2008 Season Preview: Oklahoma State

OSU Head Coach Mike Gundy was 0-4 against Oklahoma as a starting quarterback and is off to an 0-3 start against the Sooners as a head coach. Last year the Cowboys gave up 49 points OU which was the most since the 52-9 blowout of 2003 but a 7-6 record with a win over Indiana in the Insight Bowl last season has the fans in Stillwater hoping for great things this season.

Zac Robinson was inserted as the starting quarterback during the Troy game and the Cowboys never looked back ending a quarterback controversy that seemed to be in place since former starter Bobby Reid arrived on campus. Robinson loses his top receiver and the team’s leading rusher as well as innovative offensive coordinator Larry Fedora but that doesn’t necessarily mean that the Cowboys offense will be any less prolific in 2008.

Dez Bryant showed flashes of brilliance as a freshman, catching 43 passes for 622 yards and 6 touchdowns, and Brandon Pettigrew is one of the best tight ends in the country. The question on offense for O-State is at the running back position. With Dantrell Savage moving on to the NFL Robinson returns as the team’s leading rusher and behind him are Kendall Hunter, Keith Toston, JUCO transfer Beau Johnson and freshman Kye Staley. Both Hunter and Toston have game experience with OSU but Toston’s health is still in question.

O-State returns 6 starters on a defensive unit that was less than stellar last year. The Cowboys gave up almost four more points a game in 2007 than they did in 2006. That is a trend that must be corrected in 2008 for OSU to finish higher than 4th in the Big 12 South. Linebacker Patrick Lavine, who was second most on the team in tackles (81) in `07, and cornerback Jacob Lacey, who led the team in interceptions (5), will be called upon to lead the defense. Someone will have to step up and replace Nathan Peterson’s 6 sacks and 9 tackles for loss. The Cowboys will also need to find a way to get more pressure on opponent’s passing attack. Last year they had a total of 21.5 sacks while opposing quarterbacks completed 64.3% of their passes for 286 yards per game.

Mike Gundy is in his 4th season as Oklahoma State’s head coach and I honestly believe that he is moving them in the right direction. They’ve been to a bowl the last two seasons, improving in quality from `06 to `07. However, with OU owning a 78-17-7 record the Bedlam Series is the most lopsided in the nation featuring two teams from the same state.