JimBob
12-31-2007, 08:48 AM
Cowboys are 6-6 again, but things are looking up
By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
12/31/2007
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Oklahoma State is a far different team than the Cowboys that played in last year's Independence Bowl.
On the surface, OSU looks pretty much the same. The Cowboys are 6-6, finished in the midst of the Big 12 Conference and have many of the same players.
But it was a long, hard road from 6-6 in 2006 to 6-6 in 2007.
When OSU beat Alabama last December, Bobby Reid looked secure as the quarterback of the future. He wasn't. State made the switch to Zac Robinson early this season.
OSU was still trying to feel its way through a newfangled offense and get the balance it wanted. This year the Cowboys ran and passed for almost the exact same number of yards.
Mike Gundy was not well-known outside of the Big 12 area. Now, thanks to an unfortunate tirade early in the year, there's no one that pays attention to college football that hasn't heard his famous "I'm a man! I'm 40!"
Yes, much has changed. Yet, so much is the same.
"We're further along as a football team in our football program, in our depth and the direction we're going now than we were at this time a year ago," said Gundy at an Insight Bowl press conference. "We have to stay the course. We have to be patient."
Winning the Insight Bowl on Monday would be more than just a good thing. For the Cowboys, beating Indiana would give them a winning record, which they accomplished in last year's bowl win.
For Oklahoma State fans, who have endured rising ticket prices and some crushing losses this season, this game is about progress.
OSU fans want to see some.
Gundy knows it. He's eager to point out how much more competitive OSU has become during his three years.
That's a fact. State has gone from league worst, to middle of the pack to competitive with every team except one.
OSU is on the verge of having its third straight top 25 recruiting class. The level of talent has obviously risen.
"We're further ahead than we were last year," said Gundy. "I know you can look at it and see that we were 6-6 last year and we're 6-6 this year.
"But I've tried to make this very clear. We are working toward a goal of having an opportunity to win every game in the future."
Gundy has made his share of mistakes in his first three years as a head coach. OSU fans have shown great patience.
His football program is in the midst of a reconstruction that matches the facilities upgrades that go hand-in-hand with the overall health of OSU football.
"It is hard to compare the three years since when coach (Les) Miles was leaving," said Gundy.
Actually, it is pretty easy. In Miles' last three years, he took OSU to the Houston Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Alamo Bowl.
And, he beat Oklahoma twice.
Yet, Gundy, an alum, wants to change the entire culture of OSU football.
That may take a while.
It would have been easy for OSU to have shown that improvement on the scoreboard.
The Cowboys had games against Texas and Texas A&M well under control and should have won. Key word is should. They didn't.
There's a huge difference in perception between 8-4 and 6-6.
Still, it would be hard to ignore the obvious. OSU is probably better now than it was a year ago.
OSU's schedule, ranked as the nation's toughest by the NCAA, had three teams in the top 10 that are playing in BCS games this week.
Four of OSU's final five opponents during the season were ranked. Yet, the only games in which OSU looked overmatched were on the road at Georgia and at Oklahoma, two teams that could make the argument they belong in the national championship game.
In the end, Gundy knows it is about winning and losing.
And, he knows college football has changed. With it has come new opportunities for teams at all levels of the game.
"Kansas wasn't even in a bowl last year and they had a great run this year (11-1 and in the Orange Bowl)," said Gundy.
The Jayhawks have something concrete to embrace as improvement. That's where the Cowboys hope to go. A victory in the Insight Bowl would be a step.
"There's more parity in college football now than there ever has been," said Gundy. "There are more games that are competitive and games that are closer than there have been in the past in college football."
The past two years, the ups have been matched by the downs for the Cowboys.
Progress would be more ups.
By JOHN KLEIN Senior Sports Columnist
12/31/2007
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Oklahoma State is a far different team than the Cowboys that played in last year's Independence Bowl.
On the surface, OSU looks pretty much the same. The Cowboys are 6-6, finished in the midst of the Big 12 Conference and have many of the same players.
But it was a long, hard road from 6-6 in 2006 to 6-6 in 2007.
When OSU beat Alabama last December, Bobby Reid looked secure as the quarterback of the future. He wasn't. State made the switch to Zac Robinson early this season.
OSU was still trying to feel its way through a newfangled offense and get the balance it wanted. This year the Cowboys ran and passed for almost the exact same number of yards.
Mike Gundy was not well-known outside of the Big 12 area. Now, thanks to an unfortunate tirade early in the year, there's no one that pays attention to college football that hasn't heard his famous "I'm a man! I'm 40!"
Yes, much has changed. Yet, so much is the same.
"We're further along as a football team in our football program, in our depth and the direction we're going now than we were at this time a year ago," said Gundy at an Insight Bowl press conference. "We have to stay the course. We have to be patient."
Winning the Insight Bowl on Monday would be more than just a good thing. For the Cowboys, beating Indiana would give them a winning record, which they accomplished in last year's bowl win.
For Oklahoma State fans, who have endured rising ticket prices and some crushing losses this season, this game is about progress.
OSU fans want to see some.
Gundy knows it. He's eager to point out how much more competitive OSU has become during his three years.
That's a fact. State has gone from league worst, to middle of the pack to competitive with every team except one.
OSU is on the verge of having its third straight top 25 recruiting class. The level of talent has obviously risen.
"We're further ahead than we were last year," said Gundy. "I know you can look at it and see that we were 6-6 last year and we're 6-6 this year.
"But I've tried to make this very clear. We are working toward a goal of having an opportunity to win every game in the future."
Gundy has made his share of mistakes in his first three years as a head coach. OSU fans have shown great patience.
His football program is in the midst of a reconstruction that matches the facilities upgrades that go hand-in-hand with the overall health of OSU football.
"It is hard to compare the three years since when coach (Les) Miles was leaving," said Gundy.
Actually, it is pretty easy. In Miles' last three years, he took OSU to the Houston Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Alamo Bowl.
And, he beat Oklahoma twice.
Yet, Gundy, an alum, wants to change the entire culture of OSU football.
That may take a while.
It would have been easy for OSU to have shown that improvement on the scoreboard.
The Cowboys had games against Texas and Texas A&M well under control and should have won. Key word is should. They didn't.
There's a huge difference in perception between 8-4 and 6-6.
Still, it would be hard to ignore the obvious. OSU is probably better now than it was a year ago.
OSU's schedule, ranked as the nation's toughest by the NCAA, had three teams in the top 10 that are playing in BCS games this week.
Four of OSU's final five opponents during the season were ranked. Yet, the only games in which OSU looked overmatched were on the road at Georgia and at Oklahoma, two teams that could make the argument they belong in the national championship game.
In the end, Gundy knows it is about winning and losing.
And, he knows college football has changed. With it has come new opportunities for teams at all levels of the game.
"Kansas wasn't even in a bowl last year and they had a great run this year (11-1 and in the Orange Bowl)," said Gundy.
The Jayhawks have something concrete to embrace as improvement. That's where the Cowboys hope to go. A victory in the Insight Bowl would be a step.
"There's more parity in college football now than there ever has been," said Gundy. "There are more games that are competitive and games that are closer than there have been in the past in college football."
The past two years, the ups have been matched by the downs for the Cowboys.
Progress would be more ups.