Improved Defense Is the Key to Oklahoma State Success

Could this be the year that Oklahoma State breaks away from the label of redheaded stepchild?  The Pokes have struggled for an identity since Les Miles made a mad dash to become a Bayou Bengal after the 2004 season.

The Cowboys got off to a slow start in coach Mike Gundy's inaugural season, winning only four games, but they have since slated two consecutive seven-win seasons that have resulted in back-to-back bowl games.

In order to break into the big time and compete for a Big 12 South title, they must beat up on conference rivals Texas and Oklahoma. 

Winning against Oklahoma and Texas will not be an easy obstacle to hurdle.  Oklahoma returns a loaded roster that includes last year's freshman phenom, Sam Bradford, and a Colt McCoy-led Texas program looks to rebound from their worst conference mark since 1997.

Not only does Oklahoma State have to worry about OU and Texas, they also have to focus on the gunslinging Red Raiders from Lubbock.  The Cowboys tripped up the Raiders last season, winning 49-45, but the Cowboys must travel to Lubbock this season—and the Red Raiders will be waiting for them.

Zac Robinson looks to improve upon his 3,671 total offensive yards and the 23 touchdown passes he threw last year behind a healthier and stronger offensive line this season.  The Cowboys O-line should be a force to be reckoned with as they return five starters, including a healthy David Washington, who was sidelined with a broken leg after the third game last season.

Offense wasn’t the problem last season, as the Cowboys averaged 33.4 PPG.  The problem that plagued O-State last year was their time spent without the ball.

At times, Oklahoma State looked more like a JV team for Stillwater High School when trying to stop opponents.  The boys from Stillwater gave up more than 500 yards five times in 2007.

If they want to even consider being a contender in the Big 12 South, that number must be significantly reduced.

It seems Gundy stole a few pages out of Bill Schneider’s recruiting guide from a few years ago, as Oklahoma State signed six junior college defensive players in the offseason.

Are junior college players the solution to becoming a dominant defensive force?  The answer will most likely be a resounding, “No.”  By the time these junior college players gel with the system, their eligibility will be over—and the wound for Okie State will only grow that much deeper.

It seems Mike Gundy is gambling that his band-aid for the defense will do the trick.  However, if the defense is anything less than stellar, and Coach Gundy’s hair gel doesn’t hold the scores down this year, Gundy’s dream job may be a vision much like Sean Sutton's was—Orange crushed.