington 139 9. Stanford 76 10. Washington State 61
2007 (Actual champ: USC | Actual OSU finish: Third) 1. USC (39) 390 pts. 2. California 323 3. UCLA 305 4. Arizona State 242 5. Oregon State 237 6. Oregon 226 7. Arizona 162 8. Washington State 115 9. Washington 98 10. Stanford 47	2006 (Actual champ: USC | Actual OSU finish: Third) 1. USC (18) 276 pts. 2. California (7) 257 3. Oregon (3) 229 4. Arizona State (1) 204 5. UCLA 145 6. Arizona 133 7. Oregon State 125 8. Washington State 96 9. Stanford 90 10. Washington 50
2005 (Actual champ: USC | Actual OSU finish: Seventh) 1. USC (41) 410 pts. 2. California 300 3. Arizona State 296 4. Oregon 290 5. UCLA 282 6. Washington State 189 7. Oregon State 159 8. Arizona 131 9. Stanford 106 10. Washington 92	2004 (Actual champ: USC | Actual OSU finish: Tied for third) 1. USC (24) 240 pts. 2. California 210 3. Oregon 192 4. Oregon State 138 5. Washington State 133 6. Arizona State 131 7. Washington 100 8. UCLA 98 9. Stanford 40 10. Arizona 38
2003 (Actual champ: USC | Actual OSU finish: Tied for fifth) 1. USC (10) 227 pts. 2. Arizona State (9) 224 3. Washington (4) 198 4. Oregon State (2) 172 5. Oregon 139 6. UCLA 138 7. Washington State 107 8. California 68 9. Stanford 57 10. Arizona 46	2002 (Actual champ: WSU/USC | Actual OSU finish: Tied for fourth) 1. Washington State (17) 302 pts. 2. Washington (12) 296 3. Oregon (1) 272 4. USC (3) 243 5. Oregon State (1) 207 6. UCLA 178 7. Stanford 131 8. Arizona 107 9. Arizona State 87 10. California 47
2001 (Actual champ: UO | Actual OSU finish: Seventh) 1. Oregon (20) 310 pts. 2. Oregon State (3) 270 3. UCLA (10) 262 4. Washington 228 5. Stanford 191 6. USC 185 7. Arizona State 128 8. California 90 9. Arizona 81 10. Washington State 70	2000 (Actual champ: OSU/UW/UO | Actual OSU finish: Tied for first) 1. Washington (16) 275 pts. 2. USC (11) 272 3. Oregon (1) 211 4. UCLA 181 5. Arizona State (2) 167 6. Oregon State 163 7. Stanford 133 8. Arizona 127 9. California 63 10. Washington State 47