Texas a 'get over the hump' game for OSU
By JOHN HELSLEY, Staff Writer, jhelsley@opubco.com
Comments 
4
Published: October 31, 2009
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State dreams of being Texas.
Oklahoma State flashes the upside-down Horns before last season’s game in Austin. OSU would love to be like Texas, but they’d settle for a win tonight in Stillwater. Photo By Doug Hoke, The Oklahoman
Multimedia
NewsOK Related Articles
OK, who doesn’t — privately if not publicly, upside-down horns or not — with the Longhorns enjoying decadent levels of resources and support and success that may be unmatched anywhere across the country?
For now, for OSU, just beating Texas would do, after 11 straight mostly maddening losses in the series.
And yet, the Cowboys are making gains on both fronts, which is how they find themselves in this premium position tonight:
Home against the Horns. On prime-time national TV. Daring to seize control of the
Big 12 South, with Pistol Pete rarin’ to ride shotgun for the new league favorite.
Seriously.
"
Oklahoma State’s a lot better than when we got here,” said Texas coach
Mack Brown, now in his 12th year leading the Longhorns. "They have our team’s full attention.
"This is the most confident Oklahoma State team I’ve seen. The best Oklahoma State team I’ve seen.”
First
Les Miles, and now
Mike Gundy, raised the program’s relevance.
Big-money booster
Boone Pickens rallied OSU from way back in the facilities race.
Coaching staff stability and innovative offense factored in the rise as well.
But the bottom line in OSU’s ascent is every contender’s bottom line: better players.
"That’s what it’s all about,” said Cowboys defensive coordinator
Bill Young. "You’d like to say it’s about coaching, but it’s about players.”
Once overmatched by Texas almost across the board, the Cowboys now claim superior players at key positions with left tackle
Russell Okung, cornerback
Perrish Cox, running backs
Kendall Hunter or
Keith Toston, and center Andrew Lewis.
They’re at least as good, if not better, at tight end and wide receiver as a unit, even without star
Dez Bryant.
Same, too, at quarterback, where UT’s
Colt McCoy draws more attention and may project as a better pro prospect, but OSU’s
Zac Robinson carries better stats and has guided an offense robbed of its top two playmakers (Hunter and Bryant) to consistently stout production.
Upgraded quarterback play has been a major development during this decade of rising status, from the underrated
Josh Fields, through
Donovan Woods and the up-and-down
Bobby Reid to Robinson, who’s in line to be remembered as the best to ever play the position at OSU.
"It starts with recruits,” said Toston, a former Texas prep star overlooked by the Longhorns back home. "We have a lot more guys on this team that are big-time athletes. "Now we feel like we have the guys on this team that are as athletic as those guys (at Texas). Now we feel like we can just go out and play and it’s anybody’s game.
"And you don’t have to be Superman, you just have to be yourself.”
And being a Cowboy has rarely been this good.
"Their athletic department has done a wonderful job of building up the program,” said Longhorns center
Chris Hall. "Coach Miles, coach Gundy, the facilities and everything. They have done such an awesome job there and you can definitely see it on the field of play.”
OSU hasn’t caught up with Texas, not yet; not hardly. Where the Longhorns stockpile talent to prevent rebuilding years, the Cowboys are due a major makeover next season when Okung, Robinson, Cox, Lewis and Bryant move on.
Still, with repeated strong recruiting classes, there’s an expectation that any step back will be followed by two steps forward.
For now, for OSU, just beating Texas will do.
"We’ve been very close,” said OSU co-offensive coordinator
Gunter Brewer. "It’s time to get over the hump a little bit.
"Maybe this will be it.”
Leave a Comment
Sports Photo Galleriesview all
Prev
Something to say about this topic? Submit a Letter to the Editor online
Thank you for joining our conversations on newsok. We encourage your discussions but ask that you stay within the bounds of our terms and conditions. Please help us by reporting comments that violate these guidelines. To review our rules of engagement, go to Commenting and posting policy.
Log in below or sign up (it's free).
hookem whorns