Notebook: Following Along with OSU’s Overtime Loss to Texas

What a crazy game in Stillwater, America.

Oklahoma State lost to Texas 41-34 in overtime Saturday. It was the Cowboys’ best game of the season in terms of entertainment factor, but the college football purists will wince at how ugly it was at times. Here is the notebook I kept during it.

• Open-field tackling is a major difference as to what has made this defense so much better than others.

• Spencer Sanders showed tremendous effort on his big block. But not many people in Stillwater ever want to see him do that again.

• Have Sanders and Chuba Hubbard not had enough reps on exchanges during the past two years? They lost one on the second series against Tulsa and lose another on the second series against Texas.

• After UT’s three-and-out and its second series, OSU had a real chance to run the Longhorns off the field. Now the momentum is gone.

• Interesting coaching decision from Tom Herman to continue to rotate running backs when Bijan Robinson is averaging 8.3 yards a carry in his first four touches.

• Kasey Dunn is carving the Texas defense like a pumpkin on this fine Halloween.

• Kasey Dunn and Mike Yurcich going blow for blow in Boone Pickens Stadium. 2020!

• Things are crashing quickly for OSU. Sanders throws another pick and Kolby Harvell-Peel is reportedly out with and injury.

• I came into Saturday scoffing at people who said Shane Illingworth should be OSU’s starting quarterback. I’m not ready to jump into that camp after that INT, but I’m contemplating.

• Lol

• Man, watching Sanders is a roller coaster.

• Sanders is going to turn that mullet gray throwing should-be interceptions in the red zone while rolling to his left and throwing off his back foot.

• OSU going aggressive on a drive at the end of the half? What is this.

• And it’s never going to happen again.

• OSU is hemorrhaging offensive linemen this season.

• Texas has scored a touchdown and two field goals off first-half turnovers and is still losing.

• When faced with a fourth-and-short early in the third quarter, Gundy punts. Makes sense after how poorly the first half ended.

• Tylan Wallace ought to be suspended for what he is doing to this poor corner.

• OSU’s defense can’t catch a break. When they aren’t defending turnovers, the OSU kick team is giving up a touchdown.

• After a first-half shootout these teams are now trading punts. This is stressful.

• The refs are having a field day now. OSU is still turning the ball over like no one’s business. This is the ugliest thing I’ve ever seen.

• That was perhaps the worst possible scenario to attempt to block a punt.

• Texas is 1-for-13 on third down but 2-for-2 on fourth down. The latter could decide the game.

• Spencer Sanders undoubtedly struggled early, but that fourth-down drive to send the game to overtime shows what kind of competitor he is.

• OSU’s offensive line has had a tough time stopping Joseph Ossai all day, and he ends the game with his third sack. What a wild game.