So many All-America teams, so little time
Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon became a unanimous All-American for the second consecutive season Thursday, meaning he was a first team selection on the five “recognized” All-America teams—the Football Coaches Association, the Walter Camp Football Foundation, the Associated Press, the Football Writers Association of America and the Sporting News.
Then there are the—not recognized?—organizations that also pick All-America teams, mostly national media outlets like Sports Illustrated and ESPN.com. To put it bluntly, there are a lot of All-America teams.
In all, seven Cowboys have earned some type of recognition this season. And interestingly? Brandon Weeden is not one of them.
Here’s a breakdown:
Walter Camp Football Foundation
Justin Blackmon, first team
Levy Adcock, second team
American Football Coaches Association
Justin Blackmon, first team
Levy Adcock, first team
Football Writers Association of America
Justin Blackmon, first team
Levy Adcock, first team
Quinn Sharp, first team (kicker)
Associated Press
Justin Blackmon, first team
Markelle Martin, second team
Levy Adcock, third team
Grant Garner, third team
Brodrick Brown, third team
Quinn Sharp, third team (kicker)
Sporting News
Justin Blackmon, first team
SI.com
Justin Blackmon, first team
Grant Garner, first team
Brodrick Brown, first team
Markelle Martin, first team
Levy Adcock, second team
CBSSports.com
Justin Blackmon, first team
Levy Adcock, first team
Markelle Martin, second team
ESPN.com
Justin Blackmon, first team
Levy Adcock, first team
Rivals.com
Justin Blackmon, first team
Levy Adcock, second team
Quinn Sharp, second team (punter)
Scout.com
Justin Blackmon, first team
Lane Taylor, second team
Markelle Martin, second team
Phil Steele
Justin Blackmon, first team
Levy Adcock, first team
Quinn Sharp, first team (kicker)
Markelle Martin, second team
Brodrick Brown, third team
Grant Garner, fourth team
Pokes Named National Champs!
Celebration time! Cowboys No. 1.
By John Helsley
follow on Twitter @jjhelsley
Finally, some all-out love for the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
And if cyber-love is your thing, or you’ll welcome any love from any corner when it comes to the Cowboys and their place outside of the BCS title talk, here’s a hug: OSU has been declared National Champion!
And it gets better – a second helping of Bedlam beatdown better.
The folks at nbcsports.com, namely columnist Michael Ventre, put together a 16-team “make believe” playoff.
OSU emerged No. 1.
The Cowboys clobbered OU – again – in a first-round re-matchup, routed Arkansas in the quarterfinals, outlasted Alabama and outscored Oregon (yeah, the Ducks upset LSU in the other semi) to claim this most mythical of national titles.
What does it all mean? Nothing, of course, except that none of us are satisfied with this year’s road to the BCS coronation. So we keep grousing and complaining and wishing for something better to determine our national champ.
In an absence of that, we’re left with a pretend world that isn’t at all satisfying.
As Ventre concludes:
How are you feeling about that? Overjoyed? Outraged? Satisfied? Irritated?
Whatever your emotions, you’ll agree that letting it play out on the field is more in keeping with the spirit of competition than letting computer geeks match wits. LSU and Alabama certainly are deserving, but I’d rather seem them get there with brawn than with math.
In football, goons are better than geeks any old day.
***
The Cowboys basketball team returns to the floor Saturday in the All-College Classic, taking on New Mexico in a tipoff scheduled for 9:30 p.m. inside Chesapeake Energy Arena.
OSU is 6-3 and still in search of a true identity in this season.
But Le’Bryan Nash is starting to play better and coach Travis Ford has begun to tighten his rotation and experimentation, just as the Cowboys prepare for a rugged three-week run into Big 12 play.
Here’s an e-mail discussion I did with Anthony Slater at The Daily O’Collegian, OSU’s student newspaper.
We talk about some of the issues facing the Cowboys, as well as a guess at their outlook.
Oklahoma State working on new contract for Mike Gundy
Mike Gundy has called Oklahoma State his “New York Yankees job.” He wants to stay in Stillwater long-term. Boone Pickens (and OSU in general) wants Gundy in Stillwater long-term after he led the Cowboys to their first outright conference title and a trip to the Fiesta Bowl.
And the school is now in the beginning stages of working on a new contract.
Here is the statement OSU director of communications Gary Shutt released on the matter:
“We certainly are pleased with Coach Gundy and the entire coaching staff. This year has been historic for Oklahoma State’s football program. Our program is well positioned for continued success. As we said we would do a few weeks ago, now that the season is over, we are reviewing Coach Gundy’s contract. We also have begun discussions with his representative. A new contract reflecting the success we have enjoyed the past three years and expect to continue for years to come is being discussed. We are striving to have a new long-term contract for Coach Gundy in place soon. In that regard, we will not discuss specific details at this time, as it is our practice to refrain from negotiating contracts in the media. We will announce the details of the contract when it is completed.”
Gundy’s 2011 salary is $2.1 million. Here’s what all the coaches in the Big 12 made this year, according to USA Today’s football coach salary database (a very handy tool, by the way)
Mack Brown, Texas: $5,192,500
Bob Stoops, Oklahoma: $4,075,000
Gary Pinkel, Missouri: $2,700,000
Mike Sherman, Texas A&M*: $2,200,000
Turner Gill, Kansas*: $2,100,000
Mike Gundy, Oklahoma State: $2,100,000
Tommy Tuberville, Texas Tech: 2,050,000
Bill Snyder, Kansas State: $1,925,000
Art Briles, Baylor: $1,549,396
Paul Rhoads, Iowa State: $1,150,000
*Fired at end of season
Power Lunch leftovers: Post-Bedlam
Once again, tons of Power Lunch leftovers from my post-Bedlam live chat on Monday. Let’s get to them.
Was there a single player that shined the brightest for OSU against OU or was that a true team effort?
Saturday’s Bedlam win was the most complete effort from the Cowboys this season, in my opinion. But if I had to give game balls, I would give one to the offensive line and one to Bill Young. The O-Line caught some heat after its worst performance of the season against Iowa State, but it was back to opening huge holes for the running backs and keeping Brandon Weeden upright against the Sooners. And Bill Young used the extra week to concoct an aggressive, blitz-heavy scheme that put Landry Jones under more pressure than he had seen all season. I wrote about that today.
Would you say that Stanford has the edge at quarterback in the Fiesta Bowl or is it a draw? Can Weeden help his draft stock in that game or is his age really the big factor to going in Round 1?
I give Luck a slight edge, mostly because he doesn’t have the same talent at receiver as Weeden does. Luck also makes more play calls at the line of scrimmage, which will serve him well at the next level. But plenty of NFL scouts will be watching this game, and Weeden really can make a statement if he can outplay who everyone expects to be the No. 1 pick in the draft. Weeden said he’s excited to see how he stacks up with Luck. I think age, not talent, is going to keep Weeden from going in the first round, but someone will take a chance on him.
Can Brodrick Brown go to the NFL or will his size limit his chances?
Great question. I’m not a talent evaluator, but that dude plays so much bigger than his size and makes so many important (and athletic) plays. I feel like his leaping interception in the end zone, when he took the ball away from Jaz Reynolds, was one of the most underappreciated plays from Bedlam. And the job he did on Jeff Fuller of Texas A&M earlier this season was simply outstanding. I think he’s got a shot to go pro.
In order for OSU to win against Stanford they must be very physical and stop the run first. Do you expect Young to change the defense up to counter the pro style offense?
You are absolutely right. Everyone talks about Luck, but Stanford’s running game (especially the offensive line) is very underrated. I’m sure Young’s scheme will be tweaked a bit to go against a pro style offense versus the spreads more commonly seen in the Big 12, but I don’t think the overall philosophy will change. The Cowboys are going to be aggressive and try to force a lot of turnovers.
I don’t want all of us OSU fans to get caught up in the excitement and get carried away about next year. I am so proud, but we loose Weeden and Blackmon next year. There will probably be a few losses.
I think most fans understand that. You don’t lose two of the best players in college football—and two of the best players in school history—at such prominent positions and automatically expect to be a national title contender again. But I think Gundy has built this program up to a consistent level where fans can expect eight or nine wins in “down” years. There’s still a lot of talent coming back—Joseph Randle, Shaun Lewis, Brodrick Brown, just to name a few—that will help the Cowboys remain a solid team next year and beyond.
In your opinion, what was the biggest play of the night for OSU?
No question, Alex Elkins’ forced fumble and Jamie Blatnick’s return to the OU one-yard line. OU was inside the OSU 20 and down just 10-0. That turned a Sooner scoring chance into a 17-0 Cowboy lead. And that sent BPS into an absolutely frenzy, and I think made people believe not only that OSU was better, but a lot better that OU.
Have you ever been at a game where the fans rushed the field? What was it like to witness that?
I was at the Iowa State game two weeks ago, so the last two football games I’ve been to/covered, fans have rushed the field. At ISU, fans flooded from all angles and it seemed like it happened in a snap. Saturday night, it was a “slower” rush because the high walls/long jump meant it took longer for everyone to get on the field. I was standing on the patio by GIA when the goal posts came down, and it was pretty cool to see that type of excitement from fans. But, then Jenni Carlson and I decided we were going to try to weave through the crowd to get to the interview room. Unfortunately, the tunnel we had to get to is the one closest to the student section, so where the most people were packed in. We got squished in the crowd for about 10 minutes, which wasn’t the greatest experience ever. But overall, it was something I’ll never forget.
One word to describe the atmosphere at BPS on Saturday night?
Electric.
Did I see Herschel Sims in the game at running back near the end?
Yes you did. He had three carries for seven yards late in the fourth quarter.
Do you think Justin Blackmon is a lock to win the Biletnikoff?
I do. Broyles was the frontrunner until he got hurt, and with the way Blackmon finished the season so strong, I think the award is his. Quite a feat for a guy that barely anyone knew before the 2010 season.
Looking back at the season how would you rank the best wins for OSU? Give me a top 5.
1. Bedlam (no explanation needed)
2. Texas A&M (at the time, it was huge)
3. Kansas State (two game-winning drives against a team that finished in the top 10)
4. Baylor (complete domination against a pretty solid team and likely Heisman winner)
5. Texas (had never beaten the Longhorns twice in a row, much less in Austin)
You could argue for Tulsa (because of the wacky circumstances) and Tech (because of the complete domination), but that’s how I’d rank them.
Do you think OSU will try scheduling tougher out of conference opponents in the future? It seems to be a great resume booster when BCS bowl discussion starts.
I actually think OSU’s nonconference schedule was pretty solid this season. ULL coach Mark Hudspeth is up for Coach of the Year awards because of the way he turned around that program. Arizona seemed like it would be a good opponent from a major conference. Tulsa’s losses were to OU, OSU, Boise State and Houston. Would it be good to play a big-time nonconference road game like when the Cowboys traveled to Georgia a few years back? Sure. But sometimes it’s hard to know which teams will be good and which teams won’t when scheduling is done so many years in advance.
Step back to the first of the year. Someone told you the big 12 champ would have one loss. Don’t you think with the conference strength at that time you would have said that the Big 12 conference champ would have been playing in the national championship?
Absolutely, mostly because we’ve never had two teams from the same conference play for the title before. Like we’ve mentioned so many times, it all came down to the voters, and the voters put Alabama in.
I believe there was coaching poll voter fraud. SEC coaches voted OSU fourth to make sure Alabama got it. Les Miles abstained and said he couldn’t do that due to link with OSU. What would happen if this was proved?
Well, the final coaches poll votes have been released. Here’s how the SEC coaches voted:
Les Miles: Alabama second, OSU third
Mark Richt: Alabama second, OSU third
Nick Saban: Alabama second, OSU fourth
Steve Spurrier: Alabama second, OSU third
I don’t think it’s fraud as much as maybe a hint of bias, mostly because these coaches have seen Alabama a lot more in person and on film than OSU. Just like more Big 12 coaches voted OSU second than Alabama. It’s the same type of deal. Now, I don’t necessarily squash the idea that Saban was doing what he thought was best for his football team. Can you blame him? When we have other coaches deciding who plays for the national title with a ballot, that type of thing can happen.
I think OSU is lucky that the national media still perceived OU as a good team. If they realized how badly outmanned OU was with all of the injuries then the gap between OSU and Alabama would have been wider.
I still think OU is a good team. Not a great team, by any means, but the Sooners went 9-3, not 6-6. The dominating win was a good final statement for OSU, but not quite enough to get the Cowboys to that No. 2 spot in the BCS standings.
Any comments from Gundy about recruiting commitments like Kendall Sanders and Bralon Addison switching to Texas and Texas A&M. Any underlying concerns in recruiting?
No, because coaches cannot comment on recruits until they have signed their letter of intent. Commitment switches are going to happen every year—you’re dealing with 17- and 18-year old kids here. I think the biggest recruiting concern is with Wes Lunt if Todd Monken leaves OSU.
Is there any truth to the rumor that OSU only had 10 men on the field on the Blake Bell touchdown?
I have also heard that rumor, but I haven’t rewatched that play yet. I should.
The difference between No. 2 and No. 3 in the final BCS standings
By now, we all know that the gap between Alabama and OSU–a measly 0.0086 points–is the smallest ever between the No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the final Bowl Championship standings.
I thought it might be interesting to list out how the No. 2 and No. 3 teams finished in every final BCS poll since college football started using the system in 1998. I went by year, then from smallest gap to largest gap. Take note of the different way of calculating a team’s BCS ranking from 1998 to 2003.
Chronological order
1998
Florida State: 4.91
Kansas State: 9.96
Difference: 5.05
1999
Virginia Tech: 6.12
Nebraska: 7.42
Difference: 1.3
2000
Florida State: 5.37
Miami: 5.69
Difference: 0.32
2001
Nebraska: 7.23
Colorado: 7.28
Difference: 0.05
2002
Ohio State: 3.97
Georgia: 8.37
Difference: 4.4
2003
LSU: 5.99
USC: 6.15
Difference: 0.16
2004
Oklahoma: 0.9681
Auburn: 0.9331
Difference: 0.0350
2005
Texas: 0.9732
Penn State: 0.9187
Difference: 0.0545
2006
Florida: 0.9445
Michigan: 0.9344
Difference: 0.0101
2007
LSU: 0.9394
Virginia Tech: 0.8703
Difference: 0.0691
2008
Florida: 0.9479
Texas: 0.9298
Difference: 0.0181
2009
Texas: 0.9433
Cincinnati: 0.8878
Difference: 0.0555
2010
Oregon: 0.9720
TCU: 0.9102
Difference: 0.0618
2011
Alabama: 0.9419
OSU: 0.9333
Difference: 0.0086
Smallest gap to largest gap
2011
Alabama: 0.9419
OSU: 0.9333
Difference: 0.0086
2006
Florida: 0.9445
Michigan: 0.9344
Difference: 0.0101
2008
Florida: 0.9479
Texas: 0.9298
Difference: 0.0181
2004
Oklahoma: 0.9681
Auburn: 0.9331
Difference: 0.0350
2001
Nebraska: 7.23
Colorado: 7.28
Difference: 0.0500
2005
Texas: 0.9732
Penn State: 0.9187
Difference: 0.0545
2009
Texas: 0.9433
Cincinnati: 0.8878
Difference: 0.0555
2010
Oregon: 0.9720
TCU: 0.9102
Difference: 0.0618
2007
LSU: 0.9394
Virginia Tech: 0.8703
Difference: 0.0691
(Here’s where we switch to the old method of calculating. Shows you how tight that 2001 finish really was)
2003
LSU: 5.99
USC: 6.15
Difference: 0.16
2000
Florida State: 5.37
Miami: 5.69
Difference: 0.32
1999
Virginia Tech: 6.12
Nebraska: 7.42
Difference: 1.3
2002
Ohio State: 3.97
Georgia: 8.37
Difference: 4.4
1998
Florida State: 4.91
Kansas State: 9.96
Difference: 5.05
Full transcript of Mike Gundy’s Bedlam postgame press conference
Here is the full transcript from Mike Gundy’s postgame press conference following Oklahoma State’s 44-10 win over Oklahoma to clinch the Cowboys’ first outright conference title and trip to a BCS bowl.
Opening statement: Defense
Obviously, that may have been the best game we’ve played as a group in a long time against a quality team. Before the game, at the hotel before we came over on The Walk, I had mentioned to our defense that this was an opportunity for them to shine. They’ll be on the big stage, on the spotlight. They had taken some heat throughout the year, and if they wanted to prove to people that just half of what I said during the season was right, that they needed to do it tonight. I thought our defense was better than what people thought or what people said. They had been out there for a number of plays. We had forced turnovers, but there wasn’t anything statistically to back it up. I mentioned to them that tonight was their night, and I don’t think there’s any question that they showed up in a big way. I don’t know that we’ve had as good a defensive effort around here in a long time in a big game. I thought the game plan was excellent. The coaches wanted to attack—they wanted to blitz and blitz a lot, and the players bought in. They played with great energy.
Opening statement: Offense
Offensively, our staff felt like that we had to be able to run the football. We had to use some tight ends and some heavy sets at times and run the football effectively in order to open up everything else that we thought gave us the best chance to win. We didn’t play as fast. We thought it would be best to use some of the clock to limit the number of plays that our defense was on the field.
Opening statement: Rebounding after Iowa State loss
It’s just a great win for our program. I’m very proud of our team, very proud of our coaching staff. Things happen for a reason. After we had lost at Iowa State, our players just bought in. They went through a couple days where they were struggling, but they were very resilient after a couple days. They continued to believe in themselves. They understood that, for whatever reason, it just wasn’t their night and they had an opportunity (to play another game). They were on the biggest stage in the history of this school (for) the football program. They knew they had a chance to be outright conference champions for the first time ever, and it was motivation enough. It says a lot about who they are and what they stand for, and so I’m just lucky enough to be the guy coaching them. I couldn’t be any more proud of a group of guys, coaches and players.
Opening statement: Thanking Boone Pickens
For a number of years, what would be three or four now, at night when I’ve laid in bed and thought about tough losses…those things never go away. But I’ve also laid in bed and thought about giving that Big 12 conference trophy to Boone Pickens. I’ve thought about seeing the smile on his face and trying to give him something back for what he started here, and then everybody else bought in. The entire OSU family, the fans, there’s been a sense of pride in this program for about four or five years now with our new facilities, and they players have bought in. Fortunately, I was able to achieve something personally for myself, which was to be able to hand that trophy to him and let him know that what he started has paid off.
Opening statement: Politicking (yes, politicking!) to be in the BCS title game
We’re very excited about the next opportunity. I don’t think there’s any question that Oklahoma State should play in the Big Game. People told me at the coffee shop, they were giving me a hard time about mentioning other schools last week…Oklahoma State hadn’t earned the right to talk about a game past a conference championship game, because we hadn’t won a conference championship. Our staff, including myself, had talked to our football team every day about winning a conference championship. But after what they accomplished tonight, and the way they did it against the No. 10 team in the country, I don’t think there’s a question they deserve an opportunity to play for it all. We have tons of respect for LSU. I’ve watched them a few times. I have a lot of respect for Coach (Les) Miles and what they do. But I think there comes a time that people across the country, if they want to see and stir up some interest in what would be one heck of a football game and an offense that is maybe different than what they’ve seen and a defense that’s going to play better than what some people may think they would play across the country, this is their opportunity to find out if we can play them.
(Yep, that was just the opening statement. Now onto questions.)
On comparing Alabama vs. OSU:
We lost in double-overtime on the road. We didn’t lose at home.
On bringing a conference title to his alma mater:
It’s really not about me. Either way, these players have bought in. They understand the big picture and they play for each other. They have accountability, toughness, discipline and heart. Honestly, I wanted it for them. I wanted it for the Oklahoma State people. I wanted it for those fans. I only saw part of (the celebration). When they started piling over, I got out of there as fast I as I could. I look forward to seeing it on the news. I wanted it for the families of the coaches more than anything, for the people that have put all the hard work and have come up just a little short the last few years, for them. I told my wife this during the week that I’m going to be OK, because I see what’s going on in this organization and I’m proud of what these guys are accomplishing. I wanted it for all of them. I want them to feel what it’s like, so they understand the hard work’s worth it. Those are good kids. Honestly, it doesn’t mean near as much to me as it does to me that they’ve had a chance to succeed and be the first team to ever be an outright conference champion.
On the big defensive plays:
I believe those things stem from a football team flying around and playing hard and diving and attacking and being relentless. And then I think the return is good things come our way.
On the bye week:
Our guys had a good game plan. The open week was huge. We were able to get some guys healthy. We were able to get two good practices in. Your first thought as a coach is to get four in. We made the decision as a staff to get two in and let them go home for three days and get away from here after a tough loss.
On the running game:
We knew we that we had to find a way to run the ball, because they can still run fast side to side and tackle good. You can’t just throw it every snap and be effective. We also felt like they would think that we weren’t going to try to run the ball. That’s us as coaches—I’m not putting words in their mouth. But we felt like that they would probably just defend pass.
On the possible LSU/Alabama rematch:
They had their shot. Give us ours.
On a playoff vs. the BCS:
I don’t think there’s any doubt that the best way to settle this would be a playoff, but I don’t know how you do it. Some schools are on semesters, some are on quarters. Some are in finals, other teams aren’t in finals. You’re not supposed to practice during finals week, certainly (not) “dead week.” So I just don’t know how they work it out. But there’s no question that we all would like to get to a final 16 or a final 8 and play the thing off. I just don’t have an answer. I’ve seen a lot of different proposals. I just don’t know that anybody’s come up with a way for it to actually work yet.
On the feelings if Alabama goes to the national title game:
If they go, they go. I don’t know. That’s a tough one. I still say that our team and the coaches held their own until we accomplished something. We won by 34 points, and it was the 10th-ranked team of the country.
On beating OU for the first time as a head coach:
There hasn’t been a problem with them believing—we just hadn’t gotten it accomplished. And part of the reason why is, in the last five years, they’ve pretty good, too. That run they had there with Sam Bradford and those guys, they were pretty good. They scored 50-something and we scored 40-something or whatever it was. You lose to pretty good football teams. But it was our time. Our team was in better health than theirs was. With the exception of turning the ball over at Iowa State, we were on kind of a run, so it was our time to win that game.
On the OU players coming over to the OSU tunnel before the game:
I’m the last one out, and I saw it. And I was a little concerned, because I don’t think anybody wants any confrontation before a game. One thing about football is you’ve got about 125 guys out there in pads, and they’re big guys. And if ever something gets started, it’s tough to stop it. I was glad that nothing came out of it. I don’t know how that happened—I didn’t see how it all transpired. But I don’t think that Coach (Bob) Stoops and their staff would ever initiate anything like that. I think that they were kind of in the wrong place or somehow they got closer to our group. I just can’t imagine they would do that. Bob was very cordial after the game. We have a lot of respect for them. We have a lot of respect for their staff. So I just can’t imagine that they would have planned that.
Power Lunch leftovers: Bedlam edition
I got a ton of great questions in Thursday’s Power Lunch chat. Here are some of the ones I didn’t get to. Hopefully it’s a good way to kick off your Bedlam Saturday.
If OSU is going to win, the defense must ______?
Get pressure on Landry Jones, who gets a bit skittish and makes bad throws when that happens. If weather becomes a serious factor, stopping the run will be the biggest key and those defensive tackles become the most important players. And, of course, this defense needs to force turnovers to offset the yards it will likely give up.
Which is more likely, Justin Gilbert housing a kickoff return or getting a pick-six?
I’ll say housing a kickoff return, mostly because he’s done that twice this season and the Cowboys have (surprisingly) only taken one turnover to the house all year. OU ranks fourth in the Big 12 in kickoff coverage (43.9 net average). But remember Bedlam last year?
The outcome of Bedlam will come down to who gets the ball last or who can force the most turnovers?
Yes. Oh, you want me to pick one? I’d say which team can force the most turnovers. If one team can win the turnover battle by two or more, then that might be enough possessions for it to build a big enough lead that the other team can’t keep up in what I think is going to be a shootout with very few punts. But don’t be surprised to see this game come down to who has the ball last and who has the best kicker. Quinn Sharp might have a chance to redeem himself for the miss at Iowa State.
All this hype for OSU. Don’t count Bob Stoops out. He will be ready. Maybe that is why he has a great W-L record. What do you think about that?
I think the hype for OSU is warranted—this could be a historic night in Stillwater. But, of course, Bob Stoops will be ready. Our man Berry Tramel wrote about Stoops’ success when the Sooners have their backs against the wall the other day, and there’s a reason why OU hasn’t lost Bedlam since 2002. Everyone picked the Cowboys to win last year and the Sooners came out on top. It’s a similar situation this season, and OU has a great chance to win the game.
It seems like losing to ISU is the worst thing for OU. It exposed some weaknesses (linebacker, offensive line play) and OSU had 10 days to fix them. Do you know if they have focused on those or any other weaknesses this week?
One thing that I know has been a focus is Joseph Randle’s fumbling troubles. I wrote a story about that last week. I’m sure the other weaknesses have been addressed. The offensive line has not been a weakness—in fact, it’s been a big strength—all season until the ISU game, so I’d imagine there didn’t need to be any huge adjustments there. I think the bye week most benefitted OSU because it gave the Cowboys two extra practices to prepare for OU—especially things like the Belldozer package.
Who will have a bigger game, Landry Jones or Brandon Weeden?
I’ll take Weeden, based on how poorly the OU pass defense has played against really good quarterbacks. I touched on this a lot in my pregame story in today’s paper, but Seth Doege hit the Sooners with the short passes and Robert Griffin III hit them with the long ball. Weeden and those receivers can do both.
Do you think OSU’s defense will be able to handle OU’s running game?
Again, if the weather gets messy, that becomes the game’s biggest key. OU isn’t the same without Dom Whaley, but Roy Finch has played well as his replacement and the Sooner offensive line has been strong. And, OSU’s defense has struggled against the run all season. That will be an interesting development to watch if the game turns that way.
What will the Cowboys have to do to slow Frank Alexander down? I’ve only seen him twice, but he seems to be as disruptive as Von Miller was?
Alexander has had a heck of a season—he’s the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year in my mind. But, the Cowboys catch a break since Alexander got hurt in the Iowa State game and is not 100 percent. I’m sure he’ll still be disruptive, but not as nasty as when completely healthy. And on the other side, Ronnell Lewis won’t play. That’s a big blow for OU. I think the only way the Sooners stop the Cowboy passing attack is if they get pressure on Weeden, and not having either end in top shape certainly hurts those chances.
Over/Under: Justin Blackmon 200 yards receiving?
I will say under, but not by much. I’ll go somewhere in the 150-yard range and two touchdowns. This is his last game at BPS. He’s a monster when there’s an extra motivational factor. I expect a huge game from him.
Percentage that the fans rush the field if OSU wins?
100 percent. I have no doubt Cowboys fans will rush the field if OSU beats OU for the first time since 2002, captures its first conference title and earns its first trip to a BCS bowl. The orange and black faithful will want to celebrate. That’s why the theme of our Bedlam Extra section was “Storming the Field.”
Does Mike Gundy get an extension and raise even if they lose to OU?
I don’t make those calls, but I wouldn’t be surprised. Even if the Cowboys lose tonight, he took the program to unprecedented heights this season. He will get rewarded.
OK, you haven’t experienced the game yet, but how would you now compare Bedlam with the Arizona State/Arizona rivalry?
You said it—it’s hard for me to fully compare it without experiencing the game day atmosphere and the game itself. The ASU/UA rivalry is underrated. It’s extremely heated. But it rarely gets attention outside Arizona because both programs are rarely good at the same time. Or good, period. Let’s get real—both programs fired their coaches this year. I will say that OSU and OU fans seem to be more cordial the other 364 days of the year than Sun Devils and Wildcats. But I’m sure that won’t be the case today. Anyway, I can’t wait to soak in the entire environment today, even if the weather does not cooperate much. To say I’m excited to cover this game is a huge understatement.
Weeden For Heisman? Maybe
Brandon Weeden is climbing the Heisman watch lists.
By John Helsley
follow on twitter @jjhelsley
The Heisman spotlight is finally finding Brandon Weeden.
For now, it’s not the glowing center of the spotlight, but clearly Weeden has moved from the shadowy outer edges into the circle of light.
In the latest Scripps Heisman Poll, which involves a sampling of votes from the different geographical areas of the country, Weeden ranks No. 4, his highest position yet. In ESPN’s Expert’s Poll, Weeden is No. 5, also a high-water mark for the senior from Edmond.
The surge comes on the heels of his school-record, 502-yard, four touchdown performance in OSU’s wild 52-45 win over Kansas State. He completed 78 percent of his throws against the Wildcats and is at 72.1 percent for the season.
ESPN’s take:
“These are heady times in Stillwater, and Weeden is the main reason. He’s completing 72 percent of his passes and is averaging 31 completions per game for the nation’s second-highest-scoring offense. Better yet, he has the Cowboys at No. 2 in the BCS standings and in control of their own destiny in the national championship race.”
Quarterbacks dominate the Heisman projections, with Boise State’s Kellen Moore and Houston’s Case Keenum also among the top five, with Oklahoma’s Landry Jones, USC’s Matt Barkley and Wisconsin’s Russell Wilson also drawing attention.
The lone non-QB heavily involved in the race is Alabama running back Trent Richardson, who lost some appeal after the Tide’s loss to LSU.
By all accounts, the Heisman is Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck’s to lose. Luck has essentially been the frontrunner since preseason and has done nothing to change perceptions. The lone hurdle in Luck’s path: a Saturday visit from Oregon.
Weeden, meanwhile, may have the best opportunity to keep impressing and keep moving up, with three more TV games, including a Friday night special at Iowa State offering a singular stage, and of course, Bedlam, as long as too many voters haven’t already mailed in their picks.
Breaking down the final drive of Oklahoma State’s victory over Kansas State
I’ve watched the last Kansas State drive, and more specifically, the last three plays, about 10 times since Saturday night. I was going to write about that last series for today’s paper until Mike Gundy really opened up about his time with Les Miles and what he meant to OSU. So that shifted our plans a bit.
Still, I got some great insight from players and coaches about the Wildcats’ last possession, a 15-play, 66-yard drive down to the Cowboys’ five-yard line that ended when a Collin Klein pass fell incomplete in the end zone in the final second.
“It was very, very, very stressful,” OSU defensive end Richetti Jones said. “The whole time we were like, let’s get it done, let’s win the game. Let’s get off the field, let’s get a turnover and just go home. It seemed like the longest drive of my life.”
K-State converted a fourth-and-four with a seven-yard run by Klein down to the OSU 27 and later got a huge play when Klein completed a 22-yard pass to Chris Harper near the sideline at the Cowboys’ five-yard line with 12 seconds left.
Then things got even more dramatic.
Klein tried to go to the right corner of the end zone when he lofted a pass to Tyler Lockett on a fade route, which was broken up by Markelle Martin. Then, with five seconds left, Klein went the other way on a pass to Harper, which was batted away by Brodrick Brown.
Plenty of Cowboys thought the game was over after that, but there was still one second left on the clock.
“I was taking off my earphones,” OSU defensive coordinator Bill Young said. “I had my back to the scoreboard and I thought the game was over. Then I turned around, and I’ll be doggone if there wasn’t another second. I took them off anyway and we just stood there and talked to each other and made the call and there we went.”
Young called a base defense used frequently near the goal line and pointed out two key things to me that were important to disrupting K-State’s final play.
First, Shaun Lewis jumped to cover Harper, who was set in motion before the snap, out in the flat. That forced Klein to throw the ball toward outside receivers Lockett and Torell Miller, who were running a similar route in the end zone.
Second, Jones got in the nine technique—you’ll see him shift over so he’s outside the tight end’s shoulder right before the snap—which helped him get up the field and block Klein’s vision a little bit as he rolled to his right.
The pass fell incomplete, and OSU escaped with a 52-45 victory.
Here are some more quotes players and coaches about that last drive.
On the drive:
Safety Markelle Martin
“You just had a feeling that something had to give for us. For me, I just continued to say ‘It’s time to make a play.’ Fortunately for me, they threw a ball my way and I got to make a play. They tried Brodrick, and he made a play. The key guys on the defense continued to make plays, continued to fight.”
“It just came down to the wire and I was just like, ‘I’m glad it’s over. I’m glad we won.’ I was excited, but I was emotional and just tired.”
Defensive coordinator Bill Young
“To have our players down there with (three) downs inside the five-yard line, that was a heck of a feat for them and you really have take your hat off to them.”
On there being one second left on the clock:
Coach Mike Gundy
“I thought it was a nightmare. I looked up there and was like ‘What?’ It’s like the old high school operator. Surely, somebody could have let that run off. I can promise you, if we were at Midwest City, there would not have been one second left. It would have expired while the ball was in the air. Are you kidding me?
“My family, my kids, everybody was like ‘What happened? What’s your clock operator (doing)?’ It’s not our clock operator. He works for the Big 12, and that’s why. But I promise you, if it wasn’t for that, time’s expired. It’s over with.
“That was kind of like the ultimate downer. Everybody’s like ‘Really? We’ve got another second?’”
Defensive end Richetti Jones
“The second-to-last play, I thought the game was over. When there were five seconds left and Brodrick broke up the pass, I was like ‘Yes! It’s over.’ I could not believe they left one second on the clock. Really? That’s something that happens when you’re on the road.”
On the last play:
Quarterback Brandon Weeden
“I watched it. I was on a knee on the way other side and had a pretty good view of it. I was kind of bummed, because whenever they threw that pass in the corner, there was one second left. I went to grab my helmet, and I said ‘Screw that.’ So I set my helmet back down and ran back to the other end, took a knee and watched it. It was plenty of excitement. Too much excitement.”
Defensive end Richetti Jones
“When that one second was left, I thought ‘OK, everything you have for one second. All the hard work, two-a-days, the spring, everything, for one second to stay undefeated.’ Everybody just did their job, and when I saw him throw the pass to nobody, I was like ‘Yes!’ It was over. Sigh of relief, and I just had to thank God that it was over.”
K-State Carries Special Meaning For Randle
Joe Randle will find some special motivation tonight.
By John Helsley
follow on twitter @jjhelsley
Feel good, Cowboys fans, that Joseph Randle wears orange (or black or gray, whichever it may be) tonight, and not purple.
A star running back out of Wichita, Kansas, Randle might have made Manhattan home. Kansas State coaches made their case and had Randle’s attention.
“They definitely were a serious contender,” Randle said this week. “But I really wanted to come here.”
As always, Randle is a key figure when Oklahoma State takes on K-State in the first-ever meeting featuring both as ranked teams. And don’t be surprised if Randle has a little extra giddyup due to the matchup.
“Yeah, because you know the players on that team,” Randle said. “I know players on that team personally. When I go home, we still hang out and go bowling and stuff like that. It’s going to be special.”
There’s a Wichita connection at play in this game, with Randle on one side and Arthur and Bryce Brown, Tyson Hartman, Chris Harper, Anthony and Jack Cantele, DeMarcus Robinson,Dorrian Roberts and Matthew Pearson all from Wichita.
“A lot of those guys, they come back to Wichita and hang out,” Randle said. “Yeah, it’s going to be special.”
