A Tough Season Coming For OSU?
Uncertainty hovers over Cowboys (John Helsley, Daily Oklahoman)
The most madcap preseason in Stillwater since academic ineligibility cost Bob Simmons six players one August day in 1997 -- Black Friday, it became dubbed -- has left uncertainty dangling over these Cowboys even as the season opener fast approaches.
Surprises kept coming:
Player dismissals, numbers six and seven if you're counting.
Turf issues that sent the Pokes scrambling on the road to "Camp Ponca" for practices.
A quarterback controversy, not inside the program, but out. Coach Mike Gundy's teasing take on the position left fans and media alike to speculate and debate on who would take the first snaps of the season and beyond.
Then there's the ongoing concerns of who -- or how many -- will take a shot at maintaining Oklahoma State's Tailback U. tradition; the rebuilt defense; a radical new offense ...
[snip]
So what about this spread offense, which has hardly lit it up in the preseason?
Coordinator Larry Fedora's attack revolves around rhythm and tempo. Expecting the Cowboys to transition seamlessly from their run-based offense of the past four years into this no-huddle, spread scheme is asking a bit much. It'll come. There's still a search for playmakers, but part of that must be attributed to the inexperience that rules the tailback and wide receiver spots. With a soft September schedule, there's no reason for panic. Besides, even OSU's most recent offenses, some of the most potent in the program's history, failed to forecast much in the preseason. The guess here is the offense will eventually click and -- because of its uniqueness -- prove effective.
Will the defense be better than the low-ranking units of former coordinator Bill Clay?
Because of all the youth forced into play in the secondary, mistakes are guaranteed. So don't set expectations too high. What you can expect, however, is a more exciting brand of ball. Coordinator Vance Bedford believes in pressure, from all angles and any position. The blitz is on, passive play is out. Count on big plays -- both ways.
I hate to say it, because this Sooner fan roots for OSU every game but one each year, but I'm starting to think Les Miles' timing in taking a top-notch SEC job (LSU) was just about right. I think this Cowboys' conference season could be disastrous, although they may have an overall winning record considering the nonconference schedule (Montana State, Florida Atlantic, and Arkansas State).
But who cares what I think? They'll start playing 'em soon enough.
Posted by Kevin Whited @ 09/02/05 13:17 | Big 12 Football | Technorati
Previous Entry | Home | Next Entry
Comments
Yeah, but your Sooners had better watch out. They've got Tulsa on the schedule again this year!
OSU is going to have a hell of a time adapting to the new offense and managing their QB controversy. Once Gundy gets his players in place (and not on a police blotter or suspended), I like the direction that he's taking the team. Of course, I can say that because he's undefeated so far.
Posted by Dave H @ 15:26 on 09/02/05
Hmm, maybe I should have mentioned the tough season coming for OU!
More on that when I return from radio silence. :(
Posted by Kevin @ 12:21 on 09/04/05
Indeed. Didn't see that one coming. I'm not too happy about the first game for my team, either.
Posted by TP @ 12:28 on 09/06/05
Add Comments
While it is not required, creating an account for commenting provides a number of benefits (such as comment editing and bypassing the captcha challenge). You may log in to your account here.
No flames or impolite behavior. Any questions, see the site policies. Older posts are moderated (because of spammers), so if your post does not appear immediately, that could be why.
HTML will be stripped. URLs will be transformed into hyperlinks.
[b]text[/b] will produce bold text. [i]text[/i] will produce italicized text.
Comments for this post must be approved before being published. Thank you!
BLOG
» Create Account
» Log In
DISCLAIMER
Content and design copyright © 1997-2008, Kevin Whited.
Posts represent the views of Kevin Whited (and occasional guest bloggers) only, and do not necessarily reflect the views of employers, family, friends, or significant others.