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Daily Bullets (Oct 14) – Processing the Manhattan Massacre

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6 years ago

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No Surprise

Defensively, I can handle giving up 40 to Tech. I can fathom/sort of stomach 48 against an Iowa State offense brimming with confidence in a freshman quarterback. But 31 to this K-State team is absolutely nauseating.

Kansas State had five drives in the second half. The last one was the end of the game. The other four were all 7+ play 60+ yard marches right down Jim Knowles’ throat for six. Kansas State stole its concepts from the second world war, and they’ve been using them ever since then so it’s not like you don’t know what they’re going to do! [PFB]

If you botched every meeting, every email, every exam for the second half of your work/school day – how would that be received?

I nearly give Knowles’ a pass for his air raid-baptism but good grief, it’s been the same offense in Manhattan since Bill Snyder had colorful pigment in his hair (probably). And you’ve got a staff and a head coach who’s seen it for years.

Mandatory Win

I thought this paragraph from John Helsley before the game communicated the urgency of yesterday’s game well.

Let’s not sugarcoat things, winning in Manhattan isn’t just meaningful, it’s mandatory.

This trip sure seems to set up as a tipping point for the second half of the season. For a team lacking identity and confidence. For a coaching staff scrambling to plug leaks. For a fan base looking for reasons to stay engaged. All these things hang perilously, delicately, on edge.

Remember when many (including me) said OSU could be 7-0 heading into a rugged final five weeks? That’s because Texas Tech, Iowa State, Kansas and Kansas State all looked like bankable wins. Now only the Jayhawks have been deposited, and just getting to 6 wins — and bowl eligibility — seems anything but a given. Not with the rise of Texas — Texas is BACK! — even if that may still be a rush to judgment. Not with OU, West Virginia and TCU back-loaded on the schedule. [GoPokes]

It’s hard to overstate how important that K-State game was to OSU’s season.

Starting From The Top

Something I’m having a hard time processing is how as a fan, how I’d prefer the head coach publicly respond to adversity.

What in Barry Sanders’ name has happened since OSU’s destruction of Boise State?

How alarmed is coach Mike Gundy?

“It’s not alarming at all,” he claimed in postgame. “We prepare the same week for every single game. It’s no different. It’s been that way for 14 years. We go to work, we put a game plan together, we get guys ready to play, we go play. If we were to ever start (getting) alarmed, it would make it a lot worse.”

Yeah, but K-State came in struggling. To have them do what they did in the second half …

“I already answered it once,” Gundy said. “You’re asking me the same question twice.”

Just making sure you wanna go with the same answer …

“Don’t worry about me,” he said. [TulsaWorld]

The capacity to ask other humans difficult, somewhat confrontational questions is hard and I appreciate Emig for pressing and getting Gundy on the record for his stance. Gundy has calmly responded to the questions asked and pointed fingers (often at the offensive line) and now the comments about being alarmed would result in a worse state of mind for the team.

This may be the case (assuming some public spunk wouldn’t show something – this is the same guy from “the rant” after all) but as a fan, some sort of emotion, remorse, disappointment, frustration tells me you care. Undoubtedly Mike Gundy and the team’s level of investment in this season is significantly higher than mine – but I’m not going to college for free or being compensated handsomely to care. Stoic looks on a sideline and Kenzie and the Humane Society promos in the weekly pressers don’t tell me you’re concerned.

OSU and NCAA Notes

Carlson on Gundy on not panicking was good….Looking at why big name CFB coaches are off to slow starts in new jobs….OU could have costed itself two titles not firing Mikey Stoops….Winners and Losers from Week 7 of college football….What’s currently known about the shoulder issues of Texas’ starting quarterback….K-State won the battle for mediocrity yesterday….Cowgirl Equestrian with a top five upset yesterday

Cowboy Basketball has an open practice this afternoon in OKC – swing by and forget your football woes.

I keep thinking about how OSU pays $5m a year for Gundy’s leadership – consider me incredibly curious (while not excited) to see what he does over the remainder of the season.

Cowboys take on Kansas this morning for a shot at the finals this afternoon.

Incredibly surprised K-State offensive linemen weren’t on this list.

Mad props to Iowa State for shutting down West Virginia but the unis were not good… in the neighborhood of Baylor in all blacks.

Massive loss in recruiting for Wisconsin.

Yesterday on PFB
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