Daily Bullets (Oct 18) – Perceiving the Problem Rightly, Considering the QB Options

Frustrated For the Right Reasons

Porter nailed it in this piece looking at (in his opinion) what’s most reasonable to be frustrated about these days.

Oklahoma State is not emptying the tank to win football games. It is simply pounding its fists and saying that this time — THIS TIME! — it will work. Well it’s not working.

I’ve always thought Gundy’s two worst qualities were clock management and crootin. I think you can throw a lack of what I’ll call team self awareness. Maybe that’s not the right way to say it, but there has to be some realization that if you don’t have the ability to line up 11 on 11 and beat the other side of the ball in a football game, you have to change something to stack the deck in your favor. You have to do something outside the normal way you always do things to tip the scales to your side.

Fakes, trick plays, literally anything that reveals that you’re doing everything in your power to win.

So next time Gundy takes the dais and talks about how he knows what’s wrong and OSU thinks they can fix it to be more competitive in the future, don’t be angry because he’s not yelling and screaming. Be angry because the evidence we have on the field is that they aren’t currently doing “whatever is required” to win college football games on Saturday afternoons. [PFB]

I think this is the ingredient, the element in the soup that takes it from tasting great to the smoky, burnt taste. Talent development that regularly sees offensive players pop, (not to be too much of a boy scout) but a culture that you can be proud of. But the overly conservative nature, the lack of “what do we have to lose?” is what’s missing.

When I consider what’s going to make me want to drive home at 1am after a Texas game we shouldn’t win, it’s not that Gundy’s going to roll out the same plan as the last three disappointing losses. It will (if it comes) be a belief that there’s a jack-up-the-sleeve, something the pride of Midwest City will throw at the Longhorns that they won’t be ready for.

Reading the Tea Leaves

When considering the Cowboy quarterback situation, there may be an explanation but comes across fringey… but possible. And it stems from one question – how concerned is Gundy about burning a redshirt?

This may sound very conspiracy-theoryist, but is there some concern that (Dru) Brown or (Spencer) Sanders may actually thrive and thus demand more than the four free games, putting them on the clock now, instead of next year? I don’t know. But I know that when it comes to quarterbacks, Gundy is loyal to a fault. Remember the Cotton Bowl following the 2009 season, when Zac Robinson was significantly compromised by injuries, yet played all the way in a 21-7 loss? [GoPokes]

I’m not sure if bowl games figure in (possibly a bit presumptive) but that could be a reason why the Baylor game is interesting – whoever starts then could finish the season and keep their eligibility for next year.

OSU and NCAA Notes

Love these college football relegation articles….CBS put out their mid-season All-American team….The top 100 players in college basketball….CBB Scandal: Kansas on record discussing benefits for a top recruit who then went to Duke

Well, there’s that. Could be gamesmanship or it could be the same perspective that started Cate over Weeden.

Mike Gundy met with reporters tonight after #OKState practice. Asked if he’s changed the distribution of practice reps at QB this week, he said no.

“If we thought we had players that would improve us drastically or even some, we would have already made that move.”

— Mark Cooper (@mark_cooperjr) October 18, 2018

Have mercy, Hovland.

No mulligan needed! During the #USAmateur final, Viktor Hovland got up and down from a spot no one would want to be in! #NationalMulliganDay pic.twitter.com/L9cN5f0SNV

— USGA (@USGA) October 17, 2018

It feels like Tylan has caught 28 contested passes doesn’t it?

Oklahoma State WR Tylan Wallace leads not only the Power-5 WRs, but all FBS WRs, with his 14 contested catches this seasonhttps://t.co/sbqvwlcnWQ pic.twitter.com/IvDq4mXsxf

— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 16, 2018

With the defensive struggles to this point I wouldn’t have guessed three on the midseason team. And a backup linebacker!

Joe Dineen headlines the PFF Midseason All-Big 12 Defensehttps://t.co/sbqvwlcnWQ pic.twitter.com/nDJeCj1ASI

— PFF College (@PFF_College) October 16, 2018

Yesterday on PFB

• What Gundy lacks in hysteria, he can make up for in creativity
• The three Kyles look at life post-K-State loss
• Porter took some questions in a reader mailbag
• See where the pundits have OSU going bowling
• Ragusa takes a look at the offense from the K-State game

Stuff I’m Reading

• Time realists and time optimists
• Millennials would rather own a home than get married or have kids
• Jon Hamm points to Westbrook increasing his efficiency as the answer