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Oklahoma State Cowboys
Preview 2015
- Oklahoma State Previews 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006
By Pete Fiutak
Head coach: Mike Gundy
11th year: 49-35
Ten Best OSU Players
1. DE Emmanuel Ogbah, Jr.
2. DE Jimmy Bean, Sr.
3. QB Mason Rudolph, Soph.
4. S Jordan Sterns, Jr.
5. LB Ryan Simmons, Sr.
6. WR Brandon Sheperd, Sr.
7. CB Kevin Peterson, Sr.
8. RB Rennie Childs, Jr.
9. WR David Glidden, Sr.
10. PK Ben Grogan, Jr.
2015 Schedule
Sept. 3 at Central Michigan
Sept. 12 Central Arkansas
Sept. 19 UTSA
Sept. 26 at Texas
Oct. 3 Kansas State
Oct. 10 at West Virginia
Oct. 17 OPEN DATE
Oct. 24 Kansas
Oct. 31 at Texas Tech
Nov. 7 TCU
Nov. 14 at Iowa State
Nov. 21 Baylor
Nov. 28 Oklahoma
Now it’s time for the rebound.
By all accounts it was supposed to be a bit of a rebuilding season with just ten starters returning and several key parts needing to be replaced from the 10-3 2013 season, but the Cowboys still got off to a great start. They pushed defending national champion Florida State hard in an opening week 37-31 loss, and they won five straight during the easy part of the slate to, in theory, build up the experience and get everything in place. And then the schedule happened. OSU started off the year 0-6 against teams that ended up bowling, with the wheels coming off in a big way offensively during an ugly midseason stretch. The team could’ve easily have packed it in, but one Tyreek Hill big play against Oklahoma changed the narrative on the way to a bowl appearance and win.
The 2013 team was fantastic, and then died at the end. The 2014 team was mediocre, and kicked it in late with the win over the Sooners followed up by an impressive performance to beat Washington in the Cactus Bowl. The 2015 team might not be the best yet under Mike Gundy, but the returning starters and depth are there, and the cloud of concern over a variety of issues has now passed. Nothing too much came out of the Sports Illustrated report that could’ve buried the program – the public outcry was more like a deafening sound of dead silence – with the NCAA probation turning into a one-year kiss behind the ear. The Cowboys got in trouble for the Orange Pride hosting program and a loose drug policy – everything is fine.
Not that it was a massive weight off the program, and the issues weren’t the reason the offense went into the tank against most teams with a pulse, but now it really is going to be all about football, and OSU is in a position to be a power player again. The offense still needs to come up with a steady running game, and there isn’t a Dez Bryant or Justin Blackmon at receiver, but the weapons around QB Mason Rudolph are good enough to keep up the pace. The defensive front has the potential to be a terror, the linebackers are solid veterans, and the secondary could be excellent with a little bit of time. Will it all be enough to overcome the firepower of Baylor and TCU? Can the program possibly catch fire like it did in 2011 and be in the mix for the playoff? This is Gundy’s 11th year, and he has built and rebuilt the team up several times, often with great success. Unlike last season, this year’s team is built.
What to watch for on offense: Will the offensive line be more up to OSU snuff? The 2011 offense that exploded was helped in a big way by a line that gave up just 12 sacks. The 2012 line gave up 12 and the 2013 line allowed 14. Last season, the Cowboys allowed 40 sacks while doing next to nothing for a running game that averaged a paltry 3.5 yards per carry. However, the line got better as the season went on, doing a nice job in the final few games and now welcomes back three good starters. With new O line coach Greg Adkins a pro’s pro, watch out for this to be one of the team’s biggest areas of improvement.
What to watch for on defense: The defensive line should be far, far stronger. The pass rush was there with Emmanuel Ogbah turning into a superstar, but the run defense was a rumor at times over the second half of the season giving up 317 yards and five touchdowns to Baylor and following it up by allowing 304 yards and four scores to Oklahoma. The difference this year is in the interior with sophomores Vincent Taylor and Vili Levini two big bodies who look like disruptive forces. Getting to the quarterback even more is a must to help out a pass defense that struggled way too often, and this group should do it.
The team will be far better if … the offense keeps the chains moving. Several Big 12 offenses score fast enough to not really care too much about third downs, but it was a huge issue for the Cowboys last year converting just 33% of the time. The ugly four-game losing streak to TCU, West Virginia, Kansas State and Texas went hand-in-hand to the inability to move the chains, scoring a total of 40 points in those four game and converting just 17% of the time on third downs. By comparison, the 2011 juggernaut hit on 49% of the third down chances, and even the 2013 team that converted 39% of the time was considered a problem. OSU has to be well above 40% to have any real hope of keeping pace with the Big 12 stars.
The schedule: Going to Central Michigan isn’t going to be easy. The Chippewas are going to be dangerous in what should be a strange non-conference date to start the season. Central Arkansas and UTSA should be layups.- The Cowboys get five Big 12 home games and four on the road. The road games are spread out really, really well. - November should work out fine with three home games in the final four. Getting TCU and Baylor at home is a massive plus, and while the home field doesn’t really matter in the rivalry game against Oklahoma, it’s still a plus. - The four Big 12 road games are at Texas, West Virginia, Texas Tech and Iowa State. That’s not bad. - WATCH OUT FOR … Texas Tech. It’s on the road just before the showdown against TCU and coming off the likely bombing of Kansas. The Cowboys have to be ready for a shootout.
Best offensive player: Sophomore QB Mason Rudolph. At least that’s the hope. J.W. Walsh is a veteran passer who showed this offseason that he’s still good enough to fight for the starting job, but it was Rudolph who emerged as his true freshman season went on and showed the promise to be something special. Very big, very talented, and with a huge arm and next-level upside, he could be the type of quarterback who becomes the reason Oklahoma State goes from okay to Big 12 title good. Again, that’s the hope. Best defensive player: Junior DE Emmanuel Ogbah. It’s not like he was a one-man gang up front for the Cowboy defensive line, but he came up with an all-star season as the star pass rusher for a line that was shaky at best overall. Very big, very active, and very tough against the run, he was explosive as well as consistent. With the OSU front for a bit more experienced and with a few emerging talents expected to shine through, the pressure should be taken off of Ogbah a bit. Expect him to blow up even bigger.
Key player to a successful season: Junior RB Rennie Childs. Desmond Roland was okay, rushing for a team-leading 770 yards and ten scores, but he’s hardly irreplaceable. Tyreek Hill was sensational, but he was great in a jack-of-all-trades sort of way. Now it’s up to Childs to try being the main man for a rushing attack that needs help. Mason Rudolph and the passing game might be good enough to carry the team, but if Childs can be effective – and all indications are that he’s ready to be great – everything else on the offense should work.
The season will be a success if … the Cowboys win at least ten games. There’s too much missing to win the title in an improve Big 12, but with just about every schedule break that could be reasonably asked for – including getting TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma at home – and with a world of experience returning, a ten-win season is a must. Do that, and OSU should be in the mix for big things up until the end of the regular season.
Key game: Sept. 26 at Texas. With Kansas State, TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma at home, the Big 12 opener at Texas and the road game at West Virginia are two of the biggest landmines. The Longhorns dominated in a key 28-7 win in mid-November last season, and this year it’ll be a huge, huge game for Charlie Strong. However, if the Cowboys win, it might be the catalyst to a great Big 12 campaign.
2014 Fun Stats: - First Quarter Scoring: Opponents 123 – Oklahoma State 79- Second Quarter Scoring: Oklahoma State 114 – Opponents 68- Fumbles: Oklahoma State 11 (lost 5) - Opponents 12 (lost 2)
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Preview 2015
- Oklahoma State Previews 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006
By Pete Fiutak
Head coach: Mike Gundy
11th year: 49-35
Ten Best OSU Players
1. DE Emmanuel Ogbah, Jr.
2. DE Jimmy Bean, Sr.
3. QB Mason Rudolph, Soph.
4. S Jordan Sterns, Jr.
5. LB Ryan Simmons, Sr.
6. WR Brandon Sheperd, Sr.
7. CB Kevin Peterson, Sr.
8. RB Rennie Childs, Jr.
9. WR David Glidden, Sr.
10. PK Ben Grogan, Jr.
2015 Schedule
Sept. 3 at Central Michigan
Sept. 12 Central Arkansas
Sept. 19 UTSA
Sept. 26 at Texas
Oct. 3 Kansas State
Oct. 10 at West Virginia
Oct. 17 OPEN DATE
Oct. 24 Kansas
Oct. 31 at Texas Tech
Nov. 7 TCU
Nov. 14 at Iowa State
Nov. 21 Baylor
Nov. 28 Oklahoma
Now it’s time for the rebound.
By all accounts it was supposed to be a bit of a rebuilding season with just ten starters returning and several key parts needing to be replaced from the 10-3 2013 season, but the Cowboys still got off to a great start. They pushed defending national champion Florida State hard in an opening week 37-31 loss, and they won five straight during the easy part of the slate to, in theory, build up the experience and get everything in place. And then the schedule happened. OSU started off the year 0-6 against teams that ended up bowling, with the wheels coming off in a big way offensively during an ugly midseason stretch. The team could’ve easily have packed it in, but one Tyreek Hill big play against Oklahoma changed the narrative on the way to a bowl appearance and win.
The 2013 team was fantastic, and then died at the end. The 2014 team was mediocre, and kicked it in late with the win over the Sooners followed up by an impressive performance to beat Washington in the Cactus Bowl. The 2015 team might not be the best yet under Mike Gundy, but the returning starters and depth are there, and the cloud of concern over a variety of issues has now passed. Nothing too much came out of the Sports Illustrated report that could’ve buried the program – the public outcry was more like a deafening sound of dead silence – with the NCAA probation turning into a one-year kiss behind the ear. The Cowboys got in trouble for the Orange Pride hosting program and a loose drug policy – everything is fine.
Not that it was a massive weight off the program, and the issues weren’t the reason the offense went into the tank against most teams with a pulse, but now it really is going to be all about football, and OSU is in a position to be a power player again. The offense still needs to come up with a steady running game, and there isn’t a Dez Bryant or Justin Blackmon at receiver, but the weapons around QB Mason Rudolph are good enough to keep up the pace. The defensive front has the potential to be a terror, the linebackers are solid veterans, and the secondary could be excellent with a little bit of time. Will it all be enough to overcome the firepower of Baylor and TCU? Can the program possibly catch fire like it did in 2011 and be in the mix for the playoff? This is Gundy’s 11th year, and he has built and rebuilt the team up several times, often with great success. Unlike last season, this year’s team is built.
What to watch for on offense: Will the offensive line be more up to OSU snuff? The 2011 offense that exploded was helped in a big way by a line that gave up just 12 sacks. The 2012 line gave up 12 and the 2013 line allowed 14. Last season, the Cowboys allowed 40 sacks while doing next to nothing for a running game that averaged a paltry 3.5 yards per carry. However, the line got better as the season went on, doing a nice job in the final few games and now welcomes back three good starters. With new O line coach Greg Adkins a pro’s pro, watch out for this to be one of the team’s biggest areas of improvement.
What to watch for on defense: The defensive line should be far, far stronger. The pass rush was there with Emmanuel Ogbah turning into a superstar, but the run defense was a rumor at times over the second half of the season giving up 317 yards and five touchdowns to Baylor and following it up by allowing 304 yards and four scores to Oklahoma. The difference this year is in the interior with sophomores Vincent Taylor and Vili Levini two big bodies who look like disruptive forces. Getting to the quarterback even more is a must to help out a pass defense that struggled way too often, and this group should do it.
The team will be far better if … the offense keeps the chains moving. Several Big 12 offenses score fast enough to not really care too much about third downs, but it was a huge issue for the Cowboys last year converting just 33% of the time. The ugly four-game losing streak to TCU, West Virginia, Kansas State and Texas went hand-in-hand to the inability to move the chains, scoring a total of 40 points in those four game and converting just 17% of the time on third downs. By comparison, the 2011 juggernaut hit on 49% of the third down chances, and even the 2013 team that converted 39% of the time was considered a problem. OSU has to be well above 40% to have any real hope of keeping pace with the Big 12 stars.
The schedule: Going to Central Michigan isn’t going to be easy. The Chippewas are going to be dangerous in what should be a strange non-conference date to start the season. Central Arkansas and UTSA should be layups.- The Cowboys get five Big 12 home games and four on the road. The road games are spread out really, really well. - November should work out fine with three home games in the final four. Getting TCU and Baylor at home is a massive plus, and while the home field doesn’t really matter in the rivalry game against Oklahoma, it’s still a plus. - The four Big 12 road games are at Texas, West Virginia, Texas Tech and Iowa State. That’s not bad. - WATCH OUT FOR … Texas Tech. It’s on the road just before the showdown against TCU and coming off the likely bombing of Kansas. The Cowboys have to be ready for a shootout.
Best offensive player: Sophomore QB Mason Rudolph. At least that’s the hope. J.W. Walsh is a veteran passer who showed this offseason that he’s still good enough to fight for the starting job, but it was Rudolph who emerged as his true freshman season went on and showed the promise to be something special. Very big, very talented, and with a huge arm and next-level upside, he could be the type of quarterback who becomes the reason Oklahoma State goes from okay to Big 12 title good. Again, that’s the hope. Best defensive player: Junior DE Emmanuel Ogbah. It’s not like he was a one-man gang up front for the Cowboy defensive line, but he came up with an all-star season as the star pass rusher for a line that was shaky at best overall. Very big, very active, and very tough against the run, he was explosive as well as consistent. With the OSU front for a bit more experienced and with a few emerging talents expected to shine through, the pressure should be taken off of Ogbah a bit. Expect him to blow up even bigger.
Key player to a successful season: Junior RB Rennie Childs. Desmond Roland was okay, rushing for a team-leading 770 yards and ten scores, but he’s hardly irreplaceable. Tyreek Hill was sensational, but he was great in a jack-of-all-trades sort of way. Now it’s up to Childs to try being the main man for a rushing attack that needs help. Mason Rudolph and the passing game might be good enough to carry the team, but if Childs can be effective – and all indications are that he’s ready to be great – everything else on the offense should work.
The season will be a success if … the Cowboys win at least ten games. There’s too much missing to win the title in an improve Big 12, but with just about every schedule break that could be reasonably asked for – including getting TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma at home – and with a world of experience returning, a ten-win season is a must. Do that, and OSU should be in the mix for big things up until the end of the regular season.
Key game: Sept. 26 at Texas. With Kansas State, TCU, Baylor and Oklahoma at home, the Big 12 opener at Texas and the road game at West Virginia are two of the biggest landmines. The Longhorns dominated in a key 28-7 win in mid-November last season, and this year it’ll be a huge, huge game for Charlie Strong. However, if the Cowboys win, it might be the catalyst to a great Big 12 campaign.
2014 Fun Stats: - First Quarter Scoring: Opponents 123 – Oklahoma State 79- Second Quarter Scoring: Oklahoma State 114 – Opponents 68- Fumbles: Oklahoma State 11 (lost 5) - Opponents 12 (lost 2)
