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Daily Bullets (Oct 13) – Optimism Going into K-State, Redshirt Discussions

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6 years ago

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Glass Half Full

I’d been struggling to find optimism around OSU football lately while the Pokes rebuild this year – until I read this piece that is.

The good outweighs the bad by several factors, and while the beginning of this season has shined a light on some weaknesses that Mason Rudolph and James Washington kept hidden for several years, these are not necessarily fundamental issues based on, you know, how OSU fundamentally wins games. They are not cracks in the foundation. Even if Oklahoma State plays out the string and misses a bowl for the first time in forever, it doesn’t mean the entire thing is off the rails. [PFB]

Over the years we’ve gotten used to OSU winning games against comparable talent. A couple of weeks against *should beat* competition and it feels like the whole thing has fallen apart.

Keep the Redshirt On

HCS made a pretty sound argument for keeping the redshirt on Spencer Sanders.

But playing him right now would be a mistake by Mike Gundy, who for the first time in a long time is suddenly chasing bowl eligibility instead of trying to compete for a conference championship.

This week’s game versus Kansas State is winnable even with the problems. If the Pokes play like they did against Iowa State, the Wildcats and Bears are the games left on the schedule that Oklahoma State should win. The Cyclones’ defense is better than what either of those squads field and OSU managed to score 42 points, even in its dysfunction. Repeat that performance against KSU and BU and the Cowboys get to six wins and bowl eligibility. Play a little better and you have a chance to beat TCU as well to end the season.

I understand that’s not exactly the year Cowboys fans hoped for, but it’s probably a realistic expectation as we approach mid-October. Going 3-3 in the final six games should be the goal. Does making a quarterback switch to Sanders change the season enough that its worth burning his redshirt year by playing him the rest of the season?

Absolutely not. Unless you think Sanders can run the table and get OSU to 10-2 playing him now is more risk than reward. [Heartland College Sports]

What seems most likely to me is riding Cornelius with a 40 percent chance we see Sanders get Rudolphed for the last three games if bowl eligibility is on the table (last four if it’s not).

Pull the Trigger

In the same HCS piece, it’s recommended to pull the other redshirt and I couldn’t agree more.

No, in my opinion you stay the course, at least for one more game. If the offense is highly questionable against a pretty bad Kansas State team or OSU walks away with a loss (or both!) you make the switch then, but not to Sanders.

To Dru Brown.

Sanders is the future in Stillwater, Brown is a band-aid. A one-year rental either this season or next. If Oklahoma State falls to 4-3 in Manhattan, you give the reins to Brown and hope he can spark the team to 2 more wins. He has game experience as a two-year starter at Hawaii. Specifically his experience is behind a porous offensive line as well, so he’d be thrown into a fire he’s dealt with before. The bye week would let the Cowboys tweak the offense bit to what they think he can handle before Texas rolls into town on Homecoming.

The hope here would be of course getting two more wins, presumably against Baylor and TCU, to get the team to a bowl and that all important extra month of practice that would greatly help all the youth the Cowboys have. [Heartland College Sports]

Unless you unequivocally (think overturning a play on the field with overwhelming evidence) think Cornelius is head-and-shoulders better than Dru Brown, you need to play him. Why? Dru Brown won’t start over Sanders next year, will he?

OSU and NCAA Notes

Strong words from Carlson here on Taylor Cornelius not being the problem….Hugh Freeze got a job in a developmental league….The emergence of using multiple tailbacks in college football….How an unheralded tight end from Kingfisher, Oklahoma became one of Texas A&M’s best players….For those heading to Manhattan – tailgating may be more like sailgating today

Great first day in Big 12 match play for the Pokes in Houston yesterday.

It’s been tough to watch this guy thrive at Colorado – he would have been fantastic at OSU this year.

VT channeling his inner Kevin Williams.

These weekly videos are pretty funny, OSU makes an appearance less than 15 seconds in.

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