Oklahoma State football will contend for the Big 12 Championship in 2017, thanks in part to senior quarterback Mason Rudolph.
Mason Rudolph’s been an absolute stud for the Cowboys during his time in Stillwater, so good that head coach Mike Gundy isn’t losing his hair – it’s growing at a pace unrivaled among head coaches in the league.
Last season, many in college football dismissed Oklahoma State after they *lost* to Central Michigan. The asterisks represent what Gundy and many at OK St. believe was a win, but was deemed a loss due to an officiating error. When the Cowboys received their 2016 Alamo bowl rings, an 11-2 record is boldly printed on the side, omitting the CMU loss.
But honestly, 11-2 doesn’t elevate Oklahoma St. into the College Football Playoff a year ago, especially without a conference championship game. With one this season though, Rudolph and the Cowboys are gearing up for an extended run into January. What is it that sets Rudolph apart from other quarterbacks?
5. The man, the myth, the mullet — Mike Gundy
Mike Gundy’s been one of the best head coaches in college football the last decade, giving life to a football program that needed saving. He’s coached the Cowboys to a 44-18 record in Big 12 play since 2010, including five 10-win seasons overall. Also during that span, he’s steered his teams to four New Year’s Six bowl games: the 2010 Cotton, 2012 Fiesta, 2014 Cotton and 2016 Sugar.
Oklahoma State is also in elite company in regards to the College Football Playoff. Since being established in 2015, the Cowboys are one of seven schools to make every single CFP ranking. The other six? Alabama, Clemson, Florida State, Michigan, Ohio State and Utah — elite company.
So what, Rudolph has a good coach?
Exactly. Rudolph would be a decent quarterback under any Joe Schmoe. But playing under an experienced guy who happens to be coaching at his alma mater? Oh, you better believe Gundy will make Rudolph a household name.
4A. Running backs
No quarterback can truly be great without weapons surrounding him. Luckily for Rudolph, there’s a plethora of play-making Cowboys at his disposal.
Getting the brunt of the handoffs as a freshman, Justice Hill looks to improve on his record-breaking season. He rushed for 1,142 yards — the only Oklahoma State freshman to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark — and six touchdowns. He wasn’t much of a factor in the passing game, but could see his targets rise this fall.
Junior Jeff Carr is expected to spell Hill when needed and he brings plenty of experience to the table. He was the main kick return man as a freshman, so his shiftiness and vision in the open field are two of his best qualities.
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4B. Wide Receivers
Jalen McKleskey is often overlooked when discussing Big 12 wide receivers, but the slot star tallied 73 catches for 812 yards and seven scores last year. His 73 receptions in 2016 are the most for any Big 12 player returning in 2017 too. McKleskey caught 11 passes last year twice, as well.
Tyron Johnson is somewhat of an unknown commodity at this point, but he’ll reintroduce himself in a big way this fall. You may remember him as the five-star recruit that went to LSU before transferring to play for coach Gundy. While at LSU, he only tallied nine catches for 150 yards, but Odell Beckham Jr. and Jarvis Landry struggled to put up big numbers playing for the Tigers also. With an offense looking to go downfield and a quarterback capable of making that happen, Johnson could be a household name by season’s end.
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James Washington is the go-to guy for Rudolph and the Cowboys, though. He was second on the team to McKleskey in catches with 71, but scored 10 times through the air and accumulated over 1,300 yards. Some have already pegged him the No. 1 wide receiver prospect in the 2018 NFL Draft, but Washington’s got unfinished business from last season to deal with first.
3. Favorable Schedule
Oklahoma State football opens the season with a Thursday night game against Tulsa. The following week they’ll travel to South Alabama to play the Jaguars before their first real test in Week 3.
The Cowboys only Power Five team on their out-of-conference schedule is Pitt. Whether you agree with their Power Five status or not is up to you (I’ve some questions… Sweet Caroline!), but they are in the ACC. Here’s a rundown of the remainder of the Cowboys schedule.
- Sept. 23: Host TCU
- Sept. 30: @ Texas Tech
- Oct. 14: Host Baylor
- Oct. 21: @ Texas
- Oct. 28: @ WVU
- Nov. 4: Host Oklahoma
- Nov. 11: @ Iowa State
- Nov. 18: Host Kansas State
- Nov. 25: Host Kansas
Assuming Oklahoma State protects their home field, the only games that should give them trouble are at Texas and at WVU. They beat the Longhorns 49-31 last year, and handed WVU a 37-20 defeat as well. With Texas’ new regime in place and the Mountaineers trying to reload, Rudolph and the Cowboys are expected to handle both again this year.
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The Oklahoma Sooners have been the measuring stick for the Big 12, but that was with head coach Bob Stoops at the helm. With Lincoln Riley now in charge, it’s time for another program to step up and take control. Luckily, Gundy possesses one of the best quarterbacks in the nation to help grab the reigns.
2. Passing totals
Rudolph’s been a model of consistency since 2015 among Big 12 quarterbacks, ranking fourth or better in every season in the following categories: pass attempts, pass completions, completion percentage, yards per attempt. passing efficiency rating, and total yards. He also finished second in the Big 12 in passing yards in back-to-back seasons, throwing for 3,770 yards in 2015 and eclipsing the 4,000-yard mark last year.
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He’s not much of a threat on the ground, but with his accuracy throwing the ball he doesn’t need to be. Rudolph’s improved his completion percentage year after year along with his touchdown-to-interception ratio. After throwing 21 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a sophomore, Rudolph came back with 28 touchdowns and only four interceptions a year ago.
With just 546 passing yards, Rudolph will become the Cowboys all-time leading passer too; he’s also on the verge of cracking the conference’s top 10 all-time passing yards list.
It’s not just within the Big 12 that Rudolph is staking his claim as a great quarterback, he does it on a national level too. He ranked 8th in the country in passing yards (4,096) last season and was 10th in yards per pass attempt (9.1).
1. Other Big 12 quarterbacks
Many people will claim Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield is the best quarterback in the Big 12, but he won’t be the same this year as in season’s past. Sure he’s currently 10th on the Big 12’s all-time leading passers list, but Rudolph’s quickly closing. Also, the senior Sooner lost a ton of weapons from his offense last season, including a 1,700-yard receiver and two 1,000-yard running backs. In order to claim being the best quarterback in the conference, Mayfield will have to pick up the slack.
West Virginia’s Will Grier is another favorite among Big 12 quarterbacks. He hasn’t played since his freshman year in 2015, transferring from Florida and sitting out a season at WVU, but he’s got tools Mountaineer fans have been eager to see. Rarely does a new starter take over and hit the ground running, but Grier’s been in the system for two years now. Could he eclipse Rudolph as the conference’s best? A lot depends on what Mountaineers around him step up; Rudolph’s weapons are already established players.
Following his freshman season, Texas quarterback Shane Buechele comes in as one of the biggest question marks. Will he improve on his 2,958-yard, 21-touchdown season? Or will Charlie Strong’s departure cause Buechele to regress? Tom Herman’s done an impressive job at his previous two stops (Ohio State, Houston), and hopes to instill the same confidence he exudes, whether the media agree with him or not.