Daily Bullets (Nov 4) – Offense Carries the Load, Bowl Hopes

Couldn’t have said it better.

FINAL: Baylor 35, Oklahoma State 31 pic.twitter.com/omVfuCcURz

— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) November 3, 2018

Carrying the Load

While it’s natural to point the finger for yesterday’s loss, there are things to be mindful of for context.

On a day so many things went wrong for the Cowboys — penalties by the dozen, including nine by the defense, and special teams blunders that cost 13 points — the Cowboys fittingly put the game in the offense’s hands when it hung in the balance. The offense wasn’t perfect Saturday, but it was easily the best thing going for the Cowboys.

After a three-and-out punt on its opening possession of the second half, OSU scored touchdowns on its next three drives. And none of them were gimmes.

Eleven plays, 80 yards.

Seven plays, 51 yards.

Fifteen plays, 79 yards.

The offensive balance was magnificent. Fourteen passes, nine of them completed for 134 yards and one touchdown. Twenty runs for 93 yards and two touchdowns.

A similar mix bore out overall as the Cowboys passed for 311 yards and rushed for 212 yards. [NewsOK]

It’s so easy to say “if Tylan caught that pass against Iowa State” or “If TC had completed that pass to Jelani Woods” and you’d be right. But there are so many other things that could have been done to not even be in that situation. Take the below for example.

The overwhelming point from Mike Gundy postgame: #OKState is not good enough of a team to overcome 133 penalty yards and a blocked punt for a touchdown.

— Nathan Ruiz (@NathanSRuiz) November 3, 2018

Bowling Aspirations

OSU’s bowl hopes took a sincere blow yesterday, let’s take an early look at the new expectations.

Gundy’s Cowboys suffered their fourth loss in a 35-31 heartbreaker against Baylor. With three games left, two against teams vying for spots in the College Football Playoff, OSU saw its path to bowl eligibility become murky.

The Cowboys visit No. 7 Oklahoma next week before hosting No. 13 West Virginia for their home finale. Should OSU fall in both matchups, it would need to win at TCU to earn a bowl berth for the 13th straight season.

Representatives for the Camping World Bowl were in attendance Saturday, but the Cowboys are unlikely to make a repeat appearance in Orlando, Florida. Their likeliest landing spots, should they make a bowl, are the Liberty Bowl, Cheez-Its Bowl and Armed Forces Bowl. [NewsOK]

OSU and NCAA Notes

Great feature by The Ringer on Cowboy great Daniel Cormier….Marcus Smart made a rap song and music video….37 crazy college basketball predictions to get you in the mood (and help not think about yesterday)….Great summary of last week’s Maryland football situation….Tyreek Hill has been passed as fastest NFL player this year

After Herman brilliantly calling a second timeout on what would have been a game-winning two-point conversion, this was a fun moment.

WILL GRIER. 2-POINT CONVERSION WITH THE GAME ON THE LINE.

This man's got ice in his veins, y'all. pic.twitter.com/CQikTxeA8J

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 3, 2018

So apparently the whole “Tech QB got hit in the head and didn’t play in second half” wasn’t legit.

OK the Alan Bowman getting hit in the head theory is officially debunked. Bowman suffered a partially collapsed lung earlier this season and was in obvious discomfort while warming up for the second half. pic.twitter.com/PlQEom82fn

— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) November 4, 2018

Cowboy Basketball is back today at 2pm.

It's almost time to do this for real. Come see @KidClutch00 and the Cowboys take on @OBUMBB on Sunday at 2 p.m. #c2e #okstate

? just $5 at https://t.co/JeOOvHgAiY pic.twitter.com/LEQYTim2qO

— Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) November 2, 2018

Sounds like OSU dodged a bullet not promoting VanGorder from analyst.

Life without Brian Vangorder as my favorite team’s Defensive Coordinator is considerably better than the other thing. pic.twitter.com/kEkdpKmurS

— Cayden McFarland (@caydenmc) November 3, 2018

Yesterday on PFB

• Ten Thoughts on the Baylor game
• Boone with the gamer on OSU’s loss yesterday
• Six quotes from the Cowboys loss in Waco
• Yurcich had some Corndog comments after the loss
• Lack of discipline and penalties sunk OSU’s hope yesterday
• The fourth down play that decided the game yesterday