The day after Bedlam
Published: 11/30/2008 4:50 PM
Last Modified: 11/30/2008 4:50 PM
Back in the summer, how many followers and supporters of OSU football would have taken a 9-3 season right there and then? Probably the vast majority of folks in orange would have said yes.
While the crushing 61-41 setback in Saturday night's Bedlam battle was a disappointing finish to the regular season, the 2008 regular season overall was not disappointing. OSU football took a big step forward this year.
Many were wondering back in the summer if the Cowboys could break free from the 6-7 win level they experienced the past two years. The Cowboys did. Winning nine games was no fluke. The talent level is the best it has been in Mike Gundy's four years as head coach and looks to be getting better.
Many were wondering before this season if the defense could show some signs of improvement. There was some gradual improvement, although giving up 56 points to Texas Tech and 61 to OU in two of the last three games negated a lot of that improvement. However, this was the year of the high-caliber offense and high-profile quarterback in the Big 12. The Big 12 South foes the Cowboys stumbled against this year very well could have a different look next year.
Many were wondering (and probably still are wondering) if the Cowboys are truly a top-half team in the Big 12. OSU is among the top six teams of the conference. Really, they are in the top four. There is still a gap between the Cowboys and the big two – OU and Texas – but the Cowboys have made some serious ground in three years after they were the worst Big 12 team in 2005.
There is a distinct difference in being a 9-win team and a 10-win team. That's the objective as OSU prepares for the biggest bowl challenge of Gundy's tenure, a likely Holiday Bowl matchup with Oregon. The Ducks won their rivalry game with Oregon State 65-38 on Saturday to ruin the Beavers' Rose Bowl dreams.
Many have viewed 2009 as OSU's breakthrough season. How the Cowboys finish 2008 will go a long way in paving the path for next season.
Game balls
***Zac Robinson: The OSU quarterback played his guts out against the Sooners. He was like a magician on more than one occasion by escaping the Sooners' defensive pressure to make plays. Robinson showed once again why he is OSU's MVP. Without him, the Cowboys don't stand a chance.
***Dan Bailey: The OSU kicker has earned his spurs. His 44-yard field goal in the second quarter was a career-long and had plenty of room to spare. Bailey has made his last nine field goal attempts and has been perfect on extra points all season. An area of concern back in the preseason is no longer a concern heading to the postseason.
Cowboy checklist
***Recharging the battery: The month between the Bedlam and bowl games is a good time for the OSU defense to recover and get ready for one final offensive juggernaut. Oregon's spread option attack is clicking on all cylinders, judging by the 65 points it posted against Oregon State and 55 points it scored the week before against Arizona. The defense will have to be rested and ready for this challenge.
***Recruiting: OSU coaches hit the recruiting trail first thing Sunday morning to replenish the talent base. Armed with an almost finished stadium renovation project and a 9-3 record as selling points, the Cowboys product is as good as it has ever been. The need for additional difference makers on defense as well as trying to land Robinson's replacement at quarterback are high priority on the recruiting wish list.
---Matt Doyle
Written by
Bill Haisten
Sports Writer
