Oklahoma State football: Calvin Barnett a difference-maker?

Mike Gundy is high on defensive tackle Calvin Barnett, a junior-college transfer.

Listen to Gundy talk about Barnett: “Calvin Barnett should give us a good push in the middle. We haven’t had a good push in the middle in years.”

Gundy basically is saying Barnett is OSU’s best defensive tackle in maybe a decade.

“We’ve been very average at tackle,” Gundy said. “And we’ve had guys playing tackle that shouldn’t be playing tackle. Now  you get Barnett in there, if he comes through … he hasn’t done anything in a game yet. What’s his nerves going to be like at the end of the third quarter. How’s he going to hold up on 3rd-and-2 out there? When he has to play 55 (plays) instead of 15?”

So we’ll find out a lot more about Barnett on Saturday night against Arizona. But the ability to get that push – the ability to dent an offensive line, to push the front wall back instead of being pushed – is a great place to start.