Oklahoma State football: Season of 'what ifs' has left the Cowboys in an unknown bowl

Here's a quick countdown, in order, of the “what if” momentum shifts that turned each of the games. If OSU could have swung a pair, particularly the final two, we could be talking Cotton Bowl instead of the Heart of Dallas Bowl.

5. Kansas State game — Clint Chelf's late interception

Even if Chelf's fourth-quarter end zone heave is caught by a Cowboy, not a Wildcat, it's still an uphill battle. OSU would need another stop and score in the game's final two minutes just to send the future Big 12 champs into overtime. Certainly not a favorable scenario, but the Cowboys' fifth and final turnover extinguished all hope.

4. Arizona game — Calvin Barnett's 30-yard penalty binge

The big fella announced his Division I arrival in style, pulling the rarely seen double-suplex, double-penalty on Arizona QB Matt Scott. There's much debate on whether he deserved the second personal foul (it was a strange tangle-up), but there's not much discussion about how much it changed the game. Barnett's powerful move awoke the crowd and opened up the yellow floodgates (bringing turnovers with its flags). OSU led 14-0 at the time, Arizona was up 23-14 soon afterward.

3. Baylor game — Blake Jackson's drops