Justin Blackmon: Will Oklahoma State Star's Health Derail Cowboys BCS Quest?

Oklahoma State suffered a significant blow, albeit a less-than-crippling one, to its BCS National Championship hopes when Justin Blackmon, the reigning Biletnikoff Award winner, left Saturday's 45-24 win at Missouri with concussion-like symptoms.

Blackmon notched eight catches for 54 yards and a touchdown before exiting the game for good. His absence didn't seem to slow down the Cowboys' offense at all in the second half, when the Pokes posted 21 points to pull away from the Tigers. There's no telling how long he will be out of action at this point, though it's entirely possible that he will be back in time for OK State's home game against Baylor next weekend.

Even if Blackmon isn't healthy enough to play, the Pokes still have more than enough talent on offense to keep chugging along without their top pass catcher. Quarterback Brandon Weeden is as good as anyone in the country at distributing the ball to his receivers, among whom he has six compatriots with 10 or more catches.

OK State's running game isn't too shabby, either. Sophomore 'back Joseph Randle has proven that there is life after Kendall Hunter, with 138 yards rushing and four touchdowns total on Saturday against Mizzou. Hence, even if Weeden weakens for some reason without Blackmon by his side, head coach Mike Gundy can always turn to Randle to carry the load for his explosive offense from time to time.

In fact, Hubert Anyiam may yet turn out to be a more significant loss than Blackmon, not because Anyiam is better (which he isn't), but rather because the senior will miss the rest of the season after breaking a bone in his left foot. With Anyiam out, OK State's depth at wide receiver will be put to the test if Blackmon has to sit for a game or two.

As far as the fourth-ranked Pokes' road to the BCS title is concerned, losing Blackmon is hardly the most devastating development that could befall the team. If Weeden were to go down, or if the team's so-so defense were to suffer significant injuries, then the Cowboys could be in trouble.

They still control their own destiny, with their toughest remaining opponents—Baylor, No. 11 Kansas State and No. 3 Oklahoma—all set to play in Stillwater. In the meantime, Pokes fans need not panic just yet, as their offense, among the best in the nation, should be good enough to overcome a loss or two among its wide receivers to stay on track for the crystal football.