Oklahoma State Football: Fiesta Bowl Will Be Best Quarterback Bowl Matchup

When Oklahoma State faces Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl on Jan. 2nd, it will be the best quarterback matchup of the entire bowl season. Brandon Weeden and Andrew Luck have been two of the premier quarterbacks in college football for the past few seasons.

Weeden, a 28-year-old former minor league pitcher, has thrown for over 8,000 yards and 68 touchdowns in his two years as a starter at Oklahoma State. He’s led the Cowboys to 22 wins and been a big part of the evolution of the program from a good program to a great one.

Luck has been considered the best NFL draft prospect for the last two years. Even as a freshman, many thought he was ready for the next level. He’s thrown for over 9,000 yards and 80 touchdowns in his time at Stanford. He’s also won 31 games in three seasons.

There is no other matchup of signal-callers this bowl season that comes anywhere near this one.

Both quarterbacks are bound for the NFL. Luck is going to be the first pick overall in the draft, while Weeden is probably going to be a second-rounder at best, mainly due to his age.

Both display the maturity needed for this and the next level. Weeden got his from already performing as a professional athlete. Luck got his by being around football his entire life and being the son of a former NFL quarterback.

Both are leaders.

Weeden’s calm demeanor on the field is unparalleled in college football. He is unshaken by the mistakes of himself and his teammates, including pick-sixes and missed reads. Luck leads his team completely, which even extends to calling plays on the field.

Each has come up short once this season.

Weeden threw three interceptions on a late November, Friday night against Iowa State, the last of which was in the second overtime. He completed 42 passes that night and threw for 476 yards.

Luck had come up short against Oregon the week before. Despite throwing for 256 yards and three touchdowns, he couldn’t beat the Ducks. He looked confused at times (a rarity) and threw three picks. It was his only multi-interception game of the season.

Both have had big wins over big time opponents.

Weeden led his team to a 34-point victory over Oklahoma to end the season. Oddly enough, the game he will probably most remembered for was the only one this season that he did not score a touchdown in. He managed the game well though, and that was all that his team needed of him.

Luck led his team to an eight-point win over USC in three overtimes. His 330 passing yards was his third-highest output of the season and his 29 completions was his highest. He threw a key interception late in the fourth quarter but rebounded to lead his team to victory.

Neither quarterback has a dominant defense to fall back on. Both are giving up over 20 points per game and have had difficulties stopping other high flying offenses.

Both are the engineer of a high-flying offense. Weeden’s Cowboys are the second-best passing offense in the nation, averaging 386.3 yards per game. Luck’s Cardinal average just 273 yards per game but compound that with a running attack that averages over 200 yards per game. Oklahoma State ranks third in total yards per game with 557. Stanford is 11th with 480.9.

Both are playing for programs that are not powerhouses historically. Stanford has had its heydays with guys like John Elway and Jim Plunkett. Oklahoma State is similar, with a history of guys like Barry Sanders and Thurman Thomas. However, neither program has sustained success over long periods of time.

While Stanford hasn’t been an annual BCS bowler historically, they have had some recent success in the BCS. Oklahoma State has never played in a BCS game and will be playing in their second Fiesta Bowl ever.

Both programs are hoping that their recent success will continue even after each of these quarterbacks leave. Stanford head coach David Shaw and Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy both know that they have their work cut out for them in finding a new signal caller. Both Shaw and Gundy are alumni of the school they coach.

Shaw was a wide receiver at Stanford in the early '90s while Gundy quarterback the OSU teams of the late '80s. Each knows from experience what it takes to lead a powerful offense.

Despite what many will tell you about this Fiesta Bowl matchup, it is not a showcase of bad defenses. It isn’t even really about the offenses. It’s about the quarterbacks.

Two quarterbacks. Both of whom will be playing professionally next year. Both of whom are among the biggest winners at their respective schools. Both of whom had tremendous college careers.

Brandon Weeden and Andrew Luck have a whole lot in common, but there is one thing they won’t. One will have a Fiesta Bowl Trophy and the other will not. It will take the best quarterback matchup in recent memory to decide which has what.