Alamo Bowl 2010: Ten Things You Need to Know About Oklahoma State Vs. Arizona
The focus of the college football world will turn to San Antonio on Dec. 29 as 14th-ranked Oklahoma State faces off with Arizona in the Valero Alamo Bowl.
This match-up between Pac-10 and Big 12 teams should be among the most intriguing and entertaining games outside of the BCS this bowl season.
With eyes toward the future, here are 10 things to know about this Southwest shootout between the Cowboys and the Wildcats.
Oklahoma State: Rounding Up The Competition in The Big 12
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After finishing the 2009 season with a 9-4 record in a loss to Ole Miss in the Cotton Bowl, Oklahoma State was expected to have a subpar showing in 2010.
The Cowboys were picked by the Big 12 media contingent to finish fifth in the South Division this season after losing quarterback Keith Toston to graduation and wide receiver Dez Bryant to the NFL.
Funny how often preseason predictions are proven wrong.
The Pokes finished the season tied for the lead in the Big 12 South with Oklahoma and Texas A&M, but lost out on a spot in the conference title game to the Sooners by virtue of a BCS ranking tie-breaker.
Nonetheless, OK State clearly surpassed everyone's expectations and had an excellent year.
Arizona: A Step Back From 2009
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While Oklahoma State was predicted to fall back significantly in the Big 12, Arizona came into the season eying a Pac-10 title.
After all, the Wildcats were coming off consecutive 8-5 seasons and returned the likes of quarterback Nick Foles, wide receiver Juron Criner, and running back Nic Grigsby.
Things definitely seemed to be looking up after a 7-1 start, which included wins over Iowa, Cal and Washington.
However, a four-game skid to end the season quickly ended Zona's hopes of carrying the Pac-10 crown, with a heart-breaking double-overtime loss to in-state rival Arizona State dropping the 'Cats to 7-5.
That being said, Arizona still has a shot at matching its 8-5 mark from the last two seasons if it comes away from San Antonio with a win.
Brandon Weeden and Nick Foles: Dueling Quarterbacks
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All eyes at the Alamo Bowl will be focused on the prolific arms launching passes downfield for Oklahoma State and Arizona.
The Pokes' passing game is the second-most potent in the nation behind only Hawaii, thanks in large part to the efforts of Brandon Weeden.
The 27-year-old former minor league pitcher has been sensational in Stillwater, passing for more than 4,000 yards to go along with 32 touchdowns while getting sacked just eight times in 12 games.
Weeden's Arizona counterpart isn't exactly a slouch.
Despite missing two games midseason, the Wildcats' Nick Foles still managed to accumulate 2,911 yards and 19 touchdowns through the air, with only seven picks to his name.
Both quarterbacks have demonstrated remarkable efficiency this season, which should make for quite a bit of gun-slinging in San Antonio.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Justin Blackmon and Juron Criner: Top-Notch Targets
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Of course, every great quarterback needs a quality receiver or two to make him look good.
It just so happens that Weeden and Foles each will have a fantastic wide-out to target at the Alamo Dome.
For Oklahoma State, that responsibility comes down to Justin Blackmon, who just so happens to be the most dominant receiver in the nation.
Blackmon accounted for at least 100 yards through the air in each of the 11 games he played this season, tying an NCAA record, on the way to amassing 102 catches (third-best in the NCAA), 1,665 yards (second-best) and 18 touchdowns (best).
Tough to beat, but Arizona's Juron Criner can certainly try.
The Wildcats' star junior wide-out hauled in 73 catches for 1,186 yards and 10 touchdowns this year, leading the Pac-10 in the former two categories while placing third in the conference in the latter.
Having these two terrors of the turf together in the same building should be a treat for everyone who tunes in.
Mike Gundy: Big 12 Coach Of The Year
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Behind the scenes of Oklahoma State's atmospheric attack is head coach Mike Gundy, who has his Pokes headed to a bowl game for the fifth consecutive season.
Gundy made a name for himself back in 2007 when, at a press conference following OK State's win over Texas Tech, he lashed out at a member of the media contingent for publishing an article that he felt unfairly criticized quarterback Bobby Reid.
Gundy's tirade went viral, with more than a million and a half viewers on YouTube checking in to see him screaming, "Come after me!...I'm a Man!...I'm 40!"
Nowadays, Gundy is known more for his coaching acumen, having been named the 2010 Big 12 Coach of the Year for helping his Pokes shatter everyone's preseason expectations while guiding the nation's most yardage-hungry offense.
Mike Stoops: Little Brother Still Making a Name For Himself
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The Stoops name is among the most well-known in college football these days, thanks to the regular success of Bob Stoops at Oklahoma.
The weight of the name has certainly come to bear on younger brother Mike, whose tenure at Arizona has been a much tougher road to hoe than that of Bob with the Sooners.
Stoops finally has the Wildcats back to being regular bowl contenders for the first time since the late 1990s, when Dick Tomey was the head man in Tucson.
And though Stoops' defensive expertise hasn't exactly yielded a second coming of Desert Swarm just yet, he has managed to lead Zona's program back to respectability.
Arizona Leads With Defense, While OK State Holds an Edge on Special Teams
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Both teams will bring explosive offenses led by prolific aerial attacks to San Antonio just two days before New Year's Eve.
Where Zona and OK State will really differentiate themselves is in the other aspects of the game.
Not surprisingly, the Wildcats, under the tutelage of Mike Stoops, sport a defense that is significantly superior to that of the Cowboys, with U of A ranking 33rd in total defense as opposed to OK State's 90th-overall ranking.
However, the Pokes own the edge on special teams, if only by virtue of the 'Cats' catastrophic kicking unit.
Zona kicker Alex Zendejas has nailed a respectable 13 of his 16 field goal attempts but has whiffed on five extra point tries this season, including one that sealed Arizona's double-overtime loss to Arizona State, 30-29.
Additionally, Arizona ranks 98th nationally in net punting at 34.06 yards per punt with Keenyn Crier handling those duties.
On the flip side, Oklahoma State is third nationally in the same category at 41 yards per punt thanks to the booming leg of Quinn Sharp.
Assuming this one turns out to be a close game, defense and special teams could end up making all of the difference.
Wildcats Looking For Better Results Against Big 12 Team This Time Around
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Not to harp too much on Arizona, but it's difficult to forget about the Wildcats' past struggles against Big 12 teams.
One need look no further than last bowl season, when Zona was blanked by Ndamukong Suh and Nebraska in the Pacific Life Holiday Bowl in San Diego.
Granted, it would be a huge surprise if the Wildcats failed to score against Oklahoma State in the Alamo Bowl, given that the Pokes' defense is nowhere near as good as the Huskers' unit was last year.
That being said, the 'Cats would like nothing more than to avenge their former follies against the Big 12 by taking out OK State in San Antonio.
Pressure To Represent Their Conferences
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With eight teams playing in bowl games this season, the Big 12 could be sitting pretty at the end of its last year as a 12-team league.
The Pac-10, on the other hand, will enter its first year of expansion after having sent only four teams to bowl games.
In other words, the pressure to represent its home conference well is double the weight on Arizona's shoulder compared to that of Oklahoma State.
The Pac-10's muddled middle yielded only two teams with bowl eligibility beyond the BCS-bound Oregon and Stanford teams, due in part to USC's postseason ban.
Thus, the Wildcats will be out to prove that their conference's lack of representation is a product of parity rather than mediocrity.
Prediction: Zona's D Won't Be Enough to Overcome OK State's Offensive Firepower
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All signs currently point to the Alamo Bowl being among the most entertaining shootouts of the 2010 bowl season.
Though both teams sport exciting and dynamic offenses, Oklahoma State looks like the favorite to come out on top.
Sure, Arizona at least has some semblance of a defense to throw the Cowboys' way.
However, the 'Cats' current four-game losing streak, combined with poor special teams, will likely negate whatever extra value their defense might provide.
Not to mention, no defense has yet stopped the Pokes' potent offense, which averages 44.9 points per game.
Don't expect Arizona's to be the first.
Prediction: Oklahoma State 49, Arizona 41
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