Daily Bullets (Jan. 30): Cost-Benefit of Four-Star Recruits, Triplets vs. the Spencer Sanders Show

Pokes landed a 2020 junior college linebacker – not highly touted but the good news is he won’t be counted on for much next year (ideally). 

Bullets Rundown

• Cost-benefit of four-star recruits
• Two scenarios not to sell Chuba’s Heisman stock
• Triplets vs. the Spencer show

Scores

• WBB: TCU 72, Cowgirls 68

OSU Bullets

• This line from Boone’s piece looking at the cost-benefit of four-star recruits is spot on.

The hit rate for higher-rated recruits continues to be higher than those less-heralded. Others, though, simply don’t pan out. Moore is simply the latest example that fans — and media (guilty) — who plead for four- and five-stars and nothing less may be misguided in their one-track approach. Sometimes it’s more than that. [PFB]

Said differently, there’s four-star talent and then there’s a four-star fit – it probably takes both for a player to pop at a school.

• With 20/1 Heisman odds, this article points out a good reason to “sell” on Chuba Hubbard’s Heisman chances.

Hubbard might be just as sharp this year, but he’s not going to be demonstrably better. And he didn’t sniff New York in 2019. Unless Oklahoma State breaks through for a Big 12-winning campaign — and we don’t see that — Hubbard is basically a more southernly-located Jonathan Taylor, in that it doesn’t matter what he does for Heisman purposes. That might seem cynical (OK, it is cynical), but we also think that’s just the reality. [Yahoo Sports]

There are two ways Chuba gets an invite – if OSU wins double-digit games, makes it to Arlington and he has similar numbers as last year or if he has the Jonathan Taylor-effect where he finally has some brand equity built up, has some good games on national tv, and the quarterback candidates cannibalize themselves, he’ll have a chance.

• Consider more fully how competitive OSU football should be in 2020 – specifically how good they would have been with just Tylan Wallace returning.

Well not only is Wallace back to spearhead this passing attack but (Dylan Stoner and Braydon Johnson) are also back to work with a now redshirt sophomore Spencer Sanders over the summer.

In my book, that alone made OSU a real contender to win 10 games and vie for a place in the Big 12 championship. But Gundy clearly sensed opportunity and that wasn’t it for the ‘Pokes. [Concerning Sports]

Johnson and Stoner both showed they’re completely capable of handling alpha-duties in Wallace’s absence, developments that will only be accentuated by Wallace’s presence.

It’s one thing to be pessimistic about OSU because 2017 didn’t work out with a title game appearance but it’s a whole nother (more fun proposition) to consider watching the three amigos suit up as opposed to Spencer Sanders trying to create flying solo. 

• That’s a lot of tackles coming back – generally (2019-20 Cowboy Basketball excluded) returning production is a great sign.

The #okstate defense returns 87% of its total tackle production from 2019 in 2020. ???#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/lGfnQOdnaW

— Cowboy Football ??? (@CowboyFB) January 29, 2020

• This former OSU football assistant said something you can’t say and will surely be let go for it

• Tim Rattay’s got an offer out to a highly touted QB for 2021

Non-OSU Bullets

• How Bennet Omalu, doctor of ‘Concussion’ fame, built a career on distorted science
• A nightmare of the “cancel culture”
• Liked these faith-based pieces on the (positive) lingering effect of words and “thanks for talking with me”

This Alps time lapse has me jacked for a (domestic) ski trip next month:

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZIEXbOGo-5c&w=950&h=534]