Pokes Preview: Oklahoma State takes on Purdue in the Heart of Dallas Bowl

Oklahoma State will finish the 2012 season against Purdue in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

Three questions

Are the Cowboys motivated?

OSU players and coaches are saying all the right things — that they are happy to play in a bowl game and have been given the royal treatment during their time in Dallas. We’ll see once the game kicks off. Bowl games, especially these lower-tier games, are so much about motivation and which team wants to be there more. Probably the most recent — and most glaring — example of that is heavy favorite USC getting throttled by a 6-7 Georgia Tech team in Monday’s Sun Bowl.

Do all three quarterbacks play?

Clint Chelf will start. J.W. Walsh has his package. But could we see Wes Lunt back on the field for the first time since sustaining a concussion against Kansas State on Nov. 3? Coach Mike Gundy said that’s possible, depending on how the game transpires. If this game, as expected, gets out of hand, I think we’ll see Lunt get some snaps in the fourth quarter.

Does the cornerback play improve?

Brodrick Brown and Justin Gilbert have taken a large bulk of the blame for OSU’s struggles on defense down the stretch. Purdue doesn’t feature a downfield passing attack, but Brown and Gilbert weren’t beat over the top against Baylor and Oklahoma. They gave receivers too much cushion on those short and intermediate routes, usually right at the sticks and near the sideline. Purdue does feature a short passing game, so how the Cowboys defend will be something interesting to watch.