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The Day After - 12 Games Later And OSU Still Can't Run

That wasn't the way anyone wanted to end the year

By Gerald Tracy III
Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports

1) What Defense

Defense was something that this team hung onto as an identity for most of the season. Then the last two weeks, it looked as if they were playing to make sure Glenn Spencer kept his job in Stillwater. After a half of play in Bedlam, OU scored 44 points on a team that was supposed to be one of the Big 12's best. Since playing Kansas, this team has allowed 46.6 points per game in five games, three of those are at home. The best outing was allowing 29 to TCU. That's not very good compared to the previous five games (UTSA-Kansas) where it allowed 22.2 points. Obviously something happened, not just losing Jimmy Bean, even though that hurt a lot, the loss of one player doesn't mean more than three touchdowns a game. Whether it be endurance, quit or just lack of talent that was finally exposed in the defensive backfield, Spencer and his team have a little time to figure out what happened.

2) Not A Disappointment

To be honest, 10-2 isn't a disappointment. Many people had OSU winning only one of the three final games and probably losing one before that stretch. Instead, the Cowboys were able to rally at many points during the season to get to 10-0 before even losing a game, something that doesn't happen very often around here. Sure, this season wasn't a 2011, it was more of a 2010 or 2013, but that's OK. OSU has gotten itself to a position where it can go 7-5 one year and be in the national title talks the next year for a few weeks. That's a huge growth and a lot is due to Mike Gundy and the staff. Iowa, North Carolina, Northwestern and Florida are the only other teams in last weeks top 15 that had a 7-5 or worse record in 2014. Hats off to them and OSU as the teams with some big turnarounds in less than 12 months.

3) Stop Tripping People

Stop this. It's annoying and immature and very stupid. It's the type of thing that gets you kicked out of a stadium if you actually hurt a player. Just because you're losing and you don't like the team, doesn't mean you have the right to do this. Be better.

4) The General and Mason Rudolph

Watching last nights game was like watching a bad nightmare. It was like watching the WVU, KSU and TCU games of 2013 all molded into one. For those who wanted Rudolph out in favor of Walsh, you got your wish, and it didn't look pretty. Even his good throws weren't good throws. Sure, he had 325 yards, but a lot of those are thanks to Sanchez being a boom or bust corner at times and Washington being one of the seven best receivers in OSU history stat wise. I hope this game provided enough proof that he isn't the guy to lead OSU to wins over great teams like OU.

On Rudolph: He has to be super hurt. Rumors are spreading that Rudolph may need surgery, but the team will obviously get another look at that before committing to that. Either way, Rudolph didn't look good in his few plays he got, which ended in a pick six. Get better, Mason Rudolph, OSU will need you if it actually wants to win another game and gets placed against a good team in the bowls.

5) Rush Game

You know that person in high school who was in a long term relationship that didn't work but they just kept trying it for months or even years? Yeah, that's the OSU rush game. It's not working and the Cowboys just kept trying to make it happen. The Cowboys had 140 yards the last two weeks on the ground and 2.69 yards a carry. I just don't understand how any team can come out every week and say they are going to try to run it when it hasn't been working for 12 games. It was Albert Einstein who defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

6) Defensive Backs

Jeez were these guys bad or what? There was a time when many would have rather seen a hobbled Ashton Lampkin than Michael Hunter, who looked like he was running away from Perine on his long run. They got embarrassed last week and did the same thing this week.

7) Baker Mayfield

He's a gamer. He's a great player who doesn't quit and sure wasn't shying away from hitting people, even though last week he was concussed. He's essentially a J.W. Walsh/Mason Rudolph mix. Hopefully OSU gets to play him next year and beat him.

8) Seniors

They didn't deserve to go out like that. The ones on the field have been through so much the last four-plus years. Since 2012, OSU is 35-15, including a 2-1 bowl record. It's hard to find another class in this schools history with a better four-year record. Now they need to add one more bowl win onto  that total to leave the school as a success and avoid going from 10-0 to 10-3.

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