Brian Neubert of Gold & Black Illustrated was kind enough to trade questions with me in advance of the Heart of Dallas bowl match-up featuring Oklahoma State and Purdue.  I've been sitting on this post for a couple of weeks waiting for the coaching carousel to slow and the news cycle to shift back to football.  In the interim, Chelf was named the starter - effectively answering one of my questions.  Despite this, I think you will find Brian's answers an insightful look into the Purdue program.

[SD] Close losses to Notre Dame and Ohio State would seem to indicate the Boilermakers can play with anyone in the country - and might be overdue a closely contested victory. Can you give Oklahoma State fans a quick breakdown of the Purdue season? What was the difference between a three point loss at Notre Dame and blowout losses against Minnesota, Penn State, and Michigan?
[BN] Yeah, that’s part of the reason Danny Hope got fired – inconsistency. This season has been kind of a microcosm of Hope’s time at Purdue: Just all over the map.  Purdue got blown out by Michigan, Wisconsin, and, of all teams, Minnesota. The first two were extremely disappointing losses after the Boilermakers came into the Big Ten with pretty high hopes. The way the Minnesota game unfolded was just inexplicable. But the frustration that came from those games was just amplified by the fact that there were only two major-conference unbeatens in college football this year and both of them beat Purdue by the skin of their teeth, on their home fields, no less. Notre Dame needed a last-second field. And Purdue flat-out had the Buckeye beat. So you can look at it two ways: Yeah, Purdue was capable of playing with anybody. But it was also capable of getting beaten by anybody.

[SD] How have the fans reacted to the hiring of Darrell Hazell? Who will be coaching the bowl game and what effect, if any, will the transition play in preparation?
[BN] It’s been very positive. I think at first there might have been a bit of apprehension in the sense he’d only been at Kent State for two years, but the more fans started learning about him, I think the more they were impressed. And he really endeared himself to people with the way he handled his introductory press conference at Purdue, along with prior press conference at Kent State. I’m sure there will be some mixed opinion on him choosing to coach Kent State in their bowl game, considering how much work he has ahead of him at Purdue in the short term, but I think if you look at it closely, it’s something that can really, really make people respect him. It really shows how committed he is to his players. Leaving teams is hard, but he seems to have handled it with a lot of grace and class, and the reaction from the Kent State end has been unbelievably positive considering the usual hard feelings that come with coaching moves.  I just think when you add it up, you’ve seen a new coach really give his new team’s fans a lot to like.

[SD] Oklahoma State is an offensive-driven team that thrives under a run-oriented variant of the Mumme/Leach “Air Raid” spread. Defensively, the Cowboys utilize a base 4-3 and employ a “bend but don't break” philosophy by attempting to prevent big plays through a soft zone and an emphasis (supposed) on turnovers. How does Purdue compare / contrast to Oklahoma State's philosophy on either side of the ball?
[BN] It’s going to be hard to know what to expect from Purdue in this game. Obviously it’s going through a coach transition and the Boilermakers actually only have eight coaches right now.  But if Purdue sticks to what it did offensively late in the season, you’ll see an offense that’s pretty multiple and will use a lot of formations and shift tempos. Late in the season, quarterback Robert Marve really played well. If he continues to, he gives Purdue the ability to sling it around and make plays outside the system, so to speak. But it was the running game that really clicked late in the year. Seniors Ralph Bolden and Akeem Shavers were running really well down the stretch and afford the offense the sort of balance it needed to be really productive.

On defense, when Purdue’s been good this season, it’s been able to get pressure on the quarterback. It’ll blitz. It had particular success late in the season bringing DBs off the edge. But the most important thing is for the defensive line to play well. That’s the defense’s strength. When it plays like it, the defense usually plays well. When it doesn’t, Purdue usually gets rolled.

[SD] Who is the expected starter at QB for Purdue in the bowl game and what are his strengths / weaknesses?
[BN] Robert Marve is a sixth-year senior who’s undergone two ACL surgeries and is now actually playing on an injured ACL again. But he was terrific for Purdue during its three-game winning streak. He’s got a tremendous arm and a lot of savvy. Even though he’s playing on an injured knee, he’s pretty mobile and has a knack for improvising. The knock of him has always been that he’s tended to just wing it sometimes and take a lot of chances. That’s gotten him in trouble with turnovers and in earning his coaches’ trust. But the past three games, he’s been great. He threw just one interception in the last three games and it was a tipped ball. On an injured knee, he then sprinted 60-some yards to run the guy down from behind and make the tackle. If you’re going to make a list of reasons Purdue might have a chance to win  this game, Marve’s play lately would top the list.

[SD] How would you categorize the Purdue special teams? Specifically, given the bowl is to be played outdoors, how does the kicking game rate?
[BN] They’ve had their ups and downs, but more ups than downs. Purdue has an excellent kickoff return team and two real threats in Akeem Hunt and Raheem Mostert back there. Both are guys who can turn the field over in the return game easily. Purdue has covered kicks very well all years. And its punting has been excellent. But Purdue has had a few punts blocked this season and it has broken in a couple new kickers who’ve been some rough spots.

[SD] Do you have any idea which Oklahoma State QB Purdue is preparing to face? On the season, has the Purdue defense fared better against pocket passers or dual threat quarterbacks?
[BN] I have no idea, but I’d imagine Purdue will prepare to see all of them. It’s been mixed in terms of Purdue’s results against certain types of QB. Marshall’s Rakeem Cato threw for a billion yards against them, but also pick-sixed twice. Denard Robinson ran wild on them but Oklahoma State can’t possibly replicate his dynamic running ability. Really, some straight drop-back guys have given Purdue fits, but when Wisconsin’s Joel Stave and Minnesota’s Philip Nelson tore the Boilermakers up, they had dominant – or at least very productive – running games setting the table for them for them to do it. So, really, every case has been different.

[SD] What are the keys to beating Oklahoma State? Conversely, what are the immediate areas of concern for Purdue in this game?
[BN] I can’t claim to know all that much about Oklahoma State quite yet, but all year Purdue has had to stop the run and tackle well up front on defense. When it hasn’t done those thing it’s gotten blown out. The defensive line has to be good for Purdue to be good defensively. There’s no two ways around it. I know this is pretty elementary stuff, but on offense, Purdue has to achieve balance by being able to run the football. Its offensive success in the final three games – albeit against three losing teams – had everything to do with the running game, as well as Marve’s play. And turnovers. Purdue isn’t good enough to be able to overcome to many mistakes.

This indecision's bugging me.

- The Clash, "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

It's probably the sum of your feelings at this point, too. Oklahoma State University's head football coach and its athletic director had a unique stare-down, one that went as far as linking the sitting coach in Stillwater to jobs in Tennessee, Arkansas, California and probably the Canadian Football League - if the price was right. That last option is good for grins but Mike Gundy has been treading on dangerous, and very real, ground with Mike Holder and perhaps more importantly, an entire university's fanbase. It is arguable that this latest edition of "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" in Stillwater rings eerily similar to the British punk-pop princes' smash hit, with the two personalities mulling over the options and alternatives.

Gundy isn't going anywhere, or so he claims (this coming from his comments on a teleconference with media members in regards to the Heart of Dallas Bowl game).  That's good news - we don't need to stroke out a la Tennessee's VolQuest website and its membership, especially if O-State was down to their 3rd or lower "choice" on a potential replacement for Gundy.  I've been on The Corral long enough to know meltdown potential at first sight, and such a scenario would be one of the stormiest, doom-and-gloom days that message board has ever known.  At the least, that bullet has been dodged for another year, or so it seems.  At the rate we've seen this story develop during the past few days, I truly believe that anything that can happen...anything.

It wasn't that many months ago that Gundy was able to get on the same page with Holder...well, financially anyway. Gundy's contract was extended and his pay astronomically increased. Gundy enlisted some help to lock that in through his newly-appointed agent, Jimmy Sexton, who would handle the negotiations in the same fashion he would for his other clients, including the likes of Nick Saban. Another angle which could be taken is that Holder inadvertently helped out Gundy by awarding a very unproven and embattled basketball coach with a mind-boggling contract in the not-so-distant past. Regardless of what you believe, things were set up extraordinarily well for Gundy.  When one compounds that event and the best football season record in OSU history, topped off by a thrilling overtime win in the Fiesta Bowl against Stanford. If there was ever a time to use leverage on a new payday, this was it.  College football is a business, make no mistake about it; Gundy and his handlers are capitalists...such a contract "dispute" as it was, it was the smart move to pipe up and ask for a raise.

Now, here we are...a Cowboys team that had preseason expectations for a defense that was to be deeper and more talented than any in the Gundy era, a team with what was widely thought to be the best cornerback tandem in the country, a team that was allegedly built to defend its first outright Big 12 Conference title, a team whose head coach was now one of most well-compensated in the country at his profession...and the Pokes sit at a very underwhelming and very real 7-5.  Destined for Dallas, Texas, where they will take on the Purdue Boilermakers.  I can still hear air farting out of the balloon that was to be a promising "reloading" year.

It's a spat between grown men with very stark contrasts in business style.  I haven't been a fly on the wall for any of their conversations, but this reeks of schoolyard bully shenanigans. There really is no reason to not give Gundy more oversight in matters such as scheduling - if there is one, I haven't discovered it or I simply disagree with reasons that have been put forth by the pundits, so far. The bottom line is that Gundy has flourished as a CEO head coach at his alma mater, even if he has been placed in a situation where he had some help in being as successful as he has: top of the line facilities, more than adequate compensation for his assistants, and shiny, new matte grey helmets...just to name a few built-in advantages.  If Captain Hair Gel feels that things are insufferable at his current post, please...by all means report to the Southeastern Athletic Conference as a football coach and let us all know how boosters and athletic directors and government officials stay out of your business.  I'm sure that makes for a great fairy tale.

This indecision's bugging me.

- The Clash, "Should I Stay or Should I Go?"

It's probably the sum of your feelings at this point, too. Oklahoma State University's head football coach and its athletic director had a unique stare-down, one that went as far as linking the sitting coach in Stillwater to jobs in Tennessee, Arkansas, California and probably the Canadian Football League - if the price was right. That last option is good for grins but Mike Gundy has been treading on dangerous, and very real, ground with Mike Holder and perhaps more importantly, an entire university's fanbase. It is arguable that this latest edition of "Should I Stay or Should I Go?" in Stillwater rings eerily similar to the British punk-pop princes' smash hit, with the two personalities mulling over the options and alternatives.

Gundy isn't going anywhere, or so he claims (this coming from his comments on a teleconference with media members in regards to the Heart of Dallas Bowl game).  That's good news - we don't need to stroke out a la Tennessee's VolQuest website and its membership, especially if O-State was down to their 3rd or lower "choice" on a potential replacement for Gundy.  I've been on The Corral long enough to know meltdown potential at first sight, and such a scenario would be one of the stormiest, doom-and-gloom days that message board has ever known.  At the least, that bullet has been dodged for another year, or so it seems.  At the rate we've seen this story develop during the past few days, I truly believe that anything that can happen...anything.

It wasn't that many months ago that Gundy was able to get on the same page with Holder...well, financially anyway. Gundy's contract was extended and his pay astronomically increased. Gundy enlisted some help to lock that in through his newly-appointed agent, Jimmy Sexton, who would handle the negotiations in the same fashion he would for his other clients, including the likes of Nick Saban. Another angle which could be taken is that Holder inadvertently helped out Gundy by awarding a very unproven and embattled basketball coach with a mind-boggling contract in the not-so-distant past. Regardless of what you believe, things were set up extraordinarily well for Gundy.  When one compounds that event and the best football season record in OSU history, topped off by a thrilling overtime win in the Fiesta Bowl against Stanford. If there was ever a time to use leverage on a new payday, this was it.  College football is a business, make no mistake about it; Gundy and his handlers are capitalists...such a contract "dispute" as it was, it was the smart move to pipe up and ask for a raise.

Now, here we are...a Cowboys team that had preseason expectations for a defense that was to be deeper and more talented than any in the Gundy era, a team with what was widely thought to be the best cornerback tandem in the country, a team that was allegedly built to defend its first outright Big 12 Conference title, a team whose head coach was now one of most well-compensated in the country at his profession...and the Pokes sit at a very underwhelming and very real 7-5.  Destined for Dallas, Texas, where they will take on the Purdue Boilermakers.  I can still hear air farting out of the balloon that was to be a promising "reloading" year.

It's a spat between grown men with very stark contrasts in business style.  I haven't been a fly on the wall for any of their conversations, but this reeks of schoolyard bully shenanigans. There really is no reason to not give Gundy more oversight in matters such as scheduling - if there is one, I haven't discovered it or I simply disagree with reasons that have been put forth by the pundits, so far. The bottom line is that Gundy has flourished as a CEO head coach at his alma mater, even if he has been placed in a situation where he had some help in being as successful as he has: top of the line facilities, more than adequate compensation for his assistants, and shiny, new matte grey helmets...just to name a few built-in advantages.  If Captain Hair Gel feels that things are insufferable at his current post, please...by all means report to the Southeastern Athletic Conference as a football coach and let us all know how boosters and athletic directors and government officials stay out of your business.  I'm sure that makes for a great fairy tale.

The BCS divines have ruled and Oklahoma State has been found wanting.  Comparable to the ugly kid whom no one picked for their team during recess, the Cowboys dropped from a possible Cotton Bowl bid — past vanquished conference foes TTU and TCU — to a largely unknown bowl deep in the heart of Texas Dallas.  But hey — it's a New Year's bowl, so why cry over spilled milk?  When the BCS gives the Cowboys lemons, we make lemonade. Or something.  In any case, here's a first look at the next opponent, the Purdue Boilermakers.

Located in West Lafayette, Indiana, Purdue finished the season 6-6 with signature wins over Eastern Kentucky, Eastern Michigan (notice a trend?), and Marshall.  After taking Notre Dame to the wire in non-conference play, the Boilermakers found themselves in a five game (!!) conference losing streak — snapped by a last second (FG) upset over Iowa.  A close, 20-17 win over Illinois was followed by a convincing 56-35 win over rival Indiana to end their regular season.  Interestingly, due to a schedule quirk, Purdue played their last game a full two weeks before OSU was rolled by the Tarp in Waco.  Since their win over Indiana and following "four lackluster seasons", Coach Danny Hope was summarily fired.  As of this writing, the Boilermakers have yet to name a replacement — although it is rumored that Head Coach Mike Gundy remains a leading candidate.

A quick look at the statistics shows a mid-level offensive team who played two quarterbacks extensively.  Between Caleb TerBush and Robert Marve, Marve appears the more formidable passing threat while neither quarterback appears very mobile.  Defensively, Purdue appears to be only slightly ahead of the vaunted Oklahoma State defense in national ranking; somewhere between sieve and swiss cheese.  Statistically speaking, no player on either side of the ball stands out.  Special teams appears to be a "mixed bag" as the kicking game has struggled at times while the return game has logged a few great moments (most notably against Penn State).  Amazingly, Purdue averages fewer punt return yards per attempt than OSU...which probably tells you all you need to know about Purdue special teams.

On paper, at least, Oklahoma State should be favored in this game; although it remains to be seen how the Cowboys will respond in the weeks to come as several external factors appear poised to wreak havoc on team morale and preparedness.  Hopefully, the next few weeks will bring clarity to a number of situations — making the handicapping of this game a more straightforward endeavor.

This year's Bedlam edition was every bit as emotionally draining as expected.  Midway through the 4th quarter, I told my wife this was the best game I had seen all year - "if we end up winning".  Alas, "Sooner Magic" held sway and the Savannah State game retains it's perch at the top of my 2012 memory heap.  Which tells you all you need to know about the season.

My first five thoughts on tonight's game follow:

1. OU clearly took last year's Bedlam lessons to heart.  Knowing Bill Young would seek to duplicate his defensive aggressiveness from the prior year, it seems obvious that OU wanted to emphasize the short to intermediate passing game.  OU managed 44 first downs (!!) — typical of a team trying to work their way down the field 10-15 yards at a time.  This effectively negated OSU's interior-led pass rush as Landry Jones did not have to wait for long routes to develop before throwing the ball.  OU's interior offensive linemen did a masterful job of picking up the blitzes, stunts, and twists thrown their way by the Cowboys and OSU was unable to generate any sort of pressure off the edge.  Secondary blitzes were largely ineffective due to the distances involved.  As a result, Oklahoma State's secondary was exposed by an experienced, strong-armed QB who had only to read 1-2 routes before throwing the quick hitter.  The Cowboy's secondary was clearly a weakness going into the game...and it remains so.
2. OSU was not able to control the line of scrimmage.  While true the Oklahoma State defensive front forced OU to all but abandon the run (which should be a surprise to no one not named Stephanie Kuzydym), OSU only registered one sack on the evening despite bringing extra pressure all night.  OU effectively schemed the OSU interior lineman out of the game.  On the other side of the ball, OSU's offensive linemen were unable to consistently and dependably open running lanes for Randle and Smith.  Including Chelf's big runs in the first half, OSU barely registered 200 yards of rushing offense.  This number was supposed to be much more lopsided in the favor of the Cowboys and it severely limited Monken's play-calling.
3. Quarterback Clint Chelf turned in another performance that could, on the whole, only be spun as average.  A tale of two halves, Chelf's first two quarters left little doubt as to why he was starting.  However, during the second half, under pressure, and in need of a consistent passing game, Chelf wilted.  The games at Texas Tech and OU together begin a trend of poor second half play by the junior signal caller.
4. How many tipped passes will OSU be giving to opposing teams this year as interceptions?  Stewart, the Cowboys receiver with arguably the best hands, has had at least three of these (UA, TCU, and OU come to mind).  Maybe four?  If Stewart manages to catch the ball thrown (behind) him which was instead tipped to OU for a pick, OSU goes on to at least score a field goal on that drive.  On the defensive side, if Gilbert manages to catch the ball that he instead tipped to Stills for a TD - the Cowboys are looking at a possible 21 point swing in their favor.
5. Twice, Oklahoma State has lost to a traditional Big 12 power in the waning moments.  Twice, in those same contests, OSU gave up a coverage touchdown on special teams which proved to be the difference.

Unlike most Oklahoma State graduates of similar age, I was mercifully spared the soul-crushing agony of the 1988 Bedlam football game.  Separated by 500 miles and a father who compassionately shielded his children from Squinky's spectacular advent^*, I was raised oblivious to the adventures of Brent Parker, Mike Gundy, and Hart Lee Dykes.  Arriving on campus in 1995, I had no idea who handed the ball to Barry Sanders a mere seven years prior, but I certainly knew about Coach Sutton, Bryant "Big Country" Reeves, and Randy Rutherford.  In the fall of 1995, Sutton's first trip to the Final Four (as a Cowboy) was fresh in everyone's memory and Oklahoma State was reveling in its newfound identity as a basketball program.  For most of the student body, Bedlam had everything to do with men's basketball; the gridiron result being a foregone conclusion.  First year football coach Bob Simmons began to change this perception, winning his very first Bedlam match-up.  Before Internet memes, viral videos, and #CCCMFC hashtags, there was "12-0".  Requiring no accompanying narrative, the score of the 1995 Bedlam game was emblazoned on shirts, outlined in the stands at (then) Lewis Field, written in outdoor lights on rooftops across Stillwater, hung from banners across campus, and generally served as notice that hope — that dangerous and heretofore fleeting denial of inevitability — had alighted in Stillwater.  The next three years provided optimism a tenuous footing within the football program, as Oklahoma State twice more crushed their in-state rival, running the Bedlam tally to 3-1 during my collegiate stint.  Yet, despite the exhilarating and frequent Bedlam wins of the Simmons-Miles era, Thanksgiving break and the start of deer season conspired to make 2004 the year of my first Bedlam game experience.  That year, College GameDay was in Stillwater to feature the contest between #2 Oklahoma and #20 Oklahoma State.  Riding a fresh wave of hope, Les Miles' Cowboys were playing with a confidence exceeding their talent level.  The 2004 Sooners entered Stillwater with national championship aspirations and included two Heisman finalists in Adrian Peterson and Jason White.  For the Cowboys, Vernand Morency and Prentis Elliott were tearing up opposing defenses and Les Miles seemed always to save his best invectives and coaching decisions for Bedlam.  The stage was set for Oklahoma State to make a statement.  Excited for my first Bedlam football experience, I cobbled together two signs to parade before the ESPN cameras.  The first included a patriotic "V*MO for Prez" slogan and the second simply stated "Adrian Who?" - in mock reference to the much ballyhooed Sooner tailback.  As an afterthought, I even converted a plastic orange ball into a hideous mask to wear during the game^**.

For the first two quarters, the score remained close (hope!) - although it quickly became apparent I had chosen poorly when drafting my signs.  By the third quarter, both placards were folded neatly under my chair as Adrian Peterson ran absolutely wild against the hapless Cowboy defense.  Peterson finished the day with over 250 yards rushing and Morency was held under 100.  Surprisingly, the Cowboys were a fingertip's width away from overtime - if not the outright win.  To this day I can still see an open Prentis Elliott diving after a slightly overthrown ball, and a wide left kick from 49 yards that sealed the Cowboy's fate (despair!).  Oklahoma State had taken the country's #2 team to the wire, yet no one was celebrating a moral victory.  Those days belonged to an era bygone.

It would be seven long years before I returned to Stillwater for Bedlam.  In that span of time, the stadium had undergone a makeover, OSU had a new set of coaches, and the balance of power had shifted.  The Cowboys were now ranked #3 and the out-manned Sooners were vying for respect.  On that chilly December day in 2011, redemption was won for a long-suffering fan base.  This Saturday begins a trend.  "Sooner Magic"?  Never heard.

It's the time of year for reflection, everyone.  The holidays are upon us, another year has nearly come and gone...and it's high time to unleash hell on the other school down I-35.  It's Bedlam week in Oklahoma and interestingly enough, there are more than a few folks outside of the 405/580/918 area code matrix that are curious to see how the latest installment pans out when the Cowboys roll into Norman on Saturday for a 2:30pm CST kickoff versus their arch rival Oklahoma.

For me, it is a curious thing about the Bedlam rivalry in that so many people outside of the boundaries of old Indian Territory understand what's at stake in this football game.  Sure, they would probably rattle off The World's Largest Outdoor Cocktail Party, the battle for the Commander in Chief Trophy, or even that slobber-knocker of recent years better known as the Red River Rivalry before they got around to listing Bedlam, but it is certainly on their list of notable rivalry games.  That's a pretty impressive impression...I can remember being in elementary school and not really knowing why folks got so serious when two teams from my home state played one another.  Later in life, I graduated from Oklahoma State University and let's just say that the dislike of anything crimson and cream was firmly ingrained in my body and soul, and my understanding of Bedlam was far greater than it had been in my sandbox days.

When I moved out to California several years ago for one of my first "big boy" jobs and began working with people from around the country, college football was a natural topic of conversation; we did work in the sports industry, after all.  After hearing more than a few nicknames for all of the conference foes, and a good lesson on why the land thieves are a sorry lot, everyone wanted to talk about Bedlam...and "The Rant", naturally, but I digress.  So, when my good friend Brad and another co-worker of ours, Scott, asked me to paint a picture of what Bedlam embodies, it was time to warn them: fill your hands with a cold one because this history lesson could take some time.  With that in mind, we OSI blogger folk wanted to recap some of the high points in Bedlam history on an individual level to lend some unique perspectives on the game that we circle first every year on the schedule.

This is mine.

The first Bedlam I ever got to attend was a 44-7 thrashing in favor of the Sooners at Owen Field in 1999.  It also was the last time I would allow myself to travel to Norman, Oklahoma for a football game.  I have never seen such a revolting, embarrassing display of humanity in my life...grown adults were throwing empty beer cans at my buddy's car, every bleeped-out word from television cascaded in our general direction with some sleight towards OSU added for good measure, the town had a rancid smell - it was awful, bottom line.  We had very little to cheer about, obviously, but that's way it went in the Bob Simmons era.

The next year in Stillwater brought on the 12-7 game that almost spelled U-P-S-E-T but a pass for Marcellus Rivers was batted away by Derrick Strait.  That was a game that gave me hope, that no matter what the series record may be (which I was reminded of very consistently by my Sooner-supporting fan friends and family), Oklahoma State could give those guys from Norman all they could handle.  It was even more convincing after the 2001 Bedlam game that the worm may be turning in the overall series - enter the Mad Hatter, Les Miles.

Everyone knows about 16-13.  The impossible became possible.  Owen Field fell silent, the University of Oklahoma faithful were stunned.  Rashaun Woods caught a perfectly placed pass from Josh Fields in the corner of the endzone for the go-ahead score, but the Fields to T.D. Bryant pass that set up the touchdown was a thing of beauty and also was the precise reason the Pokes were in the position they were to deal the killing blow to the Sooners and their championship hopes.  A culture change was happening before our orange-tinged eyes and the Cowboys weren't ready to call it quits on showing Oklahoma they weren't intimidated, particularly when 2002 Bedlam returned to Lewis Field.

38-28.  This was easily the best Bedlam game I have been to (didn't land tickets to 2011's 44-10 route of the Sooners, more on that game later).  The night before the game was insane.  I was living on 5th & Hester, and as we were prone to do, my housemates and I threw a raging party to fire up the weekend.  There was something about this game, I felt, that gave us an edge and I know it wasn't the copious amount of Captain Morgan I had imbibed.  Nobody gave us a shot in hell to win that game, as far as sports talk & media folks go, and nobody expected us to come out as fast and furious as we did, either.  By the time the dust had settled, 38-28 and all zeroes on the clock, Pokes win.  I had several friends, also Sooner fans, making a very shell-shocked and somber trip back east on the Cimarron Turnpike that night.  Later, when the Les Miles pre-game speech story became public, it was perfectly clear - this game was never in doubt and Oklahoma State was going to bring the heat.  It was a fun night out on The Strip, as those who were there can attest.

Of course, that night would be the last night for a spell that we as Pokes could revel in the joyous feeling of knocking Oklahoma down off of their perch.  The next eight meetings between the two teams fell in favor of the Sooners, where they would outscore the Pokes 343-178.  Then, the stars aligned...and Weeden2Blackmon became a bona fide hashtag, Sooner-killing machine intent on bringing the first Big 12 Championship in football to Orange Country, USA.

It was a chilly night in Stillwater on December 3rd, 2011.  The day had been thought to have been threatened by potentially nasty weather which thankfully never showed.  Tailgates were buzzing with excitement and inebriation, conversations about how to pressure Landry Jones, to get after their secondary with seam routes, would the game be enough to knock Alabama out of the conversation for the BCS Championship game, was the Iowa State game really the end-all to our hopes of playing for a title...there was plenty on the line for both teams and it was going to be a nationally-broadcast prize fight.  I didn't have tickets to the game, but had been milling around multiple tailgate gatherings, and soon enough it was time to get in front of a television and buckle up.  Well, it didn't take long...the Pokes were throwing up points and the Sooners could not get out of their own way.  Save a Belldozer score and field goal, Oklahoma was hit right in the mouth, over and over and over.  Landry Jones folded like a lawn chair with Richetti Jones, Jamie Blatnick and crew in his grill all night long.  Brandon Weeden was nails.  Blackmon abused the defenders all night en route to his second Biletnikoff award.  It was a thing of beauty.  Dads shed tears with their sons and daughters, mothers held their mothers as the seconds ticked away.  Then, the goal posts came down and the newly crowned Big 12 Champions sang the alma mater, and another chapter in this iconic college football rivalry came to a close, if only for a short year.

So here we are, on the doorstep of another Bedlam.  The game is won and lost on the field, and we as fanatics parse every possible detail leading up to the kickoff.  There are a lot of areas where the teams are evenly matched, and a few spots where one team holds an edge over the other.  Rest assured, this game will once again live up to its moniker.

It's Bedlam, people.

It was fun watching the Clint Chelf "choo-choo" meme sweep the orange interwebs last week.  I don't really understand it (shaking head, "eso si que es"), but as a career backup myself, I wholeheartedly approve of Chelf's lionization and sincerely hope his play warrants Chuck Norris comparisons by the season's end.

Which got me to thinking about another bigger-than-life cowboy named Clint; a Chuck Norris doppelgänger in a ten-gallon hat who never took prisoners and who once conducted a train through a bar just to see what it felt like:

Were this scene ever to be recast, (and really, this is a request) Chelf could play himself and Holgerson could be cast as the man drinking at the bar (along with the Mountaineer and maybe Joe DeForest) as the #CCCMFC train ruins his day.  Anyone have @LSUFreek on speed dial?

Lost in the turnover fest and special teams breakdown against Kansas State last week was a gem of a play made by Tyler Johnson.  During the 2nd quarter, up by only 1 touchdown, Colin Klein and Kansas State's offense faced a 3rd and 9.  Oklahoma State's defense lined up in the French defense - aka, the "speed package".  Rushing only Nigel Nicholas, Cooper Bassett, and Tyler Johnson, the rest of the D dropped back into coverage (Lewis seemed to be spying Klein).  Tyler Johnson proceeded to beat his man and recorded a sack.
Great effort by the secondary and #40 in particular!

Cowboy fans are well aware of the weapon that Quinn Sharp represents on special teams.  Until this season, Sharp's ability to kick the ball out of the endzone was unrivaled in college football.  In 2011, Quinn led all kickers with 61 touchbacks — 21 more than the closest competition.  In 2012, despite being on pace to kick 82 touchbacks (!!), Quinn is currently trailing Jeff Locke of UCLA in both total touchbacks^* and touchback percentage.  Texas A&M's Taylor Bertolet is a close third and more than a dozen other kickers are kicking touchbacks at a rate exceeding Sharps' 2011 campaign.  As evidenced by the increasing competition (and just as the rules-committee envisioned) more kickoffs are reaching the endzone and more return teams are opting to take a knee.  Yet despite the increase in touchbacks, Oklahoma State's kickoff coverage has been noticeably poor in 2012.  Excluding the Savannah State game^**, Oklahoma State has allowed 13 returns for 410 yards - an average of just over 37 yards per return.  In the losses to UT and KSU, return yards per attempt jump to 60 and 50 respectively.  Which begs the question: if, during warmups, Quinn is having difficulty kicking the ball into the stands (whether due to wind, humidity, leg fatigue, whatever), why not opt to kick the ball towards the corner of the field and risk the possibility of kicking the ball out of bounds?  Not only does a directional kick afford the coverage a better chance against a big return, it would also improve the average starting field position of returned kicks by 2 yards should the kick go out of bounds. Kansas State took this approach last week and twice allowed the Cowboys to start at the 35 yard line due to an out of bounds kick.  Clearly, Bill Snyder understands the Sharpe Ratio.  In the return game, risk vs. return sometimes comes down to not risking a return.

West Virginia's Tavon Austin is a dangerous return man who can quickly change a game's momentum.  It is time for the OSU kickoff coverage to stop playing with fire and bow to the law of averages.  This armchair-special-teams-czar-in-chief has spoken: Intentionally kick the ball out of bounds against WVU and give the defense a chance.