Oklahoma State Moseys to 9-4, Loses to Oregon

This could have been the finest football season in Oklahoma State history. Well, at least recent history.

No, this team is not on par with the Gundy-Sanders-Dykes teams that terrorized scoreboards in the late eighties.

Oregon, however, is a much better opponent than the Wyoming team that was trounced by the aforementioned players in 1988, and is the story of the game.

Oregon, despite a few defensive lapses looked nothing like the team that got tore up from the floor up by USC. They didn't look as good as the Oregon team that beat down Oregon State, but not everyone can be Oklahoma and score 60 points a game. 

I was left with two questions after this game, and neither of them involve the heart-broken Cowboys.

1) Can this Oregon team compete with USC next year?

2) Is OSU's defensive performance an indicator of how the other three Big 12 South bowl teams will perform?

1) I really am no expert on Oregon, but the way they withstood quite a bit of adversity from the Cowboys makes me think, without massive losses to the draft or graduation, this team might be able to compete for the Pac 10 title, or the Rose Bowl if USC is in the BCS Championship Game, or both.

2) I think perhaps the national perspective on the Big 12 defenses might be right after watching this game. OSU Could. Not. Buy. A. Stop. They stayed on the field for what seemed like ages, and when the offense did score, and gain momentum, the defense quickly surrendered more points.

I threw Band-Aids at the T.V. to stop the bleeding.

Clearly, that didn't work.

As for the Oklahoma, Texas Tech, and Texas defenses. I think only Oklahoma and Texas' will be proven to be worth their salt. We at least need to see one of the Big 12 South, ugh, tri-champions, before we condemn their D's, but right now, things don't look good for them.

As for OSU, at least Robinson is coming back, and barring massive defections to the NFL, they might be able to compete for the Big 12 South in the future. This season, however, would have been so much sweeter for the Pokes if their three losses came to teams ranked in the top three in the nation. Coaches talk about how moral victories are ficticious, but that would have been the definition of moral victory.

Unfortunatly, "How 'bout them Cowboys?" is a question that must be asked when OSU takes to the proving grounds next autumn. Perhaps next year the Pokes will have more success.