Game day thoughts – Insight Bowl
Published: 12/31/2007 11:57 AM
Last Modified: 12/31/2007 11:57 AM
TEMPE, Ariz. – The fine line is obvious. Finishing 7-6 looks more appealing and pleasing than finishing 6-7 would look. Of course, finishing with eight or nine wins or even breaking into double-digit wins every year is more desirable.
For Oklahoma State, Monday's objective is simple. Find a way to post that seventh victory. Years from now, it's doubtful many observers will recall that OSU had to play parts of the 2007 without standout offensive performers Dantrell Savage and Adarius Bowman or that a quarterback change was made early in the season or that the defense was just down right awful or Mike Gundy had his infamous postgame tirade after the Texas Tech game. Well, thanks to YouTube, that press conference may live in infamy.
All that matters is getting that seventh win and finishing a turbulent season triumphant. Gundy said Indiana is a better team than last year's bowl opponent, Alabama. OSU had no problems getting up to play the Crimson Tide in the Independence Bowl. If the Cowboys have issues getting up to play a feisty Hoosiers squad today, that 6-7 finish would be a disappointing punctuation mark to a disappointing season.
Three things I'll be watching closely in the 19th Insight Bowl:
*** Knocking off the rust: OSU has not played in 37 days. Indiana has not played in 44 days. Sharpness and crispness out of the gate usually are lacking in most bowl games. An early big play or turnover would provide early momentum. OSU recovered a first-quarter Alabama fumble last year and it led to the game's first touchdown. OSU never trailed that day.
*** Any differences: Because of the long layoff between games, teams might become more creative or innovative with their schemes. In the instance of OSU, how will the offense operate now that Larry Fedora is off to greener pastures at Southern Miss? Will there be anything noticeably new without Fedora? Or will Fedora's magic touch be missed?
*** Last go-round: Nathan Peterson said how much last year's senior class wanted to go with a victory against Alabama helped the Cowboys. Peterson vowed this year's senior class, including him, wanted to duplicate that same effort. There are 18 seniors on the OSU roster. Only a few will likely play football again after today. After today, there's no chance for redemption for Peterson, Bowman, Savage, David Koenig, Donovan Woods, Marque Fountain, Maurice Cummings, Rod Johnson and other OSU seniors. They want to make this last game memorable for all the right reasons.
Prediction: This game will be memorable for all the right reasons. Bowman catches a last-minute touchdown pass from Zac Robinson and OSU beats Indiana 41-38.
--- Matt Doyle
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
