Oklahoma State football notebook: Mike Gundy always started new year with Cotton Bowl

Like many college football fans, that's how Cowboy coach Mike Gundy usually started his new year while he was growing up.

“Back then we had three channels,” Gundy said. “But you knew exactly which channel to go on after one game, and the Rose Bowl always overlapped with the one in between. It always made me mad. But I remember the Cotton Bowl started the day off.”

JONES PLEASED WITH DEVELOPMENT OF YOUNG CORNERBACKS

OSU will for sure have one new starting cornerback in 2013, as senior Brodrick Brown will play his final game as a Cowboy in the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

But if Justin Gilbert decides to forgo his senior season and jumps to the NFL, the Cowboys will have holes on both sides.

That means the experience true freshmen Kevin Peterson and Ashton Lampkin gained in 2012 could prove to be especially valuable.

Because of early season serious injuries to Devin Hedgepeth and Jonovan Griffin, Peterson and Lampkin were thrown into playing time early and often. Peterson, at times, even pushed Gilbert for a starting spot.

Cornerbacks coach Jason Jones said he's been pleased with how those young corners have developed.

“(Being thrown into playing time is) how you learn,” Jones said. “You have to grow up in a hurry. Both of them are good young men as far as I guess they're more mature than some of the freshmen that you bring in.

“Some of the guys, as you go through two-a-days, you know that they can't put them out there. Mentally, he's not ready. But mentally, they were in tune, and they're still in tune.”

CHELF NOT AFRAID TO BUNDLE UP

Bowl week has brought colder-than-average weather to the Dallas area, with OSU and Purdue often practicing in temperatures in the 30s and 40s.

Despite the chill in the air, the Cowboy offensive line vowed to practice without any extra layers of clothes.

Quarterback Clint Chelf, however, had no problem throwing on a long-sleeve shirt under his jersey.