Pac-12 Football: 5 incredibly early bold predictions for the 2023 season
By John Buhler
4. Jonathan Smith will leave alma mater if Beavers win double-digit games again
I may not believe in D.J. Uiagalelei, but I believe in Jonathan Smith. After winning The Strife Aquatic over Oregon, these Oregon State Beavers are going places. I especially loved seeing the Beavs blow out Florida in Las Vegas with Pat McAfee in the booth in the middle of an Indianapolis Colts collapse in real time. I think Smith is doing a dam good job at his alma mater, but there’s also this…
Should Oregon State win 10 games in back-to-back seasons, Smith will have to leave Corvallis, whether he wants to or not. That is because the money he would be getting to take over at a bigger Power Five job will be too much to leave on the table. It is probably not going to be for an SEC gig, but the right job in the Big Ten, and definitely a strong one in the Big 12, may be available.
Admittedly, it may pain Smith to leave Oregon State after this season, but his stock could be at an all-time high. His alma mater may be tucked away in the Pacific Northwest, but his great coaching is doing the talking for him over his quiet demeanor. Even if Reser Stadium is being renovated in a piecemeal fashion, just imagine what Smith could do with the resources of a top-25 college job…
I cannot definitively say what suitor it will be, but Smith could be in the running for three P5 jobs.