JimBob
01-01-2008, 08:56 AM
Robinson will be a star in 2008
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist
1/1/2008
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Less than 24 hours in, here are two things we already know about 2008: Mike Gundy will become a 41-year-old man in August, and he won't have a quarterback controversy the entire year.
Now, if Oklahoma State's football coach can continue to grow and mature as rapidly as Zac Robinson, his fourth Cowboys' team just might turn out to be something special.
We know Robinson's special. On the final day of 2007, he showed he's already there, when Robinson emphatically put an exclamation point on his rapid transformation into OSU's undisputed leader on the field.
In a season that started with him sitting on the bench, Rob inson's final game ended Monday night with him standing on the podium at Sun Devils Stadium accepting the trophy as the offensive player of the game in the Insight Bowl.
There were a lot of OSU players who were outstanding in the Cowboys' resounding 49-33 over Indiana. But Robinson left no doubt that he's the king of Cowboys after he led OSU to touchdowns on the Pokes' first five possessions.
In the final game of his sophomore season, Robinson also sent a message to some of his Big 12 Conference peers -- move over.
That means you Chase Daniel, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy. Ditto for Todd Reesing and Graham Harrell.
Those five quarterbacks need to make room for Mr. Robinson in their exclusive neighborhood.
Daniel was a Heisman Trophy finalist at Missouri. Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency as a redshirt freshman at OU. McCoy's a two-year starter at Texas. Reesing directed Kansas to its best season in more than 90 years, while Harrell is Texas Tech's latest record-setter.
All those outstanding players mean 2008 will be known as the Year of the Quarterback in the Big 12. And Larry Fedora thinks Robinson belongs right in the middle of what should be a heated off-season debate over which one is the best.
"I don't think there's a better quarterback in the league than Zac Robinson. I really don't," Fedora said after the game. "He's intelligent and he understands the game. He can run it, he can throw it . . . he can do it all."
It was Fedora, as OSU's offensive coordinator, who developed Robinson the past two seasons. But after accepting the head coaching job at Southern Mississippi in early December, Fedora attended the Insight Bowl as a spectator.
Make that a semi-spectator. Fedora watched the game from the OSU coaches' box, but insisted that he left the play-calling to the other Cowboy assistants.
Even if Fedora did get somewhat involved, the game plan OSU put together was a positive sign that Gundy is indeed growing as a coach. He won his second straight bowl and finished with a second consecutive 7-6 season because he held the offensive staff together and absorbed the considerable blow the program took with Fedora's departure.
"Everything the coaches called seemed to be working," Robinson said. "That helped us jump on them early."
It was Robinson who jump started the Pokes after Indiana took an early 3-0 lead. Robinson, who started the season No. 2 behind Bobby Reid, tossed two touchdown passes and ran for two more in the first half as OSU's offensive talent outclassed the Hoosiers.
"They are pretty basic on defense," Robinson said. "So we thought coming in that if we could execute and didn't turn the ball over that we'd have a good chance to put up a lot of points."
When Robinson's award-winning night was over, he had completed 24 of 34 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns. He was also second on the team in rushing, gaining 70 yards and scoring those two TDs on 15 carries.
"I thought Zac did a hell of a job leading this team," Fedora said. "And I think he's going to continue to get better and better."
Nobody will know if OSU would have finished better than one game over .500 if Robinson had started from the get-go. It was Gundy's indecision during fall camp and the opening game with Reid and Robinson that definitely played a role in OSU's 1-2 start.
That's why Gundy and Robinson both have to be looking forward to the eighth month of 2008.
On Aug. 12, Gundy will turn 41. He might never live down his "I'm a man! I'm 40!" tirade after the Texas Tech game, but aging a year will help put some distance between himself and that unfortunate incident.
And 18 days after Gundy's birthday, Robinson will lead the Pokes in their Aug. 30 opener against Washington State in Seattle.
After battling Reid for the job the past two seasons, Robinson said he's eager to head into spring practice and fall camp knowing that the starting job is firmly in his control.
"It's going to take a lot of pressure off me," Robinson said. "I'm not going to taper off at all. I'm going to try and get better and stronger.
"But it's definitely a weight off my shoulders to not have to think about it. And I think the sky's the limit."
Perhaps the coach and the quarterback both will continue to soar skyward in 2008.
By DAVE SITTLER World Sports Columnist
1/1/2008
TEMPE, Ariz. -- Less than 24 hours in, here are two things we already know about 2008: Mike Gundy will become a 41-year-old man in August, and he won't have a quarterback controversy the entire year.
Now, if Oklahoma State's football coach can continue to grow and mature as rapidly as Zac Robinson, his fourth Cowboys' team just might turn out to be something special.
We know Robinson's special. On the final day of 2007, he showed he's already there, when Robinson emphatically put an exclamation point on his rapid transformation into OSU's undisputed leader on the field.
In a season that started with him sitting on the bench, Rob inson's final game ended Monday night with him standing on the podium at Sun Devils Stadium accepting the trophy as the offensive player of the game in the Insight Bowl.
There were a lot of OSU players who were outstanding in the Cowboys' resounding 49-33 over Indiana. But Robinson left no doubt that he's the king of Cowboys after he led OSU to touchdowns on the Pokes' first five possessions.
In the final game of his sophomore season, Robinson also sent a message to some of his Big 12 Conference peers -- move over.
That means you Chase Daniel, Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy. Ditto for Todd Reesing and Graham Harrell.
Those five quarterbacks need to make room for Mr. Robinson in their exclusive neighborhood.
Daniel was a Heisman Trophy finalist at Missouri. Bradford led the nation in passing efficiency as a redshirt freshman at OU. McCoy's a two-year starter at Texas. Reesing directed Kansas to its best season in more than 90 years, while Harrell is Texas Tech's latest record-setter.
All those outstanding players mean 2008 will be known as the Year of the Quarterback in the Big 12. And Larry Fedora thinks Robinson belongs right in the middle of what should be a heated off-season debate over which one is the best.
"I don't think there's a better quarterback in the league than Zac Robinson. I really don't," Fedora said after the game. "He's intelligent and he understands the game. He can run it, he can throw it . . . he can do it all."
It was Fedora, as OSU's offensive coordinator, who developed Robinson the past two seasons. But after accepting the head coaching job at Southern Mississippi in early December, Fedora attended the Insight Bowl as a spectator.
Make that a semi-spectator. Fedora watched the game from the OSU coaches' box, but insisted that he left the play-calling to the other Cowboy assistants.
Even if Fedora did get somewhat involved, the game plan OSU put together was a positive sign that Gundy is indeed growing as a coach. He won his second straight bowl and finished with a second consecutive 7-6 season because he held the offensive staff together and absorbed the considerable blow the program took with Fedora's departure.
"Everything the coaches called seemed to be working," Robinson said. "That helped us jump on them early."
It was Robinson who jump started the Pokes after Indiana took an early 3-0 lead. Robinson, who started the season No. 2 behind Bobby Reid, tossed two touchdown passes and ran for two more in the first half as OSU's offensive talent outclassed the Hoosiers.
"They are pretty basic on defense," Robinson said. "So we thought coming in that if we could execute and didn't turn the ball over that we'd have a good chance to put up a lot of points."
When Robinson's award-winning night was over, he had completed 24 of 34 passes for 302 yards and three touchdowns. He was also second on the team in rushing, gaining 70 yards and scoring those two TDs on 15 carries.
"I thought Zac did a hell of a job leading this team," Fedora said. "And I think he's going to continue to get better and better."
Nobody will know if OSU would have finished better than one game over .500 if Robinson had started from the get-go. It was Gundy's indecision during fall camp and the opening game with Reid and Robinson that definitely played a role in OSU's 1-2 start.
That's why Gundy and Robinson both have to be looking forward to the eighth month of 2008.
On Aug. 12, Gundy will turn 41. He might never live down his "I'm a man! I'm 40!" tirade after the Texas Tech game, but aging a year will help put some distance between himself and that unfortunate incident.
And 18 days after Gundy's birthday, Robinson will lead the Pokes in their Aug. 30 opener against Washington State in Seattle.
After battling Reid for the job the past two seasons, Robinson said he's eager to head into spring practice and fall camp knowing that the starting job is firmly in his control.
"It's going to take a lot of pressure off me," Robinson said. "I'm not going to taper off at all. I'm going to try and get better and stronger.
"But it's definitely a weight off my shoulders to not have to think about it. And I think the sky's the limit."
Perhaps the coach and the quarterback both will continue to soar skyward in 2008.