Daily Bullets (July 29): OSU’s Top Games for 2019 Season

Had a blast out with the PFB crew last night in Tulsa (watch the Twitter account for pics) – starting to get excited for the season coming up.

Bullets Rundown

• Big 12’s top games in 2019 (and where OSU fits)
• Steelers’ GM talks James Washington
• Analysts talk Cade Cunningham

OSU Bullets

• Berry Tramel ranked the top games in the Big 12 this season and OSU made two of the top six.

4. Oklahoma at Oklahoma State, Nov. 30: Will OSU be a Big 12 title game contender? Who knows? But Bedlam football again has become wild; witness the 48-47 thriller a year ago on Owen Field.

5. Iowa at Iowa State, Sept. 14: An early showdown that could stamp the Cyclones as a Big 12 title threat and give the Big 12 bragging rights over the Big Ten.

6. Oklahoma State at Texas, Sept. 21: The Cowboys have won five straight in Austin; make it six, and OSU will jump into contender status. [NewsOK]

Bedlam (with one-sided results) has turned into must-watch football, even more than Red River. And OSU-Texas in Austin will give us a good hint about if “Texas is back” and if OSU is a contender.

• The Pittsburgh Steelers’ GM had some thoughts to share about Cowboy alum James Washington. 

“James had a rough start,” (Kevin) Colbert said in February. “I mean, it was disappointing because he was dropping balls that he didn’t drop in college. James had I believe 35 touchdowns at Oklahoma State when he played with Mason Rudolph and was a very productive player, but he also went through an adjustment and learning of the NFL game and he fought through it week after week. He had the big drop at Denver, where he probably should have just run through the ball. He probably would have scored. But his confidence after that game grew to where he was a contributor down the stretch. So, not uncommon for rookie players to go through that, but we had no question about James Washington’s ability to catch the football and now he’s starting to show that.” [CBS Sports]

While he didn’t live up to day-two pick expectations (rounds two and three) in his rookie season, it sounds like there’s plenty of encouraging commentary so far. It sounds like the team has an insurance policy in place just in case.

If Washington looks anything like the deep threat he was in college he’ll open things up for the rest of the passing game. If the adjustment from college to the NFL lingers into Year 2, the Steelers have an insurance policy in Donte Moncrief. [CBS Sports]

• Man, watching the top 2020 Cowboy target Cade Cunnigham go through his recruitment, specifically reading what analysts have to say about him as a prospect has been really fun. Below is a summary of said commentary.

The best prospect in high school basketball! Still 17 years old! Luka Doncic comps! There’s even been a bit of talk about Cunningham coming into college for this season. That’s not going to happen (obviously), but that it was in play at all is ?. [PFB]

• This German quarterback that TCU and Baylor just offered looks legit (great reporting in the article by Bleacher Report)

• If Tylan Wallace can layer his deep game with some shorter stuff, he’ll go in the first two days of the draft (may go that high without it).

Most deep receiving yards (20+ yard targets) among returning FBS WRs:

Tylan Wallace – 708
Jerry Jeudy – 570
Justyn Ross – 500
Collin Johnson – 472
Reggie Roberson Jr. – 459
JoJo Ward – 455
Tamorrion Terry – 450
Tre Walker – 450
K.J. Osborn (w/ BUF) – 435
James Proche – 426

— Cam Mellor (@PFF_Cam) July 26, 2019

Non-OSU Bullets

• “The Trust Crisis” was good – HBR looks at how companies have lost the trust of the public

• Excellent faith-based read for dads with daughters

• Love stuff like this – who will be the next Pascal Siakam in the NBA (breakout star)

• Flew threw this short faith-based read over the weekend – incredible writing but I have no clue where I stand on some of the conclusions