PFB Roundtable: Gauging Our Confidence in OSU Heading to Ames

Oklahoma State dropped another disappointing, turnover-ridden game last weekend and heads to Ames this weekend 4-3, still looking for that elusive second conference win. The PFB editorial staff got together to discuss the frustrating first half of the season and our biggest concerns for the Cowboys moving forward.

Kyle Cox: Okay, so how close are you to hitting the panic button with OSU at 4-3? Reaching for it? Already smashed it to bits?

Mine’s not broken yet, but I’m eyeing it as the Cowboys head to Ames.

Kyle Boone: I’m not hitting the panic button, but I am quickly becoming pessimistic about the season. The ceiling lowers with every blown coverage and turnover. It’s just a bummer the way this season has unfolded so far.

Kyle Porter: Haha, my hand is hovering. You just start looking around and wonder, “Where are the wins?” You going to go on the road as a double-digit dog and beat Iowa State? TCU, I guess? Kansas, probably? It just has 6-6 written all over it, which would be basically unprecedented in the Gundy era (other than, you know, when he first inherited the program).

Cox: It is a bummer, but I’m still in the camp that if No. 3 could hold onto the football maybe OSU is 5-2 or maybe even 6-1. That’s doesn’t help OSU now, but if that very simple thing can be figured out, I think this team can steal a win it shouldn’t.

Of course you could say, if it’s that simple, why hasn’t it been figured out.

Marshall Scott: They definitely win in Lubbock if they don’t lose the turnover battle 5-0. They would’ve won at 3-0, which is honestly pretty wild.

Boone: What’s funny — and I know most fans will agree with me based on OKC Dave’s annual survey — is that OSU could literally lose all but one game from here out and all will be OK so long as that win comes against OU.

Scott: This feels like a team that could randomly beat OU and demolish whichever team it plays in a bowl game. Optimism that rolls into next year just to start all over.

Cox: A Bedlam win would be awesome — because of course — but if OU makes Win No. 6, I’m still pretty down on the whole thing. Like, you aren’t building toward anything and that wouldn’t give me any confidence for 2020.

Or, at least, not a ton of confidence.

Boone: Yeah. The circumstances are way different, but it does feel like the 2014 season playing out again. Only the (presumed) franchise QB is the one taking snaps in these losses.

Cox: Which is a big difference.

Porter: I said this earlier, but this season has all the makings of Gundy giving himself a perm at midfield after Sanders throws for 600 yards against Alex Grinch and everyone roots for Holder to double his salary after OSU goes 7-5. Which will be .

I’m also legit more worried about 2020 than 2019.

Way more.

Boone: But are we being too pessimistic? Not every year can be 10 wins and gravy. This is a bridge year with a first-time starting QB who is taking his lumps but also shown promise.

Porter: 10-12 in their last 22 Big 12 games?

Scott: The good news for OSU in 2020 is that their aren’t a whole lot of seniors starting this season. The bad news is the two best players can leave early.

Boone: My upper lip curls every time I see that stat @porter.

Porter: There’s a world in which you could end this year and the two worst Big 12 teams over the last three years are OSU and Kansas.

Boone: That’s not great company to keep.

Porter: Big 12 records last three years

OU: 22-2
Texas: 15-8
ISU: 14-8
WVU: 12-10
TCU: 12-10
OSU: 10-12
KSU: 9-12
Baylor: 9-13
Tech: 7-15
KU: 1-21

Cox: Yuck.

Boone: That’s brutal. OU’s record is NSFW and KU’s record looks like Marshall’s 3-point attempts in the OSU media game.

Cox: As far as the rest of the season and into 2020, I want to see some improvement in the offensive line, like some steady continuing improvement and built depth. I know Dickey’s in Year 1 and they’ve had 18 OL coaches the last five years, but that needs to be a strength for Sanders or Illingworth or Gunnar, or whoever is taking snaps down the road. And how bad does this running game look without Chuba?

BTW, @porter Cyclones are going to the B12 title game. Looking Purdy good as of late.

Scott: The 2020 run game is quite interesting. LD Brown is a redshirt junior, so he’ll be back. He’s started improving lately, but who knows how he looks as a featured back. I’ve heard that Deondrick Glads has gotten better, but how much better? Who knows.

I DIDN’T ATTEMPT A 3 IN THE GAME BOONE. GET YOUR FACTS STRAIGHT.

Boone: Wow, I am fake news.

Porter: I have a lot of Cyclone crow to eat.

Cox: Haha. I don’t want to be right, but it’s my cross to bear.

Scott: Breece Hall might be a dude.

Boone: The only good team Iowa State has played was Baylor. And Baylor won.

Oh, and Iowa.

Cox: Iowa is No. 20.

Scott: OSU played Baylor (at home) and got drilled.

Boone: No crow to eat. They’re still average. Probably going to finish ahead of OSU, but then again, KU might, too.

Scott: I think Iowa State has gotten a lot better lately. But yes, they are unproven.

Cox: Are we going to have more than one consecutive quarter were the defense looks good this year? As soon as I start to think “Wow”, they get burned for back-to-back 60-yarders.

Boone: I think the defense can improve a bit in small areas, but we’re more than halfway through the season. It kinda is what it is at this point.

Porter: They were good in the second half against Tulsa!

Cox: And most of the second quarter against Baylor!

Scott: I think they stressed quarterback pressure more against Baylor, and it bit them. Brewer handled it well and picked OSU apart.

Porter: It’s a no win situation. People are like “Screw getting beat deep, PRESSURE THE FOOTBALL” and then that’s exactly what they do against Baylor and I hear “worst defense in school history” thrown around.

Not enough dudes.

Boone: Agreed and agreed.

Scott: I think they might have some dudes on the D-line (Trace Ford, Israel Antwine, Samuela Tuihalamaka), but that’s a true freshman, a sophomore and a redshirt freshman.

Porter: It’s a good point @Marshall Scott — maybe they do have enough dudes, and Knowles doesn’t have the goods. Numbers tell me Spencer did more with less (or as much) as Knowles has. He’s been lousy so far.

Scott: I think Knowles should get next season, but that will be a big year for him.

Boone: Yeah I think @porter is getting down to it. A lot of this falls on Gundy because he ultimately makes the decisions on hiring and firing, but Knowles hasn’t been the second coming of Dave Aranda like some may have thought.

Porter: He hasn’t been the second coming of anyone.

His defenses look like they’re playing 8-man football but with 11 guys.