CAPSIZED

 

As evening fell down in Arlington, Texas, the fans of Oklahoma State held their heads high after falling to Florida State 31-37. The Seminoles didn’t look like a team that was just supposed to walk over all their competition, and the Cowboys looked a lot better than anyone could’ve ever predicted. The Oklahoma State defense was the staple that helped keep the Pokes in the ballgame throughout the night, and the offense, lead by J.W. Walsh, sputtered in the first half, but got the ball rolling after halftime. Tyreke Hill, the speedster transfer from Garden City, came as advertised, and racked up 267 total yards of offense by himself. All in all, when it comes to the subject of moral victories, (if such a thing existed) this was one of them.

Cowboys QB, J.W. Walsh, fumbles the ball after being
upended in the 4th quarter against No. 1, Florida State on Saturday.

  No one expected the Cowboys to put up much of a fight since they were 18-point underdogs, and with all the question marks coming into the season, the “rebuilding year” people were talking about, all of the sudden, looks like more of a “reloaded year”.  The fact that OSU had a chance in the fourth quarter to take the lead with just under 6 minutes to play, says volumes about the team and looks to change the minds of people who had ridden the Pokes off as a team that was only expected to win 7 to 8 games, into a team that could possibly win 9 or 10 games. The talent is there, and even though turnovers were the main reason why OSU lost against Florida State, the fact that Oklahoma State still had a chance in the end, speaks to the coaching staff and their terrific job of putting their players in positions to succeed on the field. But considering all the things that went right for the Cowboys, what are some things that could continue to be an Achilles heel for the squad?

   Turnovers, spotty quarterback play, and a kicking game that left a sour taste in the mouth of the Orange Nation. Ben Grogan, place kicker for OSU, missed a field goal he should’ve made, and has been inconsistent as ever for the Pokes. For a team that used to be excellent on special teams, and had a reputation for it, the fact of the matter is that the team has fallen off a bit when it comes to the place kicking game, and that could come back to haunt them. As for the turnovers, they happen. The sad thing is that the timing of the 2 turnovers committed by OSU, is that they hurt the Cowboys on the scoreboard both times. Walsh’s first pass of the game was a pick-6 that gave FSU (Florida State) an early 10-0 lead, and then when the time to make the drive of the game, Walsh got upended and fumbled it away to the Seminoles. Jameis Winston, the FSU quarterback, then took that possession and turned it into a touchdown that left the Pokes down 37-24. So these problems are ones that can be fixed, but you can’t deny that they definitely were the reason the Cowboys didn’t leave Jerry World with a victory. But is there even more to this picture than meets the eye?

   Travel back in time to the last game of the season for Oklahoma State last year against Missouri. Played in the Dallas Cowboy’s stadium, that game for the Pokes also ended on a turnover in the waning moments of that contest that cost OSU a win. Coincidence? Think again. Tony Romo, the quarterback of the Dallas Cowboys, has been made famous by his late-game turnovers that leave the Dallas fan base groaning in agony, and with their team having not won a playoff game in any recent memory, is it safe to say that if your mascot is Cowboy, and you play in Jerry Jones’ Billion Dollar Play Pen, you’ll lose? Not exactly, but it’s a fun conspiracy to ponder.

  In the end, the Oklahoma State Cowboys may end up better than anyone expected, and that’s good news for every person that bleeds black and orange. Just something to think about as Oklahoma State will still be looking for their first win of the season as they host Missouri State at 2:30 CT on Saturday, September 6.