STILLWATER — On an elevator ride down from the pressbox after Saturday afternoon's Orange-White spring game, Oklahoma State booster Boone Pickens asked a handful of reporters, "Well, what'd ya'll think? How'd we look?”
Advertisement
The answer was obvious.
Who the heck cares what we think? What'd you think?
"I'm just hoping for a nice, quiet season — maybe 11-1 or 12-0,” Pickens said with a grin.
Riding inside the same elevator, OSU athletic director Mike Holder suggested a 9-3 record might be a little more reasonable.
Pickens said he'd consider it.
A record somewhere in the 7-5 neighborhood seems far more logical, given the Cowboys have road games at Washington State, Missouri, Texas, Texas Tech and Colorado.
How OSU fares next fall remains to be seen, but at least we know no quarterback controversy awaits.
"You could always make one up,” Holder joked.
Naw, nobody would believe it.
Junior Zac Robinson is the Cowboys' starting quarterback — no ifs, ands or what-the-hecks about it.
"He has command of the offense. He has command of the team and he knows he's the guy,” said Gunter Brewer, who is in his first season as co-offensive coordinator. "He's the starting pitcher. He's not coming out of the bullpen. He's not being challenged by anyone. It's his ball club. When you have that factor, I think it makes a big difference.”
Ever since junior quarterback Josh Fields chose baseball fulltime over football in 2003, OSU has had difficulty trying to decide who should start behind center.
Should it be Aso Pogi or Fields? Donovan Woods or Al Pena? Woods, Pena or Bobby Reid? Reid or Robinson?
This summer, there will be no questions.
"There is a comfort zone there,” OSU coach Mike Gundy admitted.
Unlike a year ago, Robinson knows he's the man. No longer does he wonder if he's the man, or the man standing next to the man.
"It's definitely a lot easier on me,” Robinson said. "I can focus on just improving as a player, accepting the leadership role and just kind of going with it.”
Perhaps more important, it will be easier on Robinson's teammates.
"Now they know who the guy is,” Brewer said. "They know Zac's the man and if he says, ‘Hey, let's throw at 1 o'clock on our off day,' then you're throwing at 1 o'clock on your off day.”
If anyone gives a hoot, the Orange posted a 9-7 victory Saturday over the White before a crowd of roughly 15,000 at Boone Pickens Stadium.
This figures to leave a bitter aftertaste the next three months for Robinson, even though he was on the winning team.
"I was pretty bummed,” said Robinson, who was 12 of 21 passing for 142 yards and one touchdown. "We got down there like four times but couldn't punch it in. it's tough when they split the squads.”
Gundy described Robinson's performance as, "Decent, I guess.”
Robinson would have to tear two ACLs to lose his starting job.
The only hint of a quarterback controversy is who will be tabbed No. 2, sophomore Alex Cate or freshman Brandon Weeden?
The perks of having Robinson in charge extend outside the lines.
"Having a guy who's a class person and a class athlete makes it even better, knowing he's making the right decisions off the field and the leadership he's bringing to the rest of the guys,” Brewer said. "And when you have youth, they need somebody to get them in the right place.
"I believe Zac was born to do this position.”
Defense springs into spotlight Fall will be true... 04/13/2008 STILLWATER — On a day the defense continued its spring theme of showing vast improvement, it was apropos the annual Orange-White game was decided by a...
3
