The Morning Fade – 12.16.10

John Helsley on how OSU got to 9-1 in hoops – “Maybe it was just a matter of time, with Ford sorting out a rotation, but Oklahoma State’s offensive flow now has focus — Marshall Moses in the middle — along with improved surrounding pieces.” Bama on Saturday, we pretty much own them in basketball and football, right? They haven’t beaten us in football this decade and basketball in the last two. OSU:Bama as OU:OSU.

Bill Haisten on where OSU goes to get their next OC – I can’t take people seriously who think Mike Leach would come to Stillwater to be an employee under Mike Gundy.

Phenomenal article by Ubben on Holgorsen’s exit – “The Cowboys need a new coordinator who understands some form of the spread offense. They need Weeden and Blackmon to stay in college and try to make a run at a Big 12 title in 2011. They don’t need to panic.”

Blackmon (officially) a unanimous All-American – And if he wasn’t then there would be no point in post-season awards.

Dennis Dodd ranks all 29 bowls – OSU vs. Arizona comes in 12th, he says, “Oklahoma State vs. Arizona. Even in the broad bowl landscape, there’s a place for a team that lost its last four in a row by an average of 12 points. That team is Arizona and that place is, fittingly, near the Alamo. The Wildcats could be overrun, too.”

Good piece by Gregg Doyel on why Urban needs out – “Meyer knows all of this, believe it. He knows what his presence in Gainesville, and on campus, would mean to Florida football fans. Meyer knows the Internet, knows talk radio, knows message boards. He doesn’t seem to like any of it, but he knows it. And as soon as Muschamp starts to stumble, the call for Meyer’s return would be deafening.”

Andy Staples on another Mississippi State recruit who was paid…and got busted – Nope, NCAA, we applaud you. You guys are doing a fantastic job in terms of fairness, consistency, and transparency. In fact I’m standing as I type this to give you a standing ovation. Good work.

Mark Cuban wants to fund a playoff – This is hilarious and awesome. How bored and rich do you have to be to say, “hmm, this is probably going to cost hundreds of millions to get going and the litigation involved is going to supersede anything anybody this side of the Supreme Court has ever seen…but…yeah, I’m in. Let’s do this.”?? However bored and rich that is, I’m glad Mark Cuban has found it. I hope this story doesn’t go away any time soon.

D-3 player donates cells to cancer patient – Hope you have some tissues nearby.