Daily Bullets (Nov. 18): Pokes Encourage in Win Over Yale, A Nonsense Rudolph Brawl Take

“It is impossible to live without failing at something unless you live so cautiously that you might as well not have lived at all, in which case you have failed by default.”
― J.K. Rowling

Bullets Rundown

• Chuba Heisman chatter
• Cowboys win with defense plus one
• The silliest Rudolph/Garrett take

Scores

• MBB: Pokes 64, Yale 57

OSU Bullets

• This is fun to hear – Chuba Hubbard is picking up steam in Heisman conversations. 

4. Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State

With another 164 yards and two touchdowns for Hubbard in an easy win over Kansas, what looked like an all-QB affair at the Heisman ceremony seems increasingly likely to include the Cowboys’ tailback. [ESPN]

It seems more and more as playoff contenders fall out of the picture and the excellent separate from the “pretty good”, players get into that conversation based on their merit. It’s hard to leave Chuba out of that conversation.

Something else fun was watching football on Saturday afternoon and seeing Chuba Hubbard-updates on the bottom line.

• In the Cowboy win over Yale yesterday, the offense struggled and the defense shined but one player carried the Pokes offensively – and that’s an encouraging sign.

For those who need a refresher, (Lindy) Waters hit four 3s in the final minute against Texas Tech (last season) to send the game to overtime. The Cowboys trailed 65-59 with a minute left in that game before Waters’ takeover.

It wasn’t as crazy Sunday, but Waters scored eight points in three straight possessions in the final 2:17 to put Yale down for good.

Waters’ spree started with back-to-back 3-pointers in a game the Cowboys couldn’t hit water (pun intended) if they fell out of a boat. OSU finished 4-for-19 from deep, and Waters had three of them. [PFB]

It’s nice when the Pokes have five in double-digits and find perfect synergy. But for OSU to beat a mid-major while only really needing to have one guy “on”, that’s a sustainable way to win games.

• Jenni Carlson’s piece on Chuba Hubbard’s Heisman hopes from Saturday was great

• There’s an argument around the Mason Rudolph/Myles Garrett brawl that’s completely irrational.

Garrett will rightfully receive the brunt of the condemnation for Thursday’s chaos. Rudolph arguably provoked him, but Garrett’s actions were beyond the pale… That Garrett took a helmet and smashed it into Rudolph’s unprotected head is unconscionable. (Rudolph said after the game that he is fine, calling Garrett’s act “cowardly.”) Garrett faces a lengthy suspension—and this act could define his career. [TheRinger]

This writer was doing more of a nod to the narrative that “Rudolph… provoked him” and putting it out that it was “unconscionable” – the correct angle. Hitting someone in the head with a helmet might be called for if they hit you with one first. Assuming that your life was threatened.

This whole “Rudolph egged him on…” nonsense is just irrational to even mention in the conversation. In our legal system, if a person retaliates with much greater force than with which they were initiated, there’s no justification for this behavior. If someone throws a cup of water on you and you hit them with a bat, you’re not justified and can be prosecuted.

• This is a great question – OSU has to be the one to get there first, right? If Matt Rhule stays in Waco, I could see Baylor getting there first.

25 Power 5 teams have never reached No. 1 in the AP poll.

Who will be the next first-time No. 1? pic.twitter.com/nEJhmjSSiC

— Matt Brown (@MattBrownCFB) November 17, 2019

• Good for Obialo to do so well after leaving Stillwater – he would have been a solid deep threat for the Pokes opposite Wallace/Stoner.

Obi Obialo was targeted early and often in Marshall's win over Louisiana Tech! pic.twitter.com/Ax8uOucYlC

— PFF College (@PFF_College) November 17, 2019

Non-OSU Bullets

• I liked these seven ideas to make fall better
• This might vs. this better
• How the Phoenix Suns are playing so well is good (love that half-second rule and would love even more to see Monty Williams coaching OKC at some point)