Kickoff is around the corner. 10 days from now to be exact.
I can already smell the beer and smoke and it's been way too long since I've inhaled a Grilllaroni. The bottom line is, we here at CRFF are ready for some football. (and strange from Eskimo Joe's)
Here are five things I'm really looking forward to seeing this year, in no particular order.
The Cowboy D
A lot has been said about the offense in the off-season. We've got a millionaire QB that is 27 and yes, there's a new 1980's Soft Rock Singer in town, but I'm more excited to see the Defense. Chris Donaldson, Orie Lemon, Ugo Chinasa and Markelle Martin to be exact. There are a few freshman that could make an early impact too. Shaun Lewis looks to be a monster and will see a lot of playing time with our middle linebacker corps depleted.
Most importantly though, I'm excited to watch Bill Young work his magic. The guy is a genius and if you don't buy it, ask yourself this: When was the last time anyone was excited about the Cowboy D?
The speedster from Texas has shown he's a playmaker in practice. He returned an 80 yard punt last Saturday and we all know who coaches are comparing him to. Gundy had this to say about him returning punts as a freshman.
"I would prefer to have a guy back there that can rip one off, and you may have to live with a mistake or two, than to have just a guy back there ... who brings the ball back to the 20- or 25-yard line."
Me too coach..
Guess who led the Big 12 in rushing yards per carry against ranked opponents last year? The same guy that was an All American the year before. Also the same guy that was not included in this years preseason honors...
Kendall Hunter is absolutlely the most underrated player going in to the season. Holgorsen has said on more than one occasion that he wants to give Hunter 40-50 touches a game. While this is clearly an exxageration, 25-30 would not be out of the question. Hunter is going to explode this year. Mark it.
The OSU Media Circus
Is T Boone Pickens a wild billionaire owner/booster that will do anything to beat OU and Texas or is he just a harmless rich alumni that wants the best for his team? Was Holgorsen really just an innocent hire? Will Gundy be run out of town if he only wins 6 games? Will there be another YouTube rant?What about an official theme song that everyone hates? We'll be watching...
The Freshmen Class
It appears that we'll see 10 freshman starting next weekend.
I'm excited to see guys like Shaun Lewis, Justin Gilbert and Joseph Randle. If the off season reviews are any indication, we're all in for a real treat. It will be interesting to see who makes an immediate impact. With the best class maybe ever finishing their final high school year, things are looking very good for OSU. Now is the time for the future leaders of this team to get good experience. It will be fun to watch..