When he pumped nearly $250 million into OSU's football program, Pickens' gift came with only two stipulations. He requested the upgraded facilities to be the best available, and the Pokes must win a Big 12 Conference championship before he heads to that big board room in the sky.

"We have to move fast, because I want to see it," Pickens told me last summer. "I don't want them plugging away and doing a good job, and I (die) and five years later they've got a championship team. I want it as soon as we can get it."

Pickens genuinely admires how Leach turned Texas Tech into a consistent winner. That included some victories over Oklahoma and Texas, schools that Gundy has gone a combined 0-10 against in his five seasons at OSU.

The stunning hire of Holgorsen last January set off all kinds of bells and whistles. The addition of the former offensive coordinator at Tech and Houston (which won at OSU last season) came two days after Gundy told the Tulsa World that nothing would change offensively in 2010, including him calling the plays.