OSU insider: Schedule could help OSU's bowl chances

Commitments

DE Tyrell Higgins (Samuel Clemens HS, Schertz, Texas), 6-3, 254

OL Jason Hannan (Waxahachie HS, Waxahachie, Texas), 6-3, 270

Source: Scout.com

Sizing up the schedule

Sept. 2: Missouri State, 6 p.m.: Coached by former Kansas coach Terry Allen.

Sept. 9: Arkansas State (Little Rock, Ark.), 6:05 p.m. Indians' safety Tyrell Johnson named preseason Sun Belt Defensive Player of Year by The Sporting News.

Sept. 16: Florida Atlantic, 6 p.m. Howard Schnellenberger returns to Oklahoma.

Sept. 23: at Houston, 8 p.m. Quarterback Kevin Kolb has started 36 straight games; has 9,155 career passing yards.

Oct. 7: at Kansas State, TBA Bill Snyder leaves, Cats beef up schedule: UCLA and Miami are on the schedule in the next five years.

Oct. 14: at Kansas, TBA Freshman quarterback Kerry Meier threw for 184 yards on a 16-of-28 effort in spring game.

Oct. 21: vs. Texas A&M, 6 p.m. Aggies defense ripped for 25 or more points eight times last season.

Oct. 28: vs. Nebraska, 6 p.m. Will learn a lot about Huskers in their Sept. 16 game at USC.

Nov. 4: at Texas, TBA The Longhorns may have decided on a quarterback by this one.

Nov. 11: vs. Baylor, 6 p.m. Remember last year when Bears led OSU 38-7 in second quarter?

Nov. 18: at Texas Tech, TBA Former quaterback Sonny Cumbie accounted for 71 touchdowns last season ... in Arena League.

Nov. 25: vs. Oklahoma, 1:30 p.m. Sooners have won last three against Cowboys

ou upgrade the schedule as you go."

At first glance, OSU's non- conference schedule isn't really full of beauty marks, but beneath the surface, it has some hidden depth. Houston and Arkansas State went to bowl games and went a combined 12-12. Both games are winnable for the Cowboys, but more importantly, they are winnable for future recruiting battles. Both games are on the road, and both games are on fertile, regional recruiting ground -- in Houston and in Little Rock, Ark.

Throw in a pair of should-be gimmes against Missouri State (4-6 in 2005) and a Florida Atlantic team (2-9 in 2005) in Stillwater that promise little excitement, other than looking at Sir Howard Schnellenberger, and the Cowboys have a lot to gain.

"The answer is to get back in a bowl game and try and create a scheduled that heightens those chances," Martin said.

OSU missed out on a bowl game last year after going to three in a row, so a bowl appearance this year will not only be pleasing to the palate, but it will improve the team's scheduling in the near future, as well.

"When we haven't gone to a bowl game, you try to get back," Martin said. "When you attain that, you get the schedule ready for a conference championship and so on."

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