The Five Best (and Worst) Kyle Boone Takes of 2017

I’ve harbored many a hot take in the thought chamber over the years, and posted on more than I’d care to probably admit on this website. But as I’ve come to learn over the years, laughing at yourself can be good therapy — and believe me, I had a nice therapy session gathering this list of my best (and worst) takes of 2017.

I am sure there are worse takes that you all will gladly share in the comments, but I had to narrow it to five that made my own personal list for my own sanity. S

o sit back, relax, and have at it.

Number 1. My guess on who would be OSU’s tackle leader for 2017 was so, so wrong.

I’m going with big Darrion Daniels up front. The former four-star has been a load in small sample sizes up to this point but lived in the shadow of Vincent Taylor. I think he has a memorable year stuffing the run and disrupting offenses in the middle of OSU’s defense.

Bold, no doubt. And also real dumb in hindsight. Ndamukong Suh did it at Nebraska, but betting on a d-tackle to lead the team in tackles is like predicting when Bill Snyder will stop wearing that Cactus Bowl windbreaker. It’s unlikely it will ever happen and you’ll look dumb if you predict it.

Lesson: Safe pick is always going with a linebacker.

For the record, Tre Flowers and Chad Whitener lead the team in tackles thus far with 68 this season. Daniels is 10th on the team … with 26, which is second among tackles behind DQ Osborne.

Number 2. I truly did this. I really did. I really predicted Kansas would finish with a higher-rated class than Oklahoma State for football recruiting in 2018.

Yes, I’m very sorry to report that the Kansas Jayhawks recruiting class will be ranked higher than OSU this cycle.

Also sorry to report that was … real dumb! Kansas has the 70th overall class in 2018, a mere 42 spots below the Pokes.

To be fair, I was riding a KU high after the Hawks knocked off Texas. Also to be more fair, within the same post ….

Number 3. I predicted Nic McTear wouldn’t be a Poke.

Hey, even a blind squirrel finds a nut every once in a while, yeah? Well, sort of. I was half right!

One of OSU’s under-the-radar commitments at tight end won’t be a Cowboy when it’s all said and done. Nic McTear, a 6-foot-4 pass catcher from Frisco, Texas, has picked up offers from LSU, Auburn, Miami, TCU, Colorado and Baylor since committing to OSU early in the process.

I think he winds up flipping to Baylor, TCU or any of the likes closer to home before signing day. He committed early in the process and will have a change of heart, leaving OSU with a late-process scramble to pick up a tight end again.

McTear eventually signed with San Diego State after a whirlwind recruitment that saw him commit to OSU, de-commit from OSU, commit to ULM, and de-commit from ULM all before committing to SDSU on signing day.

All right, then. Next!

Number 4. OSU’s early O-line commitments seemed too good to be true, but I begged to differ and look smart(ish) now. Mostly because betting that Josh Henson would do a good job is like betting that Mike Gundy will have half a pound of butch wax in his mullet on any given day. It’s almost definitely going to happen.

Under Greg Adkins, the problem was never in landing recruits. It was about holding on to them until signing day. With Henson at the helm, I think he’ll keep his guys locked down until they become Cowboys. There will be no de-committments, at least not along the offensive line, in this cycle.

OSU not only held on to its OL commitments, it also added a fifth commitment giving them one of their best OL classes ever under Mike Gundy.

Number 5. I’m not proud of this one, if only because it stinks. But when I wrote that OSU’s win over Texas Tech induced red flags early in league play, I was semi-right. …

We know that OSU’s pass defense on the whole hasn’t been championship level thus far. Through five games, the Cowboy defense is giving up an average of 233.6 yards per game through the air. That’s against QBs that, to my untrained eye, don’t sniff the talents of Baker Mayfield or Will Grier or Jacob Park. No offense to Kenny Hill, but he ain’t exactly the kind of QB who typically upends top-10 teams’ seasons, yet OSU made him look like Johnny Football in Stillwater.

Oklahoma State finished the regular season with the 75th overall defense in the country, allowing over 400 yards and 30 points per game. Championship defense, that is not.