Five Post-Bedlam Realities: How I’m Processing This Loss

Walking down Knoblock and feeling the enormous weight of a new Bedlam memory to sort through — vowing to repress thoughts on missed calls and unhealthy questions (Is it a loving thing to encourage OSU fandom on my kids?) — certain facts impacted the mental state of this fan.

Here are some realities I found to be helpful, assuming you’re ready to feel something positive after yesterday.

First is some overarching context.

Oklahoma State is still a Winning Program

Oklahoma State is winning ball games to the tune of ten wins in five of the last seven years. Cardiac Cowboys has been a more apt descriptor than the age-old “Poke Choke,” a Stillwater version of “Clemsoning.” That’s unbelievable for a place like Oklahoma State, a historically below average program.

It wasn’t that long ago that a 13-point home loss to a top-15 team would be considered a sign of progress for an aggressively directionless Oklahoma State program. From the time the Cowboys joined the Big 8 in 1960 to when Gundy was hired as head coach in 2005, OSU finished the season ranked in the AP poll just five times.

Two of those finishes came with Gundy behind center. [SB Nation]

Coating my heart and stomach with a Pepto Bismol-type of understanding that this is a different thing than our non-1945 Cowboy-forefathers experienced is an objective truth.

Gosh Dang Geography

Over the last eight years, in how many of the 50-nifties would Oklahoma State not have been the preeminent program? Ohio, Florida, ‘Bama, Georgia, South Carolina and Oklahoma? Texas could be argued with Baylor’s prominence. Good luck finding a state west of the Rockies.

Oklahoma State has established a new thing- – the “Cowboy Culture”. The above point alluded to its results, but it looks like a bunch of very average recruiting classes winning three to five more games a year than they should.

Somehow these values have penetrated and overcome what most other college football programs are purveying.

Most programs. 

It just so happens that Robert Anthony Stoops reignited a tired brand, one dormant since The King had the fire stoked more than a decade before. Stoops built a monster that started with a much higher floor than Oklahoma State’s highest of ceilings. Sooner Magic flourished and the wins rolled. Guys like Adrian Peterson, Baker Mayfield, Sam Bradford and Jason White were drawn in and sustained the image.

Oklahoma State struggles the most with the only other program within a day’s drive that has a more established winning culture than theirs.

Now … about last night …

Efforting

Could Oklahoma State football have wanted to win that game any more than it did?

My sister aptly commented late in the fourth “I’d be mad if they got rolled, if they didn’t show up and laid down.” OSU did not get blown out, and even when Baker gashed the defense and even after the untimely interception after an offensive flameout, the Cowboys fought.

Does that minimize frustrations with various parts of the game? Absolutely not. But outside of the Dillon Stoners and Justice Hills who grew up surrounded by the rivalry, these 18 to 22-year-olds haven’t grown up exacerbated by OU arrogance and the insatiable desire to have them silenced for just one year. Bedlam is an acquired taste for No. 2 and the Texas boys.

And Saturday night it genuinely felt like they understood because of how they played — they wanted it just as bad as the 40-year season ticket holders down the row from me.

Apples to Apples in Talent?

From a talent-perspective, was Saturday night Pink Ladies (seriously, go buy one) to Galas? How ’bout Granny Smith to Red Delicious?

Every year, a sliver of the nation’s best talent flocks to Gomorrah to enjoy judicial immunity Norman to play for the Sooners. They go to the buffet in California, mid-South, Texas and Oklahoma and pick out 247’s prime rib and Under-Armour’s filet. Done deal.

Oklahoma State scours major program depth charts, under every rock in every Texas town of less than 10,000 and finds guys with underrated talent, intelligence and the biggest chip on the shoulder, ready to work and prove they shouldn’t have been overlooked. Look at Saturday’s matchups.

A slinky 180-pound one-cut wizard from Booker T. singlehandedly out-rushed a stable of four-stars on the other side.

✌️ pic.twitter.com/I6xN2yNN9V

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) November 4, 2017

A quarterback unwanted by local favorites who was coined system-dependent went toe-to-toe with the clear Heisman frontrunner.

What a catch. What a throw. pic.twitter.com/G9PThyAWSY

— Pistols Firing (@pistolsguys) November 4, 2017

A fairly unheralded defensive line took down college football’s most protected and likely most evasive quarterback five times, almost three times his season average (1.8 sacks per game allowed).

Yes, Oklahoma State matched up well with OSU at the skill positions, but OU runs deeper than most, and most importantly (because Texas has talent too, but no QB) OU’s QB might be the best college football player of the last three years. Overall, it’s undeniable that Oklahoma has more talent than Oklahoma State, and it’s not just the players either.

Lincoln Riley in one REM cycle likely comes up with three series of plays where a wide-open slow fullback moonwalks into the end zone before the defense knows what happened. Yurcich is a good offensive mind who’s doing well with his talent but nobody will confuse him for his in-state play-calling counterpart.

Whether it’s the Mikes fault for not being able to close the deal on more big-time talent to win these games is a question to be asked. But get out of here with the Les Miles’ arguments — the guy won with some solid Pokes and some pieces that were a better fit for the next iteration of “The Longest Yard”.

But how many times in our society do you see these types of comparisons work out well for the guy playing with less? Oklahoma State bested Oklahoma in numerous ways last night, bit it was just barely not enough.

Rivalry Redefined

When you walk into Sunday School or the office Monday morning, there’s no reason to hide from that Sooner alum t-shirt purchaser. From Tulsa Quiktrips to walking into the Peake for a Thunder game, from feedlots in Guymon to the McDonald’s in Idabel, Sooner Nation is thanking their deity of choice that the ball bounced just the right way.

When they grin, just know what that means — there was a sincere possibility of disappointment, heartbreak and nothing else a “little brother” should ever be in the ballpark of achieving.

They say Texas is their rival but when was the last time a win over Texas meant more to anyone’s season than a win over Texas Tech or West Virginia? The Big 12 moved the Bedlam game to prevent the most likely teams from playing back the Big 12 title for the umpteenth time in so many years.

Red River is about pageantry and corn dogs, Bedlam is about titles and football glory.

Be frustrated with your team if they mailed it in, and hang them out to dry if they played scared. Fill up all the message boards if they looked like they’d rather be at a sorority date party than defeating their biggest rival. Crucify the coaching staff if they don’t have a solid game plan or at least one that gives the players a shot.

But when they come a few degrees on a deep ball and a spot of english from taking the Sooners’ place in CFP and Big 12 title conversations, sleep at night, be proud and know the program is headed in the right direction.