Daily Bullets (Oct. 29): Where Optimism Abounds for the Pokes

Chuba’s not slowing down.

Bullets Rundown

• The turning point that could be Iowa State
• OSU’s Big 12-title chances (!)
• Cam Murray turning heads

OSU Bullets

• Bill Haisten nailed how big of a deal the Iowa State win is will depend on what OSU does next.

Whether this was a signature win depends on what Oklahoma State does with it.

The November schedule includes next week’s home game against TCU (a Saturday winner over Texas), a home game against Les Miles and the Kansas Jayhawks, a trip to West Virginia and a Bedlam home game against the no-longer-invincible Oklahoma Sooners. [TulsaWorld]

TCU, West Virginia, and Kansas are all winnable games – while being favored at home hasn’t been a bankable proposition of late. But it could be a major turning point in Spencer Sanders – and Mike Gundy’s – career.

• Having said the above, here’s an optimistic take about how OSU can work their way into the Big 12 title game.

I mean, look at Oklahoma State’s slate. They have three losses, which is hard to surmount, but they have three super winnable games coming up before what could end up being a de-facto play-in game against the Sooners at home if things break their way with the Sooners taking a loss somewhere and Texas and Iowa State dropping more games. [Conerning Sports]

OU has to play Iowa State and Baylor (in Waco) still – take care of three games that OSU should and who knows what happens.

• Collect your earnings if you had money that defensive lineman Cam Murray would be meriting attention (PFF’s first-team edge defender) at any point this year.

A conference-leading six pressures at the edge-rusher position in Week 9 earns Murray his place on the team of the week. Although five were hurries, Murray managed to easily surpass his previous game-best of three pressures in 2019. [PFF]

Murray was joined on the team by defenders at every level: Amen Ogbongbemiga and Kolby-Harvel Peel. And neither of those was the Big 12 defender of the week.

• Tramel’s travel blog from Ames was good

• This was crazy – a fan (non-fatally) fell off the upper deck at Iowa State‘s Jack Trice Stadium on Saturday

• The 2020 draft looks to be chocked-full of wide receiver talent (Tylan Wallace mentioned). I’d still put the odds of Tylan returning pretty low.

• Kolby Harvell-Peel set the record for pass breakups in a game and had one of the most disruptive games for a defender in college football this season.

Most havoc plays in a game this season:

Chase Young, Oh St (7 vs Wisc)
Kolby Harvell-Peel, Ok St (7 vs Iowa St)
Andre Grayson, Utah St (7 vs Nevada)
Demetrius Taylor, App St (6.5 vs UNC)
Derrick Brown, Auburn (6 vs A&M)
Jon Greenard, Florida (6 vs Tenn)https://t.co/4lAsg8k4og

— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) October 28, 2019

Non-OSU Bullets

• The surprising greatness of the 49ers (and unsurprising Patriots)
• Enjoy pleasures less frequently to increase your enjoyment
• Really enjoyed this faith-based read on the purpose of kindness