Sean Meagher | The Oregonian/OregonLive

Oregon State's season opener at Colorado State is less than a week away.



To prepare readers for the action ahead, The Oregonian/OregonLive will roll out a variety of preseason breakdowns and projections.



Up next: Over/under

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Timothy J. Gonzalez | AP Photo

1,200 rushing yards for Ryan Nall

Mizell: Under. And this isn't necessarily a bad thing for Nall. OSU has terrific depth in the backfield, which should help keep Nall fresh and durable for the entire season. Expect Nall to surpass 1,000 yards and tally plenty of touchdowns, but Artavis Pierce, Thomas Tyner and Trevorris Johnson will also contribute significantly.

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Moran: Over. Nall's ability to break the big run will get him there. He nearly reached 1,000 yards last season despite missing the equivalent of three games. Even though the backfield will be loaded behind him with the likes of Pierce and Tyner, Nall will be the go-to back and could have a bowl game to help him cross this threshold.

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Sean Meagher | The Oregonian/OregonLive

3,000 passing yards for Jake Luton

Mizell: Under. Last season, 37 quarterbacks in the nation eclipsed this number. Luton set junior college passing records and should improve the Beavers' downfield throwing game, but this offense will still be anchored by its rushing attack. I certainly wouldn't be shocked to see Luton push past 2,500 yards, with many of them coming late in the season when the Beavers face the questionable defenses from California, Arizona, Arizona State and Oregon.

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Moran: Under. In most prior years, reaching this threshold means a player is one of the top five passers in the conference. Even if Luton provides the boost to the passing game that is expected, that is a tall order given the number of rushing options the Beavers have, the relative inexperience at wide receiver and an offense that will likely skew run-heavy. The most passing yards by a single Oregon State player in the past two years? Marcus McMaryion with 1,286 in 2016.

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Randy L. Rasmussen | The Oregonian/OregonLive

30 sacks for the OSU defense

Mizell: Under. Defensive coordinator Kevin Clune cut together footage of all the Beavers' missed sacks in 2016, and believes those plays combined with the converted quarterback takedowns would surpass 30. With Titus Failauga moving back to defensive end, outside linebacker Bright Ugwoegbu returning to health and the front seven improving its overall strength and awareness, expect this total to considerably increase. But jumping from 18 sacks in 2016 to 30 is a tall task.

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Moran: Under. One of the lofty goals set by Gary Andersen for his defense hasn't happened at Oregon State since 2010. The Beavers have a lot of young talent on the defense who are expected to grow into playmakers. But this goal feels ambitious after back-to-back years of 18 sacks and the loss of Caleb Saulo, who has four last season.

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Randy L. Rasmussen | The Oregonian/OregonLive

30 takeaways for the OSU defense

Mizell: Over. This is a total reach, as only four teams in college football forced 30 turnovers last season. But this defense now has the physicality and athleticism to pop the ball loose and jump passing lanes. Additionally, expect a secondary anchored by Xavier Crawford to corral more interceptions after a strong finish to fall camp.

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Moran: Under. The Beavers jumped from an anemic 12 turnovers in 2015 to 20 last season. Again, 30 may be within striking distance but would require a huge leap, particularly given the senior leadership that left with Devin Chappell, Saulo and Treston Decoud. OSU should be physical enough to force fumbles (12 in 2016) but whether the defense can increase the interception total (15 in the past two years) remains to be seen.

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Sean Meagher | The Oregonian/OregonLive

4.5 yards per carry allowed by OSU's rushing defense

Mizell: Under. The Beavers' goal is to allow 3.7 yards per carry or fewer, and reaching that total will be a significant challenge. But expect Chad Kauha'aha'a's more conservative defensive line philosophy to help the linebackers fill gaps and keep opponent's rushing totals more manageable. Hovering around 4.5 yards per carry would likely put OSU in the top 75 nationally. That's not sensational, but it's a notable improvement from 2016.

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Moran: Over. This would be an important jump for the OSU defense, likely taking them into the middle of the Pac-12 after being buried at the bottom of the league for the past two seasons by giving up more than 5 yards per carry. The defense has the benefit of going against elite running backs in practice each day, but it still like a stretch to expect that much a jump given the question marks that remain.

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Sean Meagher | The Oregonian/OregonLive

40 snaps taken by Darell Garretson

Mizell: Over. Andersen has floated the idea of playing two quarterbacks since the spring, and a healthy Garretson does present an interesting run-pass option. He could easily take between three and five snaps per game in various packages, forcing opposing defenses to spend practice time preparing for such a wrinkle.

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Moran: Over. Andersen has teased the desire to play Garretson enough to think there is something there. Garretson appears to be back to full strength for the first time in a year and has earned praise for his play since Marcus McMaryion's transfer, taking a fair share of first team reps. Luton is the clear starter, but having a mobile signal caller has been an Andersen priority in the past and Garretson could provide that balance in his final college season.

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Sean Meagher | The Oregonian/OregonLive

6 wins

Mizell: Under. In reality, I would like to push, since I projected the Beavers to go 6-6. But that's not the point of this exercise. OSU's schedule is difficult, with a legitimate possibility that the Beavers start 0-5 in Pac-12 play. If that happens, will they be able to mentally bounce back during a more manageable November?

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Moran: Push. Pushing is horrible, but 6-6 is what we put on our record predictions. The Beavers could be a bowl team despite a tough schedule. If forced to go one way or the other, I'd go under because of the schedule. Short of California, it's hard to say that many Pac-12 North teams are likely wins. Games against the South include USC and defending division champion Colorado. But if the Beavers run the table in non-conference play, over becomes the more likely options.

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Oregon State season preview content

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Friday: Bold predictions