Oklahoma Sooners Football: Bedlam Q&A With Cowboys Ride For Free

Cade Webb, the Jack Shields of SB Nation’s OSU site, was nice enough to talk to us about Bedlam and other topics.

Jack: Oklahoma State had a solid defensive performance against TCU two weeks ago. After watching that game, are you confident that Oklahoma State can slow down OU’s offensive attack?

Cade: I am confident that OSU can at least slow down OU’s offense. I don’t anticipate OSU being able to take OU completely out of their game, but the Cowboys defense has to feel good about themselves after smacking around TCU last week and completely dismantling that offense. I think OSU should be able to slow down OU’s running attack just enough to give them a chance.

Jack: James Washington gets all of the pub at the receiver position for Oklahoma State, but McLeskey, Lacy and Seales have been productive, as well. Why does each receiver bring to the table for OSU’s offense? They all seem to have a different skill set.

Cade: This is without a doubt Oklahoma State’s greatest strength. Their depth at the WR position is pretty impressive. For James Washington, all he needs is an inch and he can burn you. With the other receivers, they all bring something unique to the fold. With Jalen McCleskey, he has the ability to sit down in the middle of the zone and allow Mason Rudolph a clean window to throw. He has become the safety valve of the offense, and should be targeted 10+ times on Saturday. With Chris Lacy, he has really come on strong lately. He isn’t the fastest, but he has incredible hands and a big frame. While most defenses tend to shade a safety over the top on James Washington, Lacy is able to feast on those one-on-one matchups. You’ll see a lot of him on both out and go routes. Jhajuan Seales is a wild card for OSU, but when he’s on, he has the potential to be every bit as good as the other names on this list. At 6’1”, he isn’t going to jump over you, but he’s sneaky athletic and is very fast. I expect all of these receivers to make an impact on Saturday.

Jack: Mason Rudolph is one of the better pro prospects at the quarterback position. Outside of the fact that he looks like a prototypical NFL QB, what makes him so appealing to pro scouts?

Cade: It has to be his decision making. Rudolph currently has the best touchdown/interception ratio in the Big 12 among starting quarterbacks. He doesn’t force the ball, and he’s become adept at tucking the ball and running before being pressured. He makes all of the throws and doesn’t have a glaring weakness.

Jack: At the beginning of the season, OSU’s running game was mediocre at best, but that has clearly changed. What’s been the key to OSU’s success on the ground as of late?

Cade: The offensive line has improved drastically, and I think the addition of Justice Hill has really had an impact. The offensive line is now able to get a push and they are able to hold their blocks, which is something they couldn’t do at all last year. Chris Carson has also become a formidable change of pace back that compliments Hill to a T. Add all of that together, and it would be a huge disappointment if the running game didn’t improve.

Jack: OSU fans seem pretty confident heading into this one, but how do you think the game will play out? What’s your final score prediction?

Cade: You can lump me in with them. I’m confident that OSU will be able to do what they want on offense, provided Mike Gundy lets it rip. I think OU has the better running game, but the passing offense may lean a little bit in OSU’s favor. That’s not bashing OU by any means, I just think OSU’s depth at receiver plays a role in this game. Because I think this turns into a shootout, and because OSU has the better secondary by a good margin, I’m going to take Oklahoma State to win 51-45.

Jack: What’s your favorite bar in Stillwater, and why?

Cade: This is like asking which holiday is your favorite. I love College Bar, but I’m a sucker for outdoor patios, and Murphy’s has the best in Stillwater. Also, neon palm trees!

Jack: Are Eskimo Joe’s cheese fries overrated?

Cade: Their plain cheese fries certainly are, but if those are what you go with, you’re simply doing it wrong. Gotta get the Sweet Peppered Bacon cheese fries and you’re golden.

Jack: Would you rather listen to a Garth Brooks playlist or a Red Dirt playlist?

Cade: Red Dirt playlist, without a doubt. Cross Canadian Ragweed. Randy Rogers. Wade Bowen. Turnpike Troubadours. I love Garth, but those are some of my all-time favorites. This was a tough one.

Jack: Would you rather have seven national championships in football or over 50 national championships across all sports?

Cade: I don’t think there’s a correct answer here, but I’ll give it my best shot. Personally, I’d rather have 50 across all sports, but I’d rather the majority of them not be wrestling. I like wrestling, but if there were a few in football, a few more in basketball and baseball, then this would be a no brainer. Also, because I’m assuming the “seven national championships” refer to OU’s, I’m only 21 … In my lifetime, OU has won one national championship and I was five when it happened. Those titles in the fifties and seventies wouldn’t mean a whole lot to me in a personal sense. I certainly would love for OSU to have more national respect in football through tradition, but I think they’re getting there.

Jack: FMK? (Over 40 Edition): Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Sophia Vergara

Cade: First off, let me applaud you on the choices here. This was a real stumper. Let’s go … F: Sophia Vergara, M: Jennifer Aniston, K: Jennifer Lopez. Note from Jack: These are the correct answers.