Big 12 Syllabus Series: Oklahoma State Cowboys

The Oklahoma State Cowboys deserved to be in the BCS national championship game last season. Now that that’s out of the way, it’s time to focus on how they replace Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon.

OSU has enjoyed great success the last two years, going 23-3 with a Big 12 title and Fiesta Bowl victory. Conference play has been kind to them as well. During the past three seasons under Mike Gundy, OSU has gone 25-8. Offensively they have also been in the top three in total offense and scoring the past two years.

Keep in mind OSU has gone 55-29 under head coach Mike Gundy. Some have said the 2012 season will be a huge drop-off from last year’s run, but that depends on your definition of drop -off. While the Cowboys may not compete for another conference title, they can win eight or nine games. The offensive system produces quarterbacks and receivers. Gundy’s tenure as head coach has proved this and with the way he and his staff have been able to recruit, we should expect to see the Cowboys competing in the Big 12 for years to come.

The recent winning ways now come with the task of rebuilding. Sure, Justin Blackmon was able to fill the shoes of Dez Bryant, but the losses on offense go beyond Weeden and Blackmon. OSU also has to replace three starters from the offensive line.

The offense might have a different approach this season. Look for the Cowboys to use one of the best running back duos in the conference to their advantage.

Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith have more than enough talent to take the pressure off Lunt. The offensive line lost three from last season, but still has enough veteran leadership to anchor the rushing attack.

3 & Out

1st Down: Restocking the receivers

The obvious missing piece is of course Blackmon. The Cowboys will also be without last year’s second leading receiver Josh Cooper. Cooper had 71 catches for 715 yards and three touchdowns. The first candidate to step up as the number one receiver is Tracy Moore, who was third on the team last year with 45 catches.

Moore probably isn’t the next Blackmon or Dez Bryant, but he is more than capable of making the big plays. He does need to improve his hands; however there may not be as much emphasis on the passing game in 2012 because the running game has the ability to carry the offense.

Joining Moore are Josh Stewart and incoming JuCo transfer Blake Jackson. Together, they are the favorites to be the top three in the corps for 2012. Jackson’s athleticism is something to be excited about.

2nd Down: Making sense of the defense

The word underrated has been thrown around a lot this off-season when describing the 2011 version of the Cowboy’s defense. Then, immediately following that statement from whoever made it, the word insanity gets thrown back. Let’s entertain the underrated notion for a moment. The Cowboy defense was No. 107 in total defense as well as No. 107 against the pass.

What are you missing? The defense did get a bad rap due to how much the offense scored, so teams were trying to play catch up bombing the football down field. They also were able to force 44 takeaways.

The 2012 defensive unit is actually very talented. Just look at two of the best corners in the Big 12, Justin Gilbert and Brodrick Brown. Gilbert was second in the Big 12 last year with five interceptions (tied with Brown). He improved his cover skills as the season went on and is only going to be a junior in 2012. The ceiling for Gilbert should be a scary thing for quarterbacks.

Brown is the more polished corner and had the most defended passes in the conference last year. He’s only 5-foot-8, but earned himself All-America and All-Conference honors in 2011 as well.

OSU will have eight returning starters and might even be able to win games because of their defense.

3rd Down: Meet Wes Lunt

Freshman quarterback Wes Lunt did enough during the spring to win the starting job and has the task of filling the shoes of one Brandon Weeden.

Lunt was the prized recruit in the 2012 class. He was an Elite 11 QB invitee and played in an offense similar to Oklahoma State while he was in high school.

Lunt won the starting job by being the best pure passer during the spring and while he isn’t the gunslinger Weeden was, he can be equally effective by making smart decisions. If Lunt can limit his mistakes, he can help a balanced attack that could have machine like tendencies.

The true freshman has a lot of potential and is like Weeden when it comes to passing ability.