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Pat McAfee ESPN GameDay Crew Discuss Ollie Gordon II Heisman Chances: I Think Theres a Chance11/11/2023 ![]() The Heisman buzz has been smoldering for Ollie Gordon II, and ESPN’s Pat McAfee just stoked the flames on College GameDay. Gordon is the FBS’ current leader in rushing with 1,225 yards through nine games. And the comparison with the last RB to win the Heisman is eye-opening. McAfee broke down Gordon’s numbers through nine games compared them to Alabama’s Derrick Henry, the last running back to win the Heisman, back in 2015. McAfee did take time to point out that Gordon was barely getting the ball the first three games. In what may be viewed as a historic gaff, No. 0 took only 19 handoffs in the Cowboys’ first three games. “Basically, this is a six-game run that Ollie Gordon is on right now through a tough Big 12 run defense,” McAfee said. McAfee did point out that the rest of the way, OSU faces three of the Big 12’s worst rushing defenses in UCF, Houston and BYU. “Ollie Gordon might go for 250 in every one of these games and the conversation’s going to have to be had, ‘Is Ollie Gordon of Oklahoma State going to New York to try to win a piece of hardware,” McAfee said. According to BetMGM, Gordon is now tied for sixth in Heisman Odds at +4,000.
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![]() New faces, same ole’ results for Cowboy wrestling. Oklahoma State beat Bucknell 38-6 in its season opener Friday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys’ only loss was by medical forfeit at 174 pounds. Speaking of new, redshirt freshman Troy Spratley earned a 22-3 technical fall over fellow freshman Owen Bell in his OSU debut at 125 pounds to start the dual and the season. Spratley transferred to OSU this offseason after a redshirt season at Minnesota. Two matches later at 141, Spratley’s former high school and Minnesota teammate Tagen Jamison also won his Cowboy debut after transferring with Spratley this offseason. Jamison beat Braden Bower 10-5. Jamison’s decision was the first match OSU didn’t tally bonus points after Daton Fix pinned Kurt Phipps in the third period at 133. The Cowboys didn’t add bonus points again until 165 when graduate transfer Izzak Olejnik handled Noah Mulvaney 10-2 in his OSU debut. Fireworks weren’t really expected at 149 and 157, though, as John Smith is still trying to find his guys there with multiple possible starters at both weights as of Wednesday. Teague Travis, a redshirt sophomore from Stillwater, got the start at 149, beating Aiden Davis in his dual debut, 6-1. At 157, redshirt senior Jalin Harper got the nod after not appearing in a dual last season. Harper slipped past Nick Delp 5-4 in his GIA return. The Cowboys’ only loss on the scoreboard came at 174 because of a medical forfeit. Freshman Brayden Thompson was injured only 27 seconds into his very first college action, grabbing his left leg. Freshmen are able to compete in five matches outside of open tournaments and maintain their redshirt. Behind Thompson is another freshman in AJ Heeg, who Smith already said Wednesday would also probably get an opportunity at the weight. Dustin Plott was one of only a few familiar faces at 184. He shutout Nolan Springer 7-0 in his debut at 184 after competing at 174 the past three seasons. Luke Surber was the next recognizable name at 197, getting a 21-5 technical fall. The heavyweight finale was the closest match of the night, as Konner Doucet edged Dorian Crosby 2-0 after riding him out the third period while up 1-0 and adding a riding-time point. The Cowboys won’t see dual action again for nearly a month, returning to Gallagher-Iba Arena on Dec. 8 to host Lehigh.
![]() Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog. ![]() Fresh off a historic Bedlam win, the No. 15 Cowboys buckled themselves into the driver’s seat to Arlington. All that’s left for OSU are road games at UCF and Houston and a home finale against BYU. Take care of business and the Cowboys are in the title game. OSU needs to beat three teams with losing records to get to the Big 12 title game, and that starts with UCF on Saturday. Here are three things to keep an eye on as the Pokes square off with the Knights. 1. Ollie Gordon vs. RJ HarveyThe reigning Big 12 Offensive Player(s) of the Week will try to outdo each other on Saturday. Ollie Gordon II earned his fourth-straight such honor for his 138-yard, two-TD performance in Bedlam. His Co-Honoree, RJ Harvey, was on the weekly bill for the first time thanks to his 164-yard, three-score performance in UCF’s win over Cincinnati. While Gordon has stolen the headlines as the nation’s leading rusher and now a dark horse Heisman candidate, Harvey boasts the Big 12’s top rushing offense on the whole. The Knights’ 227 yards per game ranks fourth in the FBS. On the other hand, OSU is 11th in the league in rushing defense (allowing 168 per game), while UCF ranks dead last. The Knights are giving up nearly 212 yards of turf per game. That’s good (or bad) for 130th out of 133 FBS teams. So both teams are accustomed to running down the throats of opposing defenses, and both of these defenses have struggled to slow down ground attacks. It sets up for another big output from Patient Zero, but the Pokes will have the task of slowing down Harvey. 2. UCF Gets after QBs, Bowman Avoids Capture (Something’s Gotta Give)The Knights are tied for second in sacks in the Big 12, one total sack behind Texas. Oklahoma States is third-best in the league at allowing sacks. What’s going to give? OSU has allowed just 10 sacks this season and six of those were during that nonconference QB carousel period. Against Big 12 teams, Alan Bowman was sacked once against Iowa State and once against Kansas. That’s it. Conversely, UCF has registered a sack in every game this year, with multiple sacks six times. The Knights are coming off a four-sack performance against Cincy. Since Bowman took over the reins of the offense and the offensive line settled in, OSU has been sacked only twice. Credit the big men in the trenches, but there’s also plenty to say about Bowman and those sideline dump-offs that got fans’ eyes to rolling earlier in the year. But the Pokes’ O-line has not faced a pair of edge rushers like they will this week in defensive ends Tre’Mon Morris-Brash and Malachi Lawrence. The duo ranks second and third, respectively, in the league in sacks. They each registered 1.5 last weekend. Morris-Brash also leads the league with 16.5 tackles for loss while Lawrence has eight of his own. OSU has been the league’s best offense since in Big 12 play and a big reason for that is a) Number Zero and b) Bowman’s ability to avoid pressure and take what defenses give him. But if the Knights can find inroads into the Cowboys’ backfield — like they have against everyone — it could throw the Cowboys off of their offensive game. 3. Who’s Gonna Take it Back?The Cowboys come in tied for third in the league, having forced 15 turnovers in nine games. The Knights, apparently more noble than Cowboys, are tied for last place in the conference, stealing just one possession per game through nine. To their credit, the Pokes have been less careless with the ball since Big 12 play started and are also tied for third, having coughed it up only 10 times in nine games. The Knights , conversely, have committed 15 turnovers, one shy of the league leader Texas Tech. The Cowboys are 0-2 this season when losing the turnover battle (they were -2 against South Bama and Iowa State) but average a +1.3 in their seven wins. During their five-game skid to start Big 12 play, the Knights lost the turnover battle four times and averaged -1 per game. This is not groundbreaking stuff, but the point I’m making is that the Cowboys have given themselves breathing room by being one of the better teams at forcing turnovers and by not shooting themselves in the foot too often. If the Cowboys want to avoid stumbling down the stretch, with so much on the line, they’ll need to continue to win the battle for extra possessions.
![]() Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog. ![]() Oklahoma State inked four athletes as part of its 2024 recruiting class during the early signing period this week. With two top-100 recruits, according to FloWrestling, the site has OSU’s current recruiting class ranked No. 10 in the country and the second-best in the Big 12 behind Missouri, which is ranked third. OSU wasn’t even in FloWrestling’s top 25 before Cody Merrill’s commitment on Tuesday (more on that later). Here’s a look at each of the four future Cowboys who have already signed. Cody MerrillCody Merrill didn’t even make a public decision about his college choice until Tuesday. Merrill’s decision made enough of an impact that it turned OSU’s 2024 recruiting class from unranked to a top-10 group. Merrill is a consensus top-10 recruit out of Gilroy, California, where OSU legend Daniel Cormier coaches. Although Merrill will most likely wrestle at 197 pounds for OSU, FloWrestling has his him ranked at the top of 220 pounds. The site also has him listed as the No. 7 pound-for-pound recruit in the class. Rin SakamotoThere’s not much further one could come to wrestle in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Rin Sakamoto will move to Stillwater from Tokyo, Japan. And, somehow, OSU has created a pipeline from Japan, including three-time national champion Yojiro Uetake, who happened to be at Bedlam on Saturday. Sakamoto is projected to compete at 133 pounds for OSU. He competed at 61 kg in high school and on the international circuit. Sakamoto was a member of the Japan U20 World Team. JJ McComasWhile Sakamoto couldn’t be much further from Stillwater, JJ McComas is already there. McComas is a top-10 prospect at 126 pounds, according to FloWrestling, out of Stillwater High School. He’ll most likely be at 133 pounds for OSU. McComas was a state champion in 2021 and a finalist at Fargo’s Junior Freestyle National Championships this summer. Kolter BurtonKolter Burton has been committed to being a Cowboy the longest of the bunch with a commitment in Oct. 2022. Burton comes from Pocatello, Idaho, where he’s a three-time state champion and still has a chance to win a fourth. He has wrestled at 132 and 138 pounds in his preps career but is projected to bump up to 141 or even 149 once at OSU. Burton was a two-time finalist at Fargo. ![]() Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog. ![]() It’s wrestling season. Oklahoma State starts its season by hosting Bucknell at 7 p.m. Friday in Gallagher-Iba Arena. The dual will be streamed on ESPN+. The Cowboys have won 23 home openers in a row. Although the season gets going this weekend, it won’t exactly be on a roll. After Friday, it will be three weeks before the Cowboys see the mat again at the Cliff Keen Las Vegas Invitational on Dec. 1-2. Their next dual won’t be until Dec. 8 against Lehigh at home. “We’re still a team that’s developing,” Smith said. “I think whatever you see on Friday, this team’s gonna get better. I just see it. We need competition. We may need more than one match. The schedule was a little bit difficult this year.” With the season starting and the roster riddled with new faces, here’s a breakdown of the Cowboys’ projected starting lineup and comments from John Smith about each weight from when he met with the media on Wednesday. 125: Troy SpratleyTroy Spratley, a redshirt freshman, is certainly not the only new face in this season’s lineup. He transferred from Minnesota after redshirting his only year there, going 8-2 and beating two future national qualifiers. Spratley was also a bit of a nomad in high school. He won a state title as a freshman in Pennsylvania before moving to Collinsville, where he won a second state title in a different state. He then wrestled outside of school competition in Texas his last two years of school. Smith had high praise for Spratley, especially for a freshman who’s been in Stillwater only a few months and hasn’t even put on an orange singlet yet. “He’s got a lot of energy,” Smith said. “He’s got a lot of excitement in him. For me, it’s been a really, really good experience for the last few months seeing that kind of spirit in a young kid. He’s driven. He’s wanting to be good. He’s got a lot of things he needs to do to improve, but, boy, he gives himself an opportunity at doing it with his attitude. Really good attitude. (He’s) not afraid to work.” 133: Daton FixYou know the name. Daton Fix has become the face of this Cowboy wrestling program since arriving in 2017 out of Sand Springs. In his six years at OSU, Fix has made the NCAA finals three times and won four Big 12 titles. Fix’s college career has been prolonged by a regular redshirt, an Olympic redshirt and an extra year because of COVID-19. Fix, again, is preparing to qualify for the Olympics this summer. Some qualifying will take place during the season, which is why many speculated Fix would drop down to 125 because it’s closer to his Olympic weight. Nonetheless, Fix’s storied career will conclude this season, and Smith hopes others in the lineup will step up and take a load off Fix during it. “Daton, again, leads a lot by example,” Smith said. “I think he’s had a little bit more weight on his shoulders than I’d like to see in the last couple of years. Hopefully we’ll have some people that will pull some of that weight off and the level of energy to get everyone fired up as we move through this season and the start of the season.” 141: Tagen JamisonTagen Jamison essentially followed the same path as Spratley to Stillwater, as both graduated from Plano West High School and spent their first college year at Minnesota before transferring. Jamison, also a redshirt freshman, did not compete at all last season, though, because of an injury. In high school, Jamison was a four-time finalist in Texas (and Oklahoma as a frosh), winning it as a sophomore and senior. “There’s not a lot there,” Smith said. “I mean, go look at it from his past– he was injured last year, didn’t wrestle any. But what we see, we see a lot of promise in somebody that’s really serious about moving forward, so, again, a freshman at 125 and another freshman at 141.” 149: Teague Travis -or- Carter Young -or- Jordan WilliamsWho knows how 149 pounds will unfold for the Cowboys with three possible options for Friday and beyond. “I’m not gonna really announce who’s gonna wrestle on Friday, because at this point and time, I don’t know,” Smith said. “I have two days of practice and we’ll make some decisions.” Carter Young, a junior, has the most experience of the trio, starting at the weight the past two seasons. He qualified for the NCAA Wrestling Championships both seasons. Jordan Williams, a redshirt freshman, was a three-time state champion at Collinsville before transferring to Owasso as a senior and finishing in second. He was considered one of the top wrestlers in the country throughout his preps career. Teague Travis, a redshirt sophomore from Stillwater, was a four-time state champion, with the first three coming in Missouri before moving to Stillwater and winning his last one in Oklahoma. He was 17-2 last season, with most of his competition coming in open tournaments. 157: Daniel Manibog -or Jalin HarperSmith had the same outlook for 157 as 149, as it could be either Daniel Manibog or Jalin Harper stepping out there Friday night. “I like what they’re doing,” Smith said. “I think they both recognize, ‘OK, this is the weak weight on this team and I need to do something about it.’ I like their spirit about their training and commitment to moving forward.” Although both guys competing for the job here are redshirt seniors, there’s not much experience outside of open tournaments. Harper impressed as a sophomore filling in because of injury, even winning six matches in a row and cracking The Open Mat’s top 30. As a junior, Harper competed at three different weights, once again replacing injured starters. He was 13-8 as a junior. Harper didn’t appear in a dual last season, though, in his first senior season. 165: Izzak OlejnikThis may be Izzak Olejnik’s first season at OSU, but he sure doesn’t lack experience and accolades as a redshirt senior. Olejnik transferred from Northern Illinois, where he was a two-time MAC champion and four-time national qualifier. Last season, he was an All-American, finishing eighth, and was named the MAC Championship Most Outstanding Wrestler. “I mean, do your homework, he’s a good kid,” Smith said. 174: Brayden ThompsonAnother freshman at 174, but Brayden Thompson is as fresh as they come. Freshmen can compete in five matches and still maintain their redshirt, so Smith said Thompson will at least get that, and maybe even more if he impresses enough. Thompson was 152-11 out of Lockport Township High School in Illinois and hasn’t lost a match since his freshman year. FloWrestling ranked Thompson as the No. 3 pound-for-pound wrestler in the class of 2023 and the top recruit at 182 pounds. Although it looks like Thompson will get the start for the season opener, Smith said freshman AJ Heeg could also get an opportunity in the lineup. Heeg was a two-time state champion for Edmond Memorial High School before transferring to Stillwater High School his senior year. 184: Dustin PlottDustin Plott and Daton Fix may be the most recognizable names on the Cowboys’ roster right now. Plott, a senior, will move up to 184 pounds after spending the last three years at 174. At 174, Plott earned a Big 12 title and All-America honor each the past two seasons. “I think this can be a good move for Dustin,” Smith said. “There’s definitely a change in some of the adjustments you’re gonna have to make and you’re not gonna find that out until you start wrestling at this weight class. You’re not gonna find it out in the room. When you wrestle your teammates at heavy, you don’t recognize it. What he might recognize is that he’s a lot quicker, a lot faster at this weight, a lot stronger, a lot more pop to him.” 197: Luke SurberLuke Surber made a name for himself last year when he pinned Keegan Moore in 34 seconds to walk-off the first Bedlam of the season. Surber, a senior, has started for the Cowboys the past two seasons, but he was at heavyweight in 2021-22. Last season, at 197, Surber finished third at the Big 12 Wrestling Championships and was 23-10 with 12 bonus-point wins. “Luke, it’s time to go,” Smith said. “He’s been stuck in that same area of where he’s ranked right now. I mean, it seems like he’s been there a little bit too long. Just need to improve on– the improvements need to be done mentally and just kind of letting yourself go and finding a new level that you can get to, and so I’m excited about that opportunity.” Smith also mentioned Kyle Haas, who he said is battling an injury that’s “nothing serious.” Once Haas is healthy, he could also get a chance at the weight. 285: Konner DoucetSmith went with experience over unproven talent at 285, at least to start. Konner Doucet, a redshirt junior, will get the start Friday over highly touted freshman Christian Carroll. “I like the fact that I got two good heavyweights,” Smith said. Doucet qualified for the NCAA tournament last season after placing fifth at the Big 12 Wrestling Championships. Carroll was the No. 1 pound-for-pound wrestler in the class of 2023 out of Jimtown High School in Elkhart, Indiana. He’s already competed at the U20 World Championships as a member of the U20 United States World Team and was the champion of the 2023 U.S. Open. “He’s a competitor– I like him– but so is Konner,” Smith said. “Just know that they got five opportunities to wrestle. Will (Carroll) wrestle? Yeah, he’ll wrestle, somewhere. Yeah, he’s gonna start a match. “That’s why you have ranking matches. It settles the team and puts people in position to start and where you go from there is kind of up to your attitude and your performance.”
![]() Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog. ![]() After winning the last Bedlam, what are the Cowboys going to do? They’re going to Oklahoma State plays UCF at 2:30 p.m. (Central) Saturday in the teams’ first meeting with each other. The Cowboys are tied for first in the Big 12 and close the year with three straight conference newcomers. Arlington is in play, but the Cowboys can’t afford much of a slip up. Here is how we think this game plays out. Marshall ScottScore: Oklahoma State 42, UCF 35 Game MVP: Ollie Gordon Uniform: Orange (Pete)-White-White Thoughts: I’ve got a bit of an eerie feeling about this one. Although UCF’s run defense is dookie and Ollie Gordon is, well, good, the Knights can move the ball on offense. So, the Pokes can’t afford a letdown after an emotional Bedlam win. With that being said, I’m not going to bet against Ollie Gordon at a time like this. I think it’s closer than the OSU faithful will want it to be, but when the Cowboys need to kill clock and move the ball on the ground, Gordon and the offensive line get it done. Kyle CoxScore: Oklahoma State 38, UCF 24 Game MVP: Ollie Gordon (until someone else takes it) Uniform: Orange (Brand)-White-Orange Thoughts: I’m still riding high confidence-wise after the Bedlam win. Ollie continues to roll and the Cowboys knock another Big 12 noob off. UCF just barely edged out a win over Cincinnati in the battle of winless Big 12 teams, and that was because of an incompletion on a late two-point conversion by the Bearcats. The Pokes are riding high on both confidence and momentum, and the chasm between these two teams is decent. I think the Cowboys go up big, late second-early third (maybe something like 35-17), and go on to win comfortably. I could see a late home TD that makes the score look better for the Knights. Dekota GregoryScore: Oklahoma State 41, UCF 30 Game MVP: Ollie Gordon Uniform: Orange (Brand) – White – Black Thoughts: This looked like a scary game at the start of the season before UCF took its Power Five licks. But the Knights can still be dangerous with quite a bit of talent and have stayed in a lot of games they’ve lost, including being a two-point conversion away from beating OU. That’s probably why Vegas has this matchup a lot closer than Cowboy fans think it should be. This gives me Cincinnati vibes, as it’s closer than expected at halftime, but then all of a sudden Ollie Gordon breaks loose and the next thing you know it’s getting out of hand before UCF adds another late touchdown. I had no idea where to go with uniforms by this point in the season against a conference newbie, but my co-worker, Sam Nelson, a baseball coach and self-proclaimed Cowboy uniform expert, told me to hammer down the tri combo for this trip to Orlando. ![]() Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog. ![]() For the first time this year, the Cowboys will play in a new Big 12 stadium. Oklahoma State travels to The City Beautiful for what the Pokes hope will be another win on their magical run. Here are stats and other info to get you ready for the game. It’s the first time these teams have met, so there is no series history this week. Viewing InfoTime: 2:30 p.m. (Central) Saturday Team Stats
Statistical LeadersPassing: Rushing: Receiving: Tackling: Sacks: Big 12 Standings
![]() Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog. ![]() Thanks for stopping by – here’s your daily dose of Oklahoma State sports news. OSU Bullets• Weekend watch guide for the Cowboy Football fan plus tv crew and betting details for the UCF game (PFB + PFB) • Some Cowboys are up for national awards: • Ollie Gordon’s award candidacy is partly driven and framed by OSU’s slow start – and the direct correlation between his carries and OSU wins.
• Previewing the OSU-UCF game (HCS) • OSU signed a point guard earlier this week during the early signing day (PFB) • This article has the Pokes “underrated” at No. 15 in the College Football Playoff (247 Sports) • What a huge swing:
Non-OSU Bullets• What happened to our mental bandwidth? Inside a real-life “sand castle” house (not really but designed like one): ![]() Read this original article at Pistols Firing Blog. |
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