Tramel's ScissorTales: College football picks & why big games still excite OSU's Mike Gundy
Berry TramelOklahoman
Mike Gundy quarterbacked OSU for four seasons, then immediately became a college football coach. He spent 15 years as an assistant on a variety of staffs.
OSU 1990-95, Baylor 1996, Maryland 1997-00. Then he returned to OSU as part of Les Miles’ staff from 2001-04.
Those first 12 years, Gundy’s teams never finished with a winning record. Maryland in 1999 and 2000 posted back-to-back 5-6 seasons. That was the peak for Gundy.
So he’s not taking for granted what arrives Saturday in Fort Worth. A Big 12 showdown between Gundy’s eighth-ranked Cowboys and 13th-ranked Texas Christian.
"When you have a lot of hype, there’s a feeling in pregame warmup that’s different than without that,” Gundy said. “I think I still feel that.”
It’s a good thing. The Cowboys are playing so many of these showdown games, everybody in orange should be ready.
This is OSU 44th top-25 matchup in the last 14 calendar years. And they are increasing. The Cowboys finished off the 2021 season with three straight top-10 collisions. Counting Saturday at TCU, seven of OSU’s last 16 games have been top-25 showdowns. The Cowboys are 5-1 in those games.
“That’s part of our culture,” Gundy said of staying even-keeled. “General public, the fans, people, if I see somebody at the coffee shop, at the gas station...”
Fan: “Coach, you got a big game this week.”
Gundy: “Every game is a big game. They’re all the same.”
Fan: “Nah, this one’s bigger.”
Gundy: “I’m with you, but if we didn’t win the last one, this one wouldn’t be as big.”
So Gundy acknowledges the emotion of such a marquee event but also warns about keeping minds right.
“The players have to approach it that way,” Gundy said. “It’s a 12-game season, right? We know we get 12 games, and we can’t get too high on one or too low on the other. There’s not been many teams in the country finished a year without losing a game at some particular point during the season. So if you throw all your eggs in one basket and get all jacked up and put everything out there, then you lose, come up short, sometimes it’s hard to recover and get ready for the next one when the preparation needs to stay the same.”
That’s not what anyone wants to hear. But Gundy is right. As exciting as these games are, teams must keep both feet planted on the ground.
And OSU has. The Cowboys are 11-5 in their last 16 top-25 matchups.
“I always hear coaches say, ‘Yeah, this is what I coach for,’ and some players say, ‘This is what I play for,’ - like 1-vs.-2 or 6-vs.-5 or whatever,” Gundy said. “I like the 28-point spread games better. They’re much more enjoyable for me.
“But when we’re in these games and the pregame and getting going and the crowd and the pageantry of college football is pretty special.”
Those long seasons in Stillwater and Waco and College Park 25-30 years ago has made Gundy appreciate what the Cowboys have built.
Gundy still recites the famous line from former OSU offensive coordinator Todd Monken: “It doesn’t make a difference if you’re coaching in the NFL, you’re coaching Power Five, Division 5, Division 2, juco or Division 16, or high school. If you’re losing, it’s no fun. If you’re winning, it’s fun.
“When you think about that, he’s exactly right. Us having as much success as we’ve had for a long period of time makes it better, and it keeps you in the game, keeps you coaching, keeps you wanting to do it.”
So the Cowboys walk into Amon G. Carter Stadium, grabbing some of the spotlight on a magical college football Saturday that includes three showdowns of unbeatens: Alabama-Tennessee, Michigan-Penn State and OSU-TCU.
Pretty good company for the Cowboys. Pretty good company for a coach who once went a long time without winning.
Let’s get to the predictions:
Berry Tramel's Week 7 college football predictions
OSU at TCU: Cowboys 38-35. I like the Horned Frogs. I like them a lot. But their defense has been a little vulnerable against both Southern Methodist and Kansas, the latter mostly against backup quarterback Jason Bean. And TCU faced OU’s Dillon Gabriel for only a quarter and a half. Expect Spencer Sanders to have a huge game and lead the Cowboys to victory.Kansas at Oklahoma: Sooners 34-30. I had Kansas in this game, but when quarterback Jalon Daniels was ruled out, I switched back to OU. Jason Bean was a capable backup for KU last week against TCU. But Gabriel almost surely returns this week, which means the OU offense should be back in fourth gear.
Baylor at West Virginia: Bears 20-16. The home team has won every game in this series except 2017, when the Mountaineers pulled off a 38-36 win in Waco.
Alabama at Tennessee: Crimson Tide 31-28. In what once was a great rivalry, the Volunteers are 0-for-Saban – 0-15 since Nick Saban arrived in Tuscaloosa, with only two verdicts closer than 14 points.
Mississippi State at Kentucky: Wildcats 23-20. A wildly promising season is in trouble for UK, which has lost to Ole Miss and South Carolina in back-to-back weeks but is expected to welcome back injured quarterback Will Levis.
Arkansas at Brigham Young: Cougars 27-17. The launch of a cool intersectional series. Both teams need a victory, and Hogs quarterback K.J. Jefferson returns from injury.
Auburn at Ole Miss: Rebels 40-18. You could have made a lot of money betting that War Eagle’s Bryan Harsin wouldn’t be among the first five Power Five coaches fired in the 2022 season.
Louisiana State at Florida: Gators 30-20. Often, hard times can be exaggerated. Both of these programs are a bit of a mess, with first-year coaches, but each team is 4-2. The winner is 5-2 and having a decent season.
Vanderbilt at Georgia: Bulldogs 45-0. As recently as 2016, Vandy beat Georgia. I know, hard to believe.
Iowa State at Texas: Longhorns 31-6. The Cyclones’ defense is elite – KU and K-State scored a combined 24 points against ISU – but Matt Campbell’s team can’t score enough to stay with the Longhorns.
