Questions That Linger…
Pistols fired in the opener. But how bad was Washington State?
By John Helsley
follow me on twitter @jjhelsley
The week rolls on, but some questions still clog the mind…
A week ago we wondered how good Washington State might be. Now, the question is how bad were the Cougars?
The guess here: pretty darn bad. Wazzu was short on athletes — across the board — which is why the Cowboys kept pouring it on in the second half, even as a parade of freshmen and deep backups made an appearance on the field for OSU. The Cougars might be looking at their only shot at a victory this week against Montana State.
Are the Cowboys in trouble at defensive tackle?
This was already a position of concern for the Pokes, due to depth concerns. Then the two starters — Shane Jarka and Chris Donaldson — went out with knee injuries three plays apart against Washington State. Youngsters Anthony Rogers, Nigel Nicholas and Davidell Collins held up, but again, that was Wazzu. The competition is about to get amped up, to some extent against Troy and Tulsa, but in a big way against Texas A&M, which may be the biggest swing game on OSU’s schedule.
The major concern is Jarka, who has been limited by health issues throughout his career. The Cowboys have been able to count on only a certain number of snaps from Jarka on any given Saturday anyway. Still, he’s a tough gamer and an experienced man in the middle. And he’s a great kid, highly respected among teammates. The Pokes need him back. Donaldson should be OK. And that’s crucial, as he’s the most talented of the bunch at this point.
Mike Gundy said the other day that every d-tackle on the roster was going to have to get ready to play. That tells you where the Cowboys are. They’re going at this with an emphasis on quantity as much as quality, until they figure out what they’ve got.
Matt Pilgrim has a story to tell. But will he ever get to tell it?
On Tuesday, Payne County Special District Judge Phillip Corley dismissed the protective order filed by a woman who accused the Cowboys basketball player of rape. Pilgrim was never arrested or charged with any crime, even though the woman had been granted the emergency restraining order.
Behind the scenes, Cowboys coaches and school officials were so confident in the evidence — and the lack thereof for the woman, which was confirmed by Corley – that they never suspended Pilgrim. Still, the issue wore on Pilgrim, who could be a force in the Big 12 this season.
Pilgrim showed his relief with a brief message on twitter Tuesday: “Feel like a weight has been lifted off me. God is good… Who would have thought I’d be caught up in this life lesson.”
The judge scolded Pilgrim and the woman and said their behavior wasn’t appropriate, adding that both parties were in court because of their own actions.
Pilgrim has a story to tell. But it may not serve him or OSU best to talk. We’ll see.
-------------Email John Helsley here and follow him on Twitter @JohnHelsley. Visit John's website here.
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