OSU Beavers football 2016 schedule: Oregon State must get early wins to make bowl

If the Oregon State Beavers don't get early wins on their 2016 schedule, their season could go south in a hurry. Any hopes of a bowl game ride on getting through the easiest part of their season before fall turns to winter.

Oregon State starts their season at Minnesota, which should be a pretty winnable game; the Gophers were 5-7 last season and will still be plenty vulnerable. Then a bye week gives them time to chomp up Idaho State before they get ready for a crucial matchup with a Boise State squad in transition.

The two easiest tests for the Beavers come early with a home date against Cal and a road game in Colorado. After a home game with a never explosive Utah squad, the storm clouds draw in. Oregon State was run out of the building by Washington, Stanford, Washington State, Arizona and UCLA, and three of those five will be on the road. The Civil War will be a test of its own, but at least the Beavers showed they could hang around last season.

Here is the schedule. What do you make of the road for the Beavers?

Sept. 1 at Minnesota (Thursday) (non-conference)

Sept. 10 Bye

Sept. 17 Idaho State (non-conference)

Sept. 24 Boise State (non-conference)

Oct. 1 at Colorado

Oct. 8 California

Oct. 15 Utah

Oct. 22 at Washington

Oct. 29 Washington State

Nov. 5 at Stanford

Nov. 12 at UCLA

Nov. 19 Arizona

Nov. 26 Oregon