2008 milestones

• With nine, the Cowboys tied the school record for most regular-season victories. OSU also had nine-win regular seasons in 2003, 1988, 1987, 1984 and 1932.



• In October, the Cowboys were 7-0 (their best start since 1945) and ranked No. 7 in The Associated Press poll (their highest national ranking since 1985).



• All-American wide receiver Dez Bryant closed his sophomore season by setting Holiday Bowl records for catches (13) and receiving yards (167). His final 2008 totals: 87 catches (second-best in school history behind Rashaun Woods' 107 in 2002), 1,480 yards (second-best behind Woods' 1,695 in 2002) and a school-record 19 touchdown catches.



• In the Holiday Bowl, junior QB Zac Robinson supplanted Mike Gundy as OSU's career total-offense leader. Robinson has 7,786 yards. Gundy, who quarterbacked the Cowboys in 1986-89, had 7,749 yards.



• With 1,555 yards, sophomore running back Kendall Hunter had the sixth-best single-season rushing performance in school history.

Three questions

When spring practice begins in March, what will be OSU's No. 1 priority?

By then, a new defensive coordinator will have been in place for several weeks, and his mission is to completely redefine the Cowboys' defensive culture. Mike Gundy-coached Cowboy teams have ranked no better than 86th nationally in total defense. In the Holiday Bowl loss to Oregon, OSU allowed 565 total yards. On the ground, the Ducks had 307 yards and averaged 7.7 yards per attempt. Opponents attempted 525 passes this season, and the OSU defense managed a grand total of only 15 sacks.

At what positions is OSU hit hardest by graduation?

The Cowboys lose a tremendous senior tight end in Brandon Pettigrew (who could be a first-round NFL draft pick), two seniors on the offensive line in center David Washington and right guard Steve Denning, and three senior starters in the secondary — cornerback Jacob Lacey and safeties Ricky Price and Quinton Moore. Cowboy coaches believe they have young players who are ready to shoulder responsibility, but Pettigrew, Washington, Lacey and Price were the veterans of 161 career starts.

Considering the difficulty of the 2009 schedule, what are the keys in at least matching this season's nine-win total?

Keeping Zac Robinson, Dez Bryant and Kendall Hunter healthy is critically important. When Robinson and Bryant were injured in the Holiday Bowl, the offense crumbled. Next season's incredibly challenging OSU schedule includes home dates with Georgia, Houston, a dangerous Rice team, Missouri, Texas and Texas Tech, along with a Bedlam date at Oklahoma. This season, because it was unable to generate pressure in the pass pocket, OSU was shredded by quality quarterbacks. If the Cowboys are not better defensively in 2009, it will be tough to once again get to nine wins.