PFB Comments of the Week (November 10)

College Gameday and Bedlam lived up to all of the hype and more. From start to finish, the Cowboys and Sooners gave us an absolutely incredible game. For me, that game is what college football is and should be. Even though the Cowboys couldn’t pull it out at the end, that was the best college football game since last years epic Rose Bowl between USC and Penn State. Nonetheless, this loss hurts more than any other game I’ve ever been too.

OSU had several chances to win Bedlam and couldn’t get it done. They aren’t quite over the OU hump yet, but they’re getting close. Every year the teams are getting better and the recruiting classes are getting stronger. Spencer Sanders and C.J. Moore are gearing up to usher in the next era of Cowboy football while OSU goes for yet another 10-win season this year. After the tough Bedlam loss, let’s dive in to the comments of the week.

1. Bedlam Environment

You should have heard how loud it was inside the stadium when it happened, but when the video board showed the replay, it was even louder!! I’ve been going to games for 40 years and has NEVER been so loud! –DKurt on the BPS Bedlam environment.

Last week I pleaded for the crowd to bring it. My expectations were exceeded. Despite the loss, you can be proud of the team and proud of the fans for doing all they possibly could. I’ve only been going to games at BPS for two years, but I’ve seen and heard people talking about how last Saturday was the loudest they’ve heard BPS in 40+ years. Incredible.

The whole day just had a different feel and energy to it. I’m thankful to have been a part of it all, and I hope the Pokes can reach this stage again sometime in the next few years.

2. Bedlam Uniform Combos

This uniform, and especially the helmet, deserved Tyron catching that fourth down bomb to win Bedlam. –miller918 on the OSU uni combo this week.

First off, all I can think about is the insane level of hype Tyron Johnson would have been if he had caught the game winning touchdown. Heck, Gus Johnson too, for that matter. But this is an accurate take. I’ve been waiting for both the black jerseys and the brand to make an appearance this season, and I definitely didn’t think it would come in the same game. Props to the OSU equipment staff for these uniforms. OSU should roll these out more often.

3. Rudolph/ Washington Comparison

Tajh Boyd and Sammy Watkins went 32-8 (10-4,11-2, 11-2) at Clemson from 2011-2013. People talked about how they never could quite reach the level they should they lost to rival South Carolina 3 times and it seemed like Clemson blew it’s chance to breakthrough.

2014 Deshaun Watson walked in the door and the program made the jump they had been waiting for.

We aren’t going to be Clemson we don’t recruit at that level but I think Tajh Boyd = Mason Rudolph and James Washington = Sammy Watkins. People talk about how they didn’t breakthrough but what everyone misses is the groundwork they laid and hopefully we build on it in a similar way to Clemson. –Bbjd on the future of OSU football.

Will #Sanders2Moore be able to get it done? Only time will tell. At the end of the day, OSU is hauling in more talented recruits year after year. Mason and James no doubt have a lot to do with that. Sanders has a lot more Baker Mayfield in him than most people probably realize. Losing #Rudolph2Washington will hurt a lot and we’ll all miss seeing them play. Losing Marcell Ateman and Chris Lacy isn’t easy either, but with Justice Hill and Tyron Johnson returning, and assuming Sanders wins the quarterback job next season, the Pokes offense should be just fine.

4. Bedlam II For All The Marbles???

Man if we played OU on a neutral site…we would get them. We are the better team in and out. The game was spectacular in every way. Thats how a bedlam game should be…reverse the outcome of course.

In Jerry World…Yes we would win by 21 I bet next time. You take away the 2 (or was it 3??) long bombs out of the game Saturday…and the botched non turnover…we got em easy. OU isnt that great of a team. They have tons of talent, but they aren’t top 5 amazing. –Josh Crouch on Bedlam part 2.

I don’t even want to think about what I would give for Bedlam II and all the marbles in the Big 12 to happen. If we are lucky enough to get this, there’s no way the Pokes take it by 21. OSU lost by 10…basically 3….at BPS. The crowd at AT&T Stadium for this matchup would be closer to 60 percent OU fans. That said, Bedlam II would be an instant classic.

5. OSU Recruiting Better Talent

On the recruiting stuff and I’m not expert but it seems like Gundy saying we don’t recruit 5 stars is more him saying they don’t leave scholarships open for guys who they know they aren’t going to get.

I think they offer a lot of big name prospects hell they make the top 10 for tons of top guys now the question is what keeps them from making the top 5’s and being the final choice. I think a lot of that is brand value and increasing the national footprint.

2019 hopefully with Boomer onboard and Dax Hill brother being here we can put together the best recruiting class in school history and take advantage of the seemingly new national respect. –Bbjd on OSU football recruiting and national respect.

I thought OSU would be able to capitalize on a 10-win season and Sugar Bowl appearance in recruiting, but that wasn’t the case. Now that OSU has been on the national scene for several consecutive years, the next few recruiting cycles will be crucial for OSU to bring in top talent to help them compete for national titles and make OSU a top 10 mainstay.

Beating OU once or twice would be pretty cool too. Either way, this program may look different five years from now, and with Gundy’s retirement coming up at some point, its important that OSU becomes a place where top talent wants to come coach and play football.

6. Recruiting Defense

They obviously need to upgrade the quality of athletes being recruited on the defensive side of the ball. That isn’t a shot at Gundy and staff, but just a fact. Really, every school in the Big 12 (with the exception of Texas) needs better athletes on the defensive end.

The problem is most of the best high school athletes on the defensive side of the ball end up in the SEC, Florida State or Texas.

Gundy has proven he has the ability to field an elite level offense with 2 or 3 star recruits. He hasn’t been successful on the defensive side with the 2 and 3 star recruits. –austinpoke on talent on the defensive side of the ball during the Gundy era.

Texas recruits at the level of SEC schools in terms of defense. No other Big 12 school even comes close. It would be great to see OSU change this, at least to a degree. Hopefully Dax Hill will commit to the Pokes and bring in a new era of defensive recruiting at OSU. If the defense can improve, the Bedlam victories and Big 12 championships will come.

7. The Last Five Years Have Not Been A Disappointment

Has there been disappointment at times over the last 5 years? Absolutely. Can we reasonably characterize the last 5 years as an overall disappointment? Absolutely not. –Michael H. on the last 5 years in OSU football.

The last five years have not been a disappointment in Stillwater, well except for 2014. Gundy has made incredible progress at OSU, and the donors have acknowledged that this week. Gundy is knocking on the door of the Sooners, and is sound like some donors are prepared and ready to give him whatever he needs so that he can break that door down before he retires, and set the next head coach at OSU up an incredible program.

8. Temporary Texas Tech Fans

Word of advice to OSU fans — you need to be HUGE OU and Texas tech fans the next two weeks. We need OU to win Saturday, because they won’t lose to KU or WVU at home. That means TCU would need one more loss to get us into the Big 12 title game. Playing in Lubbock is the one chance for that to happen. Not likely, but more likely than WVU or Kansas knocking off OU. This all is dependent on us winning out, of course. Which I think we will. If all of those fall into place, we are looking at another bedlam matchup in Dallas (which would be even more marvelous than last weekend’s game) and potentially still a NY6 game. –OSU Student on the Big 12 race.

I’ve been watching Kenny Hill do Kenny Hill things since I was in the 9th grade. I don’t think the Horned Frogs have a chance in Norman on Saturday, and I don’t think any outcome of any kind would surprise for their game with Texas Tech. Hill is a great athlete who, unfortunately for TCU, can’t seem to always figure out how to throw a football. He also doesn’t make the greatest decisions. That’s disappointing for a team with arguably the best defense in the league.

9. Season Expectations

If we win out and win our Bowl we will be in the top 6-9. That meets the expectations that people expected of a 10-2 year. in the poll earlier this year. Doesn’t get rid of my disappointment in not playing for more. –Saucy Takes on season expectations.

Thinking about the potential of this team, along with all the talent OSU will lose on both sides of the ball after this year is what hurts the most. There are going to be a lot more questions heading into next season, No.1 being the quarterback position. If it’s Spencer Sanders? How good will the defense be? I don’t even know what my expectations are for next year’s squad. The ceiling isn’t the CFP though, like this year’s team.

10. That’s All She Wrote, Bedlam Edition

I’ve rewatched these plays about 30 times on my DVR. Man, I just dont understand his reads down the stretch at all. on the 4th and 8 he had Stoner and Hill wide open. I SO SAD. ON to Ames. –Mylin on the final drive for OSU in Bedlam.

This pretty much sums up the week for every OSU fan. That’s all there is left to say about Bedlam. I feel a little better about the future after the Gundy press conference on Monday, and the fact that the donors are behind this process is encouraging, but last weekend’s loss still hurts.