1. Oklahoma State is battling for bowl eligibility
The Cowboys head into Saturday’s Bedlam contest sporting a 5-6 record, needing a win to go bowling in December. Following a six-point loss to defending-national champion Florida State to open 2014, spirits soared in Stillwater. OSU proceeded to reel off five straight wins against Missouri State, Texas-San Antonio and Big 12 doormats Texas Tech, Iowa State and Kansas. Since then, the Pokes have dropped five straight games, three of which have been away from Boone Pickens Stadium.
Coach Mike Gundy’s team has not seen a worse record since his first season in Stillwater, when OSU went 4-7 and missed a bowl game. From 2006 to 2011, Gundy’s year-by-year record improved every season, capping off a 12-1 campaign in 2011 with a conference title and a Fiesta Bowl victory. A Bedlam victory would mean a bowl berth in one of the Big 12’s lower-tier tie-ins; most likely the Independence Bowl.
“I think the fans and the players obviously want to [beat OU] and certainly be eligible for a bowl,” Gundy said.
2. The Pokes seem headed for an off-season quarterback derby
J.W. Walsh started the season under center for Oklahoma State and surprised many during the Florida State game, throwing for over 200 yards and a touchdown. However, the junior went down in the second game of the season with a lower leg injury that required surgery, ending his season. Junior transfer Daxx Garman took the reins on offense but failed to impress, resulting in Gundy burning freshman quarterback Mason Rudolph’s redshirt with just two games left in the season.
In his lone start against Baylor, Rudolph gave Cowboys fans a reason for hope. The freshman completed 13 passes for 281 yards and a pair of scores against a tough Bears secondary. Gundy said he has been impressed with how quickly Rudolph made the transition to college football.
“We thought his poise was excellent,” he said. “His toughness and leadership needed to be good in that game.”
3. Samaje Perine is no secret anymore
After the NCAA-record breaking performance that put the Sooner freshman on the map, Gundy and the rest of the Cowboys defense is preparing to face the brutal rushing attack of Samaje Perine. OSU has allowed around 150 rushing yards per game to opponents this season, good enough for fifth in the conference but 101st in FBS football. It is important to note, however, that Oklahoma State opponents have only run the ball 429 times, second-least in the Big 12.
Gundy said he has been impressed with Perine’s running mechanics.
“He’s a tough runner,” the coach said. “He keeps his pads down. He’s run through a number of tackles and really good with yards after contact.”
Oklahoma, which now leads the conference in rushing offense, will face off against the best (although relatively untested) rushing defense it has seen since the Kansas State game. Still, Perine and Co. seem poised for another big game.
4. Alex Ross, meet Tyreek Hill
When kickoff return specialist Alex Ross gets a chance to show out, Sooners fans get excited. When Tyreek Hill touches the ball? The folks in Stillwater go nuts.
In a conversation about college athletes with the most speed, it is impossible not to mention Hill. A transfer from Garden City Community College, Hill ran a 10.19 in the 100 meter sprint in 2012, the best in the United States that year. Later that day, he finished the 200 meters in a cool 20.14 seconds, just a tenth of a second off the fastest pace.
When Hill arrived in Stillwater, he immediately sought to make an impact. Before he even set foot on the turf of Boone Pickens Stadium, he was already a conference champion with OSU track. In his first football game, Hill broke off a 46-yard kick return against Florida State. The junior is one of seven FBS players to record multiple touchdowns on kick returns this season, a group which includes Oklahoma’s Ross.
With both Bedlam offenses capable of scoring points, do not be surprised to see a few long kickoff returns Saturday.
5. 84-17-7
In one of the longest continuous rivalries in the country, Oklahoma has beaten Oklahoma State 84 times since 1904. Statistically, the Bedlam series in the most lopsided in-state contest in the NCAA.
In the first game of the series, the Sooners won by a margin of 75-0. Oklahoma would go on to win 11 straight against the Pokes before ever recording a loss. Since then, OSU has only won back-to-back games five times. Meanwhile, the Sooners recorded winning streaks of 18 and 16 games from 1946-64 and 1977-94, respectively (although the teams tied in 1992). To put things in perspective, Cowboys legends Thurman Thomas and Heisman-winner Barry Sanders never defeated OU, despite giving Oklahoma State some of their best seasons on record.
However, the rivalry has become more competitive in recent years. Bedlam has featured at least one ranked team every year since 2000 and two ranked teams seven times in that span. Still, OSU has only recorded three victories since then.
