Daily Bullets (June 14)

Glass Half Full?

In the wake of the media stirring podcast with OSU AD Mike Holder – Berry Tramel posed a great question on Cowboy success.

Holder went a little off the rails. Five-star recruits are rare for anyone this side of Alabama or Ohio State. And expecting the Cowboys to match Georgia or Clemson, much less OU or Texas, is asking a little much, considering tradition.

Since the advent of the 1970s, only twice has OSU had more players picked in a particular draft than has OU: 4-3 in 1986, 1-0 in 1995.

Over the last 10 years, when OU won 105 games and OSU 96, the draft tabbed 52 Sooners and 19 Cowboys. The eternal question in Stillwater — why can’t the Cowboys win more Bedlams? — is misguided. The better question is, how are the Cowboys winning as much as they do? [NewsOK]

I’d highly recommend reading the piece and even more to consider which question perplexes you more: that OSU wins Bedlam once every four years or that they win 9 games a year swiping recruits from UTEP and SMU.

Rickie is Not Nice

While Rickie Fowler is perceived as one of the most appealing pros, a combination of talent, flair, and a good heart – is it possible that he’s too nice to win a major?

He has proved he can shoot 32 while chasing on the Sunday back nine at Augusta National, where he said in April that he felt, for the first time, that he figured out how to win a major.

“I would say previously, I was still feeling the nerves and dealing with tough rounds and things not going your way,” Fowler said then.

Three weeks ago, at the Fort Worth Invitational, Fowler said that his final Masters round was “definitely the most confidence I’ve felt in a major.”

So now all he has to do is go out and actually win one.

“I’ve heard people say that Rick is too nice, and I don’t think that’s the case at all,” Teasdall said. “But they’ll probably keep saying it until he wins a major.” [ESPN]

It’s reasonable to say that being both nice and competitive isn’t possible, but the way Fowler fought back on that final day at Augusta was more than enough to show his stripes.

OSU and NCAA Notes

Robert Allen projects his 2018-2019 starting lineup for Cowboy Basketball….”Texas is a quarterback away from a ten win season…as usual.”….Do bowl games need to see more Power Five vs. Group of Five matchups….Good idea here pumped by Tramel – NCAA should chill on football and basketball draft policies….Western Kentucky landed a five-star post player for this upcoming basketball season

Pokes got robbed on No. 4.

The best of the best.

Don't you just love college baseball?#SCtop10 ⚾️ pic.twitter.com/i0u5nx84KU

— NCAA Baseball (@NCAACWS) June 13, 2018

Magic Johnson-O’Neal here, goodness.

Another day, another opportunity! Thank you @Lakers pic.twitter.com/3r3kDEdXc6

— Jeffrey Carroll (@J30Carroll) June 13, 2018

Pretty incredible rookie hazing pic here of Robinson – congrats on the engagement.

Big congrats to @Zac_Robinson5 on getting engaged! Happy for you!! We need to re-up this cut for big day ? pic.twitter.com/jiZdF1GFES

— Mason Rudolph (@Rudolph2Mason) June 14, 2018

What You Missed on PFB

• A five-star power forward made his way to campus this week
• OSU landed a quarterback for the 2019 football class
• NCAA passed some wide-sweeping reforms yesterday
• Five reasons why Rickie Fowler will win the 2018 U.S. Open
• See what football players OSU is recruiting in the latest Reload

Other Stuff I’m Reading

• Good perspective on the Paul George-free agency from The Ringer
• Liked this piece outlining what every NBA’s Western Conference team needs to do this summer
• Pretty cool that North America will host the World Cup (in 2026)
• AT&T-Time Warner merger sounds like a good deal – Cliff Notes here