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Tale of two seasons
Published: 11/13/2007 11:39 AM
Last Modified: 11/13/2007 11:39 AM

If Oklahoma State does defeat Baylor on Saturday night, the Cowboys will become bowl eligible and go to a bowl game in December.

It is highly likely OSU will finish the regular season with a 6-6 record for the second consecutive year. But, it is possible the Cowboys will go to a better bowl this year than last year's Independence Bowl trip.

Because the Big 12 has a clear dividing line between haves and have nots of likely bowl eligible teams, OSU could wind up in San Antonio for the Alamo Bowl or Tempe, Ariz., for the Insight Bowl. Both are far and away better destinations than Shreveport was last year.

Yet, I said it in this blog space one year ago and will say it again this year. Teams that finish 6-6 do not belong in bowl games. Period. End of sentence. End of discussion.

The cluster of ordinary (or just above mediocre) teams in the middle of the Big 12 this year – OSU, Texas Tech, Texas A&M, Colorado and Nebraska – could result in possibly three bowls with Big 12 tie-ins getting teams with 6-6 records.

An OSU fan I communicate with regularly said this year is perhaps the most disappointing OSU season in 20 years.

"At least during the 0-10-1 debacle (in 1991), we didn't expect to have a good season," the OSU fan said.

For you OSU fans reading this, give me your thoughts. If the Cowboys finish 6-6 or even 7-5, do you view the season as a disappointment?

--- Matt Doyle

Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer



Reader Comments 11 Total
Mark (5 years ago)
Matt
The disappointment comes from what might have been, not from what was expected. Most of us looked at the schedule, and felt we could be a better team, with a worse record.
I expected to beat Troy and Kansas, but I also expected to lose to Tech and Nebraska.
The loss to Texas was expected, just not the way it happened, same thing with Texas A&M.
That is the problem, as the game played out we got our hearts broken.
I understand your argument against 6-6 teams going to a bowl, but that extra month of practice is why a 6-6 team needs a bowl game.
David Q (5 years ago)
I have been an OSU fan for 40 years now. Of course, I hoped we would win more games this year. But realistically, I thought we would win 6 or 7 games. However, my hope was not in this year. Gundy will have his team in place in 2 years -- maybe 3. Does that mean that if we do not win the Big XII or the National Title in the next 3 years I will be disappointed? No! I hope we will make it into the top 25 next year ... the top 15 the following year ... and into the top 10 the third year. I have season tickets to see the COWBOYS compete in a way that is respectful - not to win every game.
Teams that have the opportunity to practice a month longer will always dominate over those that don't. Teams that do not have that opportunity will remain a 6 -6 team. So if you want to see teams advance to the next level, let them continue to practice and play.
Shrouded Llama (5 years ago)
I agree. I thought that OSU would go 7-5, 8-4 if something great happened in a game. Where the disappointment for this year comes in is when OU and Texas lost on the same day. With the Big 12 looking pretty even across the board , the championship game began to look reachable this year. the loss to A&M was heart breaking, but expected. The loss to Texas was expected, but as Mark said, we didn't expect to lose in that way. AGAIN! Before the season i'd have bet that we beat KU and lose to Nebraska. I thought we'd beat Troy but loss to Tech.

Our expectations got raised when we got a look at the average Big 12 this year.

I think Gundy deserves two more years. I can see an improvement, even if most say they can't.
c squared (5 years ago)
On paper we should be a hell of a better team ,one loss was full of turn overs(Troy) 2 losses i place soley on coaches(UT,TAM)! That said in the 2 losses to texas teams those players played their asses off played better than i could have hoped and came away with losses. iwas so proud to go into aggieville,steam rollem and then loose by one,kick the crap out of UT till 9 minutes left in the fourth and get the same outcome as games in the recent and horrible past. i absolutly dont know how the can keep there spirits up but they did. that in its self to me warrants a bowl game for the PLAYERS, GUNDY AND COACHES SHOULD GET TIME PICKING UP GARBAGE ON SIDE OF HIGHWAYS! But they cant do it that way but i still can dream. If any of the players read this we are still behind you guys i was at those games and i witnessed a ton of effort only to be undermined by bad decisions ! GO forth and prosper all you seinors and RIDEM COWBOYS!!!!!!!
Chance (5 years ago)
Matt,
I completely agree that 6-6 teams should not go to a bowl, and I say that as an OSU fan and alum.
Chance (5 years ago)
As far as this season being the most disappointing. Yes and no. Compared to preseason yes. But those hopes were soon dashed with the crushing at Georgia and Troy.

But looking at team performance vs. expectations DURING any point of the season, I would say 2004. Team starts off 5-0, only to win 2 more games the rest of the season.
Max (5 years ago)
Disappointed? Yes. Surprised? No. The only surprise would be how a team with a defense as bad as OSU's has as good a record as they have. When a team this bad can have as good a conference record as they have really is an indication of how weak the Big XII is this year.
Shrouded Llama (5 years ago)
I don't think 6-6 teams have really earned the right to go bowling, but thats what happens when the system we have is more concerned with money than crowning champions. There are so many bowls that you can't fill them all with teams that only have winning records (7-5 would be the cut off). The people in charge are so concerned with making money that we do bowls instead of a playoff.

Its sad.
sj (5 years ago)
Why should anyone want to go see OSU play in a bowl game? Why waste time and money? OSU played Alabama in a bowl game with a 6-6 record last year, and if you call it practice for next football season it certainly didn't work out for us.

I think OSU needs to cancel any bowl game this year and decide what they are going to do about Gundy and the football program. In fact, the whole athletic program needs to be evaluated.
Richard Popeson (5 years ago)
How can you say this sason has not been a massive disappointment? If OSU ends up 6-6 and backs in to a bowl for a 2nd straight year its nothing to get excited about. The fact is that with 40% of our wins coming against Sam Houston State and Florida Atlantic, it's hard to feel good about this team, this coaching staff or this program. Only a confirmed asskisser like Robert Allen could say with a straight face that this team is not a disappointment.
Eric (5 years ago)
I think 6-6 teams should not go to bowl games, but given the fact that alot of teams in the country are 6-6 that's the system in place. I have been disapointed in the Cowboy season. Everyone talked about a difficult schedule. It was but there were games that could have been won (Texas and A&M). We had players disappoint... Ricks and Reed to name two who stand out. But on the other hand the future does look brighter. Robinson, Bryant and Davis.

But in order for this team to reach the next level, the defense has got to get better.
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Tulsa World Sports Writer Jimmie Tramel is a former class president at Locust Grove High School. He graduated magna cum laude from Northeastern State University with a journalism degree and, while attending college, was sports editor of the Pryor Daily Times. He joined the Tulsa World on Oct. 17, 1989, the same day an earthquake struck the World Series. In 2007, he wrote a book about Oklahoma State football with former Cowboy coach Pat Jones.

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Tulsa World Sports Writer Kelly Hines joined the World staff in September 2007. She grew up in the Oklahoma City area, was valedictorian at her high school and attended Oklahoma State University. She previously worked at The Oklahoman and KOTV and in the World's web and news departments.

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