Daily Bullets (Apr. 9): Technical Flaws in Gundy’s Plan, Vast Majority of ADs Want to Expand the Playoff

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The Tulsa transfer considering the Pokes is making his decision today – OSU could be down to zero open roster spots for the first time in a couple of years today. 

Bullets Rundown

• Carlson looks at the technical flaws in Gundy’s remarks
• Coach Holder says to tap the breaks on that 5/1 date
• Boynton’s got a heck of a non-con lined up for next winter

OSU Bullets

• The Oklahoman‘s Jenni Carlson pointed out the two main technical flaws with Mike Gundy’s remarks from earlier in the week.

“They’re in good shape,” (Gundy) said of the players. “They’re all 18, 19, 20, 21, 22 years old. They’re healthy. A lot of them can fight it off with their natural body, the antibodies and build that they have.”

Apparently, evidence indicating young and healthy does not always prevent death with COVID-19 applies to others.

Ditto for the Big 12 edict banning all in-person activities through May 31. [NewsOK $$$]

Lost in all of this – who are the most (informally) authoritative voices in the state of Oklahoma? Lincoln Riley and Mike Gundy are both top-five. Ditto for the governor but I’d put him behind.

Carlson’s thesis was that we expect too much from our football coaches as cultural icons and she may be right. Mike Gundy has done more with Oklahoma State football than anyone ever – both as a coach and as a personality drawing generally positive attention to the school. But he got out over his skis on this one.

For your reference, we published the transcript and video from the conference here.

• Mike Holder thinks May 1st may be ambitious to get players back on campus

• Cowboy Basketball has a stacked 2020-2021 nonconference schedule waiting for Cade and Co.

Louisville at TBD (No. 9 in 2020 KenPom)
at Wichita State (No. 39)
Three of FSU, UH, Seton Hall, Tennessee, VCU, Charleston, Penn St. at Charleston Classic (No. 55 avg)
vs. Virginia Tech (No. 105)
Iona at MSG (No. 221)
vs. SEC opponent
vs. Big East opponent [PFB]

• This is wild to me – 88 percent of athletic directors (polled anonymously) like the idea of expanding the playoff.

What kind of odds would you give me that six of those 15 who don’t want to expand are the teams who always go? And that the other nine are SEC teams?

• I agree with this take from Berry T. – runaway coaching salaries will be the first budget lines to fall under scrutiny

• Five guys in the Hall seems impressive.

5⃣ in the @Hoophall. Who's next?#LetsWork I #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/TpzCSyDZia

— Cowboy Basketball (@OSUMBB) April 9, 2020

• I’m going house four. Every. Time.

What house do you choose? ?#okstate ⎮ #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/HZwqvNEjQz

— OSU Alumni Assoc. (@OKStateAlumni) April 8, 2020

Non-OSU Bullets

• These two older NBA pieces were terrific: this one on “Pistol” Pete Maravich and this one on Woj and how he gets his scoops
• This Ringer piece looking at a 9-year-olds birthday was a great commentary on life
• A couple of good virus pieces here: how contact tracing could free us and the way the virus changed the internet (via NYT)
• Really appreciated this faith-based article looking at the Lord’s prayer in a time of crisis