Don’t Underestimate the Momentum Oklahoma State Has Right Now

I don’t think anyone is arguing that Oklahoma State is 1995 Nebraska or 2005 Texas brought back to life. But they remain one of 10 teams in the country sitting at 5-0 and one of the few that already has two conference wins (Florida is the only undefeated team with three).

I have a theory about certain athletes and teams that when you start thinking you’re a lot better than you actually are, you usually end up playing like it. It seems as if nobody has told anyone on this team that they narrowly escaped a lousy Longhorns team and 5th-string QB for Kansas State.

“We’re a confident football team right now,” said J.W. Walsh. “We haven’t won exactly how you would want to win, but coming away with two close victories early on in the season is going to help our football team in the long run.

“We have a lot of experience with those games and having it under our belt is going to help on the road in a tough place like West Virginia. Having the experienced guys on our team is a big part of that.”

This is a bigger deal than folks might think, especially with a young QB and the parity that reigns in the Big 12 (and around the country). Coming off last season, there was some question about how much swagger OSU deserved to carry. They were awful last season, and you could see it from week to week in the way they carried themselves on the field.

Mike Gundy (kind of) noted this earlier this week.

“Everything’s exciting, and you never know what you’re going to get from week to week. We’re moving forward. We feel like we’re still somewhat of a fresh and healthy football team, which is important.”[1. This was before the Ryan Simmons injury news broke.]

In a year when nobody is good (apparently) and you’re just trying to survive from week to week, this matters. Think about that 2013 season when OSU went to Texas and hosted Baylor after reeling off five straight. They were better than Texas that season (though not by a ton) but not as good as Baylor. They smoked both because they were starting to feel the rhythm of an all-time season.

I’m not saying OSU is there yet or that Morgantown will definitely be a win. But in the midst of all the talk about the run game and how many points KSU’s offense put up on OSU’s defense, remember that a confident, streaking team with a terrific QB and a defense that can get you stops might be enough to just get you to the next week. And then the one after that.

And then the one after that.

OSU is in “what is this season actually going to be?” territory right now. I’m confident in their confidence. Saturday should be a great show.