Baldwin seems like a good fit with Beavers

Friday:  There were a couple hours there yesterday when the college football landscape changed somewhat dramatically. And the changes may end up affecting this area.

Florida announced as the day was beginning it had gotten its man, Colorado State coach Jim McElwain, the Missoula native and former Eastern Washington player and coach. That was somewhat expected as the courtship played out pretty publicly Wednesday night. But before the dust could settle on that hire, the bombshell hit. Mike Riley, the dean of Pac-12 coaches, was leaving Oregon State, the place where he seemed enshrined. He was heading to Nebraska to succeed Bo Pelini, the anti-Riley of college football.

After  shaking the cobwebs from their heads, the nation’s pundits saw this for what it was:  a perfect fit for the Cornhuskers. Riley has always recruited Texas well, a key area for Nebraska’s roster. He’s always recruited California well, another area the Huskers have to mine if they want to win a national title. And he’s a well-respected guy, whose ah-shucks demeanor should go over well with a Nebraska fan base that felt disrespected – and once cussed-out – by Pelini.

Riley, whose teams haven’t won consistently the past five years, was on shaky ground in Corvallis, akin to the loose footing under Mike Price in the years between his Rose Bowl appearances. Unappreciated might be too nice a term. So Riley found a place to land, just as Price did.

But that leaves an opening at a somewhat local Pac-12 school that needs someone with a track record to fill. Enter speculation about Beau Baldwin. The Eastern coach is being mentioned as a candidate for the job. Is it his resume, which includes a FCS national title, a 52-15 record and unprecedented success at Eastern that has him in such high regard? Sure. But it’s also last year’s season-opening 49-46 win in Corvallis, when the Eagles – and Vernon Adams – befuddled the Oregon State defense.

It’s Baldwin’s high-powered offense and riverboat gambler attitude that has some of OSU’s fan base enthralled.

Though Riley wasn’t conservative by any means, his pro-style attack is out of favor with most fans. It’s just not as sexy as many philosophies these days, including Baldwin’s favored spread attack. With the glitz and glamour down the road in Eugene, the Oregon State faithful probably feels a bit overlooked.

Baldwin’s hire wouldn’t change that nationally – he’s not that well known outside of the Northwest – but his offense and the success it would achieve certainly could.