High hopes
Published: 1/12/2009 4:38 PM
Last Modified: 1/12/2009 4:38 PM
Although I cannot verify this absolutely, I can say with extreme confidence that it's very likely no Oklahoma State football player has any selections from Frank Sinatra in their iPods.
It would be a waste of time to convince these guys to insert ol' Blue Eyes into a mix of T.I. and Lil' Wayne. But a tune Sinatra released in 1959 could serve as the motto for the 2009 season.
"He's got high hopes. He's got high apple pie in the sky hopes," Sinatra belted out 50 years ago.
In the moments after the conclusion of the 2008 season, some writers already put on their prognosticating hat for an early, early, early 2009 preseason top 25. Heck, even before the bowl games kicked off last month, Nationalchamps.net released its early bird look and listed OSU sixth. Others who waited after the bowl games have a similar perception of the 2009 Cowboys.
Here's a sampling:
Mark Schlabach, ESPN.com: 10th. "It's still hard to gauge whether the Cowboys are a real threat to Oklahoma and Texas in the Big 12 South. They won eight of their first nine games in 2008, but then lost three of their last four. Oklahoma State's defense was gashed in those three losses, allowing 56 points to Texas Tech, 61 to Oklahoma and 42 to Oregon. Oklahoma State again figures to have one of the country's best offenses, with quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendall Hunter and receiver Dez Bryant coming back. Tight end Brandon Pettigrew will be missed."
Stewart Mandel, SI.com: 7th. "The Cowboys proved one of the nation's most dynamic offensive teams in '08, and quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendall Hunter and wideouts Dez Bryant and Damian Davis all return. The defense remains under heavy suspicion, but those close to the program expect major improvement with a more experienced front seven."
Tony Barnhart, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: 7th. "No team in the country had a better trio of skill players than quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendall Hunter and wide receiver Dez Bryant. All three are back along with six other starters on the offense. If the Cowboys can get their defensive problems straightened out, they will challenge Texas and Oklahoma in the Big 12 South."
Jon Wilner, San Jose Mercury News: 2nd. "Zac Robinson, Dez Bryant and 50 points a game … plus a veteran front seven. The best team in Oklahoma will reside in Stillwater."
OK, OSU fans. What are your thoughts about these expert selections?
---Matt Doyle
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
