When do we start believing in Oklahoma State and the Big 12?
The popular choice would be after Saturday’s 20-point beatdown of TCU, but the Cowboys have been flying under the radar in the conference all season. The TCU game could make them the flavor of the week, but when do they officially crack the list of contenders?
The Cowboys were an 8-0 unbeaten coming into the game, but were still ranked just 14 in the open rankings in the College Football Playoff standings.
While many point to the defense being an issue for Oklahoma State, the Texas Tech game everyone points to appears to be an anomaly. Though the defense allowed 53 points and 642 yards against the Red Raiders, the Cowboys have generally kept other offenses in check.
Oklahoma State ranks 62nd in total defense, allowing 391 yards per game and 27 touchdowns. If the Texas Tech game was taken out, the defense has allowed 359.6 yards per game. This would raise the unit all the way up to 40th in the FBS.
The offense for Oklahoma State has been dynamic most of the season, and seems to be hitting its stride at the most important part of the season. The unit, led by Mason Rudolph, has scored 58, 70, and 49 in three straight weeks. He also has an eight-to-one touchdown-to-interception ratio while completing a scorching 67 percent of his passes in that span of time. In those same three games, Rudolph has tossed for 305, 285, and 352 yards. In the previous six games, he had exceeded that total only twice.
Though he plays the same position as Rudolph, J.W. Walsh has infused the offense with a different dimension as the second quarterback. Walsh’s 80 rushing yards were huge in the game against Texas Tech when the offense needed something extra. Walsh is a big play machine and has tossed for nine touchdowns in 26 attempts. He has also rushed for eight more scores to help overcome a clear deficiency in the Cowboys’ running game.
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Let’s now look at the schedule:
Oklahoma State has both Baylor and Oklahoma at home after traveling to Iowa State. The Cyclones should not be overlooked, however. While they are 3-6, their losses have come to Iowa, Toledo, Texas Tech, TCU, Baylor, and Oklahoma. These six teams have lost a total of only eight games.
While the Cowboys will certainly rise in the next poll, it is difficult to see them cracking the top eight, and even more difficult to see them passing Baylor.
The Big 12 has not gotten enough love over the past season and a half, and Oklahoma State has pretty much typified that reality this season. However, that could certainly change over the next three weeks. Wins over Baylor and Iowa State certainly makes Bedlam awfully interesting in week 14.
Oklahoma State entered this stage of the 2011 season with an unbeaten record and the table set for a BCS National Championship Game feast. the Cowboys stubbed their toes against Iowa State. This year, the Cowboys have to avoid that trap, and they know they have to be 12-0 to likely earn their date with destiny in the playoff.
The Big 12 might be underappreciated, and when any sports team is underappreciated, it simply has to hold itself to a higher standard. Oklahoma State has surpassed the expectations of nearly every pundit in the country. The Cowboys will have to find a way to do that for three more games.
Then they’ll get the chance to show how tough a Big 12 champion can be against the other elite teams in college football.
