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My brother has said to me many more times than I can recall...
"We will never be as good as we are the day before we play our first game."
I suppose this can apply to any team, any sport, but man, is it ever so true for Oklahoma State.
As of right now:
- Tyreek Hill might be Flash Gordon in disguise;
- Daxx Garman may be the second coming of Brandon Weeden;
- Every wide receiver on OSU's roster is ready to start in the NFL;
- Opponents won't be able to get past our defensive line;
- Kevin Peterson might be a better CB than Justin Gilbert (ok, this one might be true);
Florida State comes in as a heavy favorite, and I guarantee by game time there will be a decent sized contingent of OSU fans that will be convinced that the Cowboys should win the game (I'm trying very hard not to be in that group...it's not easy).
It happens every season.
Coaches talk about who is showing up in practice, individual players chat about each other, and the media theorize about what it all means.
We want to be excited, and given Mike Gundy's success in building a program that is starting to reload more than rebuild, it's pretty easy to get swept up in preseason optimism.
Imagine being a fan of Jayhawks football...
So for those of us who are expecting a victory on 8/30, just keep in mind that if/when reality comes calling, don't go off the deep end. The Seminoles are the defending national champions with the reigning Heisman Trophy winner at QB, not to mention lots of returning players. The Big 12 is not a raging gauntlet of giants. No matter what happens, there are at least 11 more games to be played, and it's a fact that OSU won't play another opponent in the regular season even remotely close to what they will face at AT&T Stadium.
The other side of this mess is that we are a bit in the wilderness as fans of a nationally prominent football program. While Gundy and the Cowboys haven't experienced a losing season since 2005, I'm pretty confident most fans remember the 90's.
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Gundy has done a fantastic job, but is OSU generally immune to losing seasons now? Is a down year 7-5 or 8-4, worst case scenario? I can tell you right now I've entertained the idea of 5-7 this season, as did Nick Tyler.
So, as we wind ourselves up for the big opener, let's also purchase that soft pillow called reality to land on if necessary.
Or maybe, just maybe, Tyreek Hill will catch Rashaun Woods, who is still open...
GO POKES!!!