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Enough already.
I know the greatest team in Oklahoma State history just dropped one to Houston, but can all the talk of a doomed season, a terrible defense and lackluster offense please stop?
Two games into the season, Oklahoma State ranks No. 68 nationally in total offense. The Cowboys average 370 yards per game and the team’s 29.5 points per game puts it in a tie for No. 45 scoring offense with Louisiana Lafayette, Navy, Penn State, UNLV and Utah.
That might not be good company or eye-popping numbers but to say the offense isn’t any good after two games is like saying you have swine flu after one sneeze.
The numbers are skewed right now. Of the top five offenses, three are from the SEC, where offenses usually go to die, another is Cincinatti and sitting at No. 2 in yards per game is Texas A&M.
Let me make this perfectly clear: if you think Texas A&M is going to finish as one of the top five offenses, then you should go join Kanye West because you are freaking crazy.
At the beginning of the season, offenses are still working out the kinks. They are trying to find where to plug in younger players and what schemes can be implemented before the start of the season.
Oklahoma State fans understand that success in football takes time, but they don’t remember their offense needing any time to put up huge numbers.
Fans have been spoiled the past couple seasons as the Cowboys finished No. 7 in total offense in 2007 and No. 6 in 2008. Even Bobby Reid led the Cowboys to the No. 15 ranked offense in 2006.
But the Cowboy offense is going through some changes at the moment.
Zac Robinson has gained nearly 10 pounds in muscle, making him slower but more durable and stronger.
Running back Kendall Hunter has an injury that will likely cause him to miss the game against Rice. Even without Hunter, the Cowboy running game has been less effective without first-round draft pick Brandon Pettigrew and his devastating blocking abilities.
I think the Cowboys will be just fine on offense once they overcome their mistakes and so does Robinson.
“We have set the bar so high as an offense the past two years,” Robinson said. “The one thing that we didn’t do in the past was turn the ball over and commit as many penalties.”
Coach Mike Gundy doesn’t blame Robinson.
“Zac gives us everything he has and I don’t think there is pressure on him,” Gundy said.
I believe the reason Gundy said there is no pressure on the preseason Heisman-contending quarterback is because he knows where a good portion of that blame belongs — himself.
“We have to do a better job as coaches getting our offense to start faster,” Gundy said. “We have to give credit to Houston and their coaches, they outcoached us and outplayed us today.”
The play calling in the first two games has been as bad as “Cowboys Forever.”
Gundy needs to realize where his greatest strengths are on offense and use them.
You have possibly the greatest receiver to ever play at Oklahoma State and he ends the game against Houston with five catches, 85-yards receiving and no touchdowns.
Last season when the Cowboys played Houston, Bryant had nine catches, 236-yards receiving and three touchdowns.
Gundy and the offensive staff must figure out different ways to get their best playmaker the ball. If that requires you to run a “Wild Cowboy” formation with Bryant in the backfield, so be it.
Bryant is one of the greatest athletes to ever strap on pads at Oklahoma State.
I agree with his critics: He has got to turn it down a notch or two and ease up on the penalties and focus on making every catch but a Bryant playing at a nine instead of an 11 is still better than 95 percent of college football players out there.
While Cowboy fans are all doom and gloom right now, and many are asking ‘why the Cowboys chose this year to disappear on offense,’fans should just relax and enjoy the huge number of points Oklahoma State will score in its next two games and the confidence the team will build before having to take on the No. 2 offense in the nation — Texas A&M.
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