Stinks/doesn’t stink: On Mason Rudolph, 9-win Seasons and OSU Basketball

It’s time, fam. The final regular season stinks/doesn’t stinks is here. Today, we’re handing down judgements on Mason Rudolph, 9-win seasons, and OSU basketball.

Mason Rudolph

Never have I seen more slanderous bologna on social media than this week in the wake of OSU’s stunning 45-40 loss to Kansas State, specifically directed at Mason Rudolph.

He doesn’t make his progressions, people say. He’s an average quarterback, argue others. We’ll be better off without him.

While it’s difficult to argue that Rudolph doesn’t always make the correct read in some schemes and tends to lock onto targets often before making his progressions, I have a hard time bringing No. 2 down.

No matter your thoughts about this 2017 season, which is largely a massive disappointment, Rudolph is an all-time college quarterback and one of the best to ever come to OSU. Period. He’s got more records than Usain Bolt has gold medals, and he’s got more wins than Mike Gundy, the beloved darling that is the face of the program.

If Rudolph hits a fourth down throw against OU and leads OSU to a win after a near 30 point deficit against K-State this weekend, the narrative is completely different. He’d easily be the best QB ever at OSU. No debate. Which means you’re basically arguing that two throws cost him his legacy despite an incredible four-year run as the starter.

Get outta here! Rudolph is the best quarterback to ever play at Oklahoma State.

Verdict: Doesn’t stink

9-win seasons

Mike Gundy’s name has also slanderously been tossed around in recent weeks after a third regular season loss despite playoff aspirations entering the season.

OSU is headed for a 9-win regular season which, by and large, stinks.

And to that end, I wholeheartedly agree. Is Mike Gundy to fault? Maybe. Maybe not. He’s certainly not the one that’s allowing 49.6 points per game in November.

In any case, 2017 was supposed to be the year. Mason Rudolph was supposed to win the finish in the top four for the Heisman. The playoff was a thing that legitimately could have happened. But instead, OSU’s not even going to make it to the Big 12 championship game.

Sometimes things don’t fall your way, and man, if Rudolph hits Tyron on fourth down in Bedlam, maybe the entire season’s trajectory has changed. But to enter the season with a legit chance of winning it all and (probably) finishing with 9 regular season wins stinks. Period.

Verdict: Stinks

OSU Basketball

Texas A&M routed OSU on Monday night in Brooklyn and a lot of people were suddenly not-so-secretly wishing Mike Holder had figured out a way to keep Brad Underwood in town.

But look, no one yet knows if Mike Boynton can actually coach well or not. We’ll find that out in the gauntlet that is Big 12 play. For now though, I definitely liked what I saw from an effort standpoint from the players. OSU is short on depth (and talent, in comparison to A&M), but the team fought like hell to claw back into a game they could’ve folded.

As bad as it might seem (and it’s likely to seem pretty bad in two months once the heart of conference play settles in), you’ve not seen how low a program can actually sink. Mike Boynton obviously cares. His players obviously care. And for a first time head coach just stepping out from the shadow of an FBI investigation in his first months on the job, that’s all you can really ask, right?

If you want to know the real floor of any Division I program, take a good look at Pitt, OSU’s Tuesday afternoon opponent, and say your Thanksgiving blessings for how bad it could really be.

Verdict: Doesn’t stink