Long suffering OSU basketball fans have something to get excited about. The head coach is the nation's First-Brother-in-Law to President Obama. OSU beat Cal and Stanford, both on the road. ESPN even named the Beavers college basketball's Team of the Week. As a soccer fan, I am jealous.

Sports writers and bloggers like my pal Jason have been taking stabs at determining what is responsible for the positive change in Beaver basketball. I want to explore how we can apply it to buoy our sinking soccer programs at Oregon State University.

Coaching Change
Coach Craig Robinson was admittedly not De Carolis' first choice. I think he fulfilled the most crucial criteria: different than the existing regime. The Beavers men's coach Dana Taylor has been around since 1999. At this point I think thats just due to a lack of attention by the administration. Linus Rhode experienced his first year at the helm of the women's program last Fall. The opportunity still exists for Rhode to create something fresh and new, but we deserve sooner rather than later.

Defensive Innovation
Cal's basketball head coach Mike Montgomery said of the Beavers, “I look at Oregon State and they scare me because of the style they’re playing. What they’re doing is sort of different — another zone team with another zone concept.” He is referring to the unique 1-3-1 zone OSU has been using to stymie opposing teams. Its a system most teams and players aren't prepared to deal with. There has to be opportunity to innovate on the soccer field at the collegiate level. Three in the back. Five middies. Surprise your opponents guys.

Team Oriented Offense (The Princeton Offense)
Robinson has OSU playing a Princeton style offense which is designed for teams with limited athleticism. It is based on unselfishness, constant movement without the ball and patience. It does not require the top recruits from the west coast to be successful. Our soccer teams tend to attack with direct long balls which promote an up and down game and generally favor the more athletic team.

Extreme Fitness
The Princeton Offense requires a high level of fitness due to the continual movement of the players. Oregon State University won't be able to lure the top players in the Pac-10 away from the California schools. But we can be the fittest team in the Pac-10. It worked for the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team.

Oregon State basketball fans aren't expecting to win the Pac-10. They are reacting to the chance to compete. And I think the players are responding to that feeling too. Perhaps the changes themselves are arbitrary and the benefit they ultimately provide is hope.

What do you think OSU soccer needs to right the ship?