Scores are misleading, matchups/penalties/turnovers/luck are huge factors, and I don't think any of us entertained illusions that this Cowboy team is up there with Oregon, but last night's transitive outcome isn't exciting for us, especially for the defense.
Oregon only allowed the Wildcats to run for 89 yards, and lest you think that was only because they were playing from behind, they ran the ball 32 times (3.83 avg). In addition they forced 5 turnovers. This stat scares me a little as Bill Young is supposed to be the turnover forcer, and Zona now seems to be cool with giving opponents the ball, yet we could never take it from them.
On the other hand, Zona did make 6 trips into the red zone (2 blocked FGs, 2 ints, 2 turnovers on downs) and kept it close though 2.5 quarters.
It was a performance that was oddly familiar to the 2011 Oklahoma State - Baylor game where the stats aren't that far apart but for whatever reason the winning team's defense was a juggernaut in the red zone.
In conclusion, who knows what this tells us, except that we can be 100% sure that it tells us that Oregon would beat Oklahoma State by exactly 70 points.