Correlation is not necessarily causation. The incidence of drownings goes up in a near 100% correlation with the consumption of ice cream. I do think Bray contributed to the higher winning pct., but other factors were improving as well.
Correlation is not necessarily causation. The incidence of drownings goes up in a near 100% correlation with the consumption of ice cream. I do think Bray contributed to the higher winning pct., but other factors were improving as well.
Many who watch OSU football closely wanted Smith to promote Bray a full year before he finally did. Smith stuck with Tibisar far too long and we lost games because of it.
One game after Bray was made DC the D performed much better. He made an instant impact in 2021 and 2022 was huge, much better than any D in the history of Oregon State, from what I can tell from available stats. Even better than Erickson's 2000-01 teams. And Bray did not have the benefit of Erickson going and raiding JCs all over the country for stud LBs and secondary. Erickson's team was #18 in points allowed in 2001. Bray was #16 last year. In 2021, OSU lost to Cal 25-39 and then lost to Colorado 34-37. The next week Bray was promoted to DC and the Beavs beat Stanford 35-14 and then ASU 24-10. They did then lose to Oregon 29-38 and Utah State (bowl game) 13-24 but the statement had been made that OSU's defense was going to be a focus. Then came 2022 when OSU road Bray's D to the Vegas Bowl trouncing of Florida, who did not score till the end of Q4 Bray's D was so effective. And I don't care if a handful of Florida players held out of that game.
Bray is being compared to a younger version of Brent Venables, who oddly enough has improved Oklahoma in many respects even after Lincoln Riley left. But time will tell with Bray.
Correlation is not necessarily causation. The incidence of drownings goes up in a near 100% correlation with the consumption of ice cream. I do think Bray contributed to the higher winning pct., but other factors were improving as well.
Many who watch OSU football closely wanted Smith to promote Bray a full year before he finally did. Smith stuck with Tibisar far too long and we lost games because of it.
One game after Bray was made DC the D performed much better. He made an instant impact in 2021 and 2022 was huge, much better than any D in the history of Oregon State, from what I can tell from available stats. Even better than Erickson's 2000-01 teams. And Bray did not have the benefit of Erickson going and raiding JCs all over the country for stud LBs and secondary. Erickson's team was #18 in points allowed in 2001. Bray was #16 last year. In 2021, OSU lost to Cal 25-39 and then lost to Colorado 34-37. The next week Bray was promoted to DC and the Beavs beat Stanford 35-14 and then ASU 24-10. They did then lose to Oregon 29-38 and Utah State (bowl game) 13-24 but the statement had been made that OSU's defense was going to be a focus. Then came 2022 when OSU road Bray's D to the Vegas Bowl trouncing of Florida, who did not score till the end of Q4 Bray's D was so effective. And I don't care if a handful of Florida players held out of that game.
Bray is being compared to a younger version of Brent Venables, who oddly enough has improved Oklahoma in many respects even after Lincoln Riley left. But time will tell with Bray.