Daily Bullets (Sept. 3): Reason to Believe in Cowboy Football

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Bullets Rundown

• Reason to believe in Cowboy Football
• Sanders’ unique qualities he (appears to) combine
• When Sanders got the job

OSU Bullets

• If you’re looking for a reason to believe in this Cowboy Football team, here’s an excellent argument for you to tap into.

I’m actually rather optimistic about these Pokes, a mood based on talent and schedule and a shift in leadership across the Big 12.

Yes, OSU limped to a 7-6 season a year ago – the program’s worst finish since a similar 7-6 mark in 2014 – yet it was an illogical 7-6.

The Cowboys tangled well with the better teams, carrying wins over Boise State, Texas, West Virginia and Missouri, and losing at playoff-bound Oklahoma when a two-point try at game’s end failed in a 48-47 shootout. [GoPokes]

So much of the change in Cowboy Football under Mike Gundy has been about consistently believing that OSU will win and make it happen more often than not. It’s unusual that OSU struggled the way they did last year – but they did prove they can beat teams they shouldn’t.

• One of the best things about Spencer Sanders is that he’s the first quarterback since 2010 that appears to be able to run and throw well.

But most importantly, the Cowboys have found their quarterback. As we still need to see more of his passing abilities, one thing is for certain: Spencer Sanders is a threat to run the football playing quarterback which is something that hasn’t been seen in Stillwater since JW Walsh was playing. Also no disrespect to JW, but Spencer has a much higher ceiling and if he can start making more strides as the season goes on… [HCS]

The rest of non-conference play lines up really well for Sanders. McNeese (or insert FCS team name here) is good timing – Sanders will have the opportunity to try some throws against a defense that’s clearly outmanned. Then Tulsa, who played well defensively against Michigan State, will be a good step up before heading to Austin.

• It’s incredible that Gundy was able to keep camp locked up so much and that the “race” between Spencer Sanders and Dru Brown wasn’t unveiled for what it was: non-existent.

It’s too early to say a star was born – stars are not born against Oregon State – but it’s not too early to say that Sanders is the real deal. That he’s what GundyWorld was hoping Sanders would be when recruited out of Denton, Texas, two years ago. That the Sanders/Dru Brown quarterback derby was as much myth as the Kyler Murray/Austin Kendall cotillion last year in Norman. [NewsOK]

The tidbit leaked out that it had been “known” for a while that Sanders had won but that doesn’t mean it hadn’t been a competition, at a minimum through the spring.

I liked the comment about how stars are born – I can’t wait to see Sanders against Texas.

• Overreactions from week one in college football

• Dez Bryant is headed towards a mid-October comeback

• This bodes well for the Texas matchup (assuming the running back they just lost doesn’t return by then):

Texas' RB depth chart entering the LSU game:

1. Keaontay Ingram
2. Third-string QB
3. Converted LB

➡️ https://t.co/rak1XoLHQ2 pic.twitter.com/EpBaMeBORD

— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) September 2, 2019

Non-OSU Bullets

• The commuting principle that’s shaped urban history

• So… Matthew McConaghey is a professor at the University of Texas