OSU: Outside Views
By John Helsley
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When I was a kid, I couldn’t wait for the summer football magazines to hit the newstands. Loved them for the fix of feeding anticipation for the upcoming season. And in those seasons when the beloved Cardinals looked out of the pennant chase, the magazines couldn’t arrive soon enough.
Athlon was always a favorite, both for the good info and the “spirit” pages, where cheerleaders from seemingly exotic places like UCLA and USC and Tennessee were always featured.
Athlon is still putting out a good magazine, but it doesn’t end there. The folks there, like many of us in the news business, recognize the hunger for more and are delivering it with regularity online at athlonsports.com.
And they think highly of the Cowboys.
In a recent online story, Athlon ranked the top players in the Big 12. OSU came in at No. 1, 5 and 6. No surprise, Justin Blackmon is No. 1 and Brandon Weeden is No. 5. At No. 6, tackle Levy Adcock gets high mention as the only offensive lineman in the top 15.
The Cowboys are clearly commanding respect, occupying three of the top six spots in the league-wide rankings. And there’s more, with Markelle Martin at No. 16 and Shaun Lewis at No. 33 in what amounts to a Top 35.
Building the case for Blackmon, Athlon wrote:
Why he’s ranked 1st: After a standout sophomore season, what will Blackmon do for an encore? It’s possible a defense may hold him under 100 yards at some point in 2011, but it’s unlikely for him to suffer much of a drop in production. Even though (Dana) Holgorsen departed to West Virginia, Brandon Weeden is back at quarterback, and Oklahoma State’s offense will once again rank among the best in the Big 12.
More Athlon links of note:
Projected Big 12 breakout players: http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/predicting-college-footballs-breakout-players-big-12
Texas A&M’s impact if it bolts for the SEC: http://www.athlonsports.com/college-football/college-football-realignment
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