History Says Cowboys are in for Continued Success

The Oklahoma State Cowboys find themselves sitting at 8-0, a feat that has only been accomplished on two other occasions. In those two occasions, both teams went on to have stellar seasons. This piece will look at the seasons of those two teams: the 1945 Aggies and the 2011 Cowboys.

1945 Oklahoma A&M Aggies

Under head coach John Lookabaugh, the 1945-46 Oklahoma A&M Aggies finished the season 9-0 and claimed the Missouri Valley Conference Championship for the second year in a row.

The Aggies had Bob Fenimore, one of the most talented and versatile players in the nation. Known as the "Blonde Bomber", Fenimore led the team in total offense as a halfback, a position most similar to the role of the modern quarterback. Fenimore also led both the team and the the nation in rushing with 1,048 yards. Along with being in impact player on offense, Fenimore starred on defense as well -- he had 18 career interceptions, a school record that still stands today. He also was the team's punter, averaging 39 yards per punt in the 1945 season. Fenimore would later be chosen as the first overall pick in the 1947 NFL Draft by the Chicago Bears.

The Aggies also had one of the most dynamic receivers in the country in junior Neill Armstrong. Armstrong, who led the nation in receptions in both 1943 and 1946, was another impact player on both the offense and the defense. He was a three sport star, also playing for the Aggies' track and basketball teams. Armstrong would later be selected in the first round of the 1947 NFL draft by the Philadelphia Eagles.

Oklahoma A&M finished the regular season with a 47-0 victory over in-state rival Oklahoma. They then went on to defeat Saint Mary's 33-13 and finish #5 in the AP Poll. The '45 Aggies still are the first and only team in OSU's history to finish the season undefeated.

2011 Oklahoma State Cowboys

The 2011 Oklahoma State Cowboys were one of the most electric teams in recent memory. Head coach Mike Gundy led the Cowboys to an 12-1 overall record and their first outright Big 12 Championship. The team finished the year with a 44-10 victory over Oklahoma and a 41-38 victory over Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl.

The Cowboy defense was led by future first round picks Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon. Weeden, who many would consider the best quarterback in OSU history, threw for over 4,300 yards and 37 touchdowns in 2011. Weeden broke a total of six school records, all of which still stand today.

OSU receiver Justin Blackmon finished the season with over 1,500 yards and 18 total touchdowns. Blackmon, a two-time Biletnikoff award winner, led the league in touchdown receptions and was awarded the Fiesta Bowl MVP for his 3 touchdown performance against the Cardinal.

The defense, using an effective "bend but don't break" philosophy, led the nation in forced turnovers and was second in turnover margin per game. By the end of the season, five Cowboys had at least two interceptions, 24 in all, with cornerbacks Broderick Brown and Justin Gilbert having five apiece. Additionally, four Cowboys had at least two forced fumbles, 18 in total.

Many still argue that the Cowboys should have played for a national championship that year. Instead, Alabama defeated LSU 21-0 in a lackluster SEC rematch. Even so, the 2011 season was one of the best in Cowboy history, and the 2011 Cowboy squad is still the best team in the Gundy era.

So what does this mean for the 2015 Cowboys? Will they live up to the results of these two teams that have come before them? Only time will tell, but looking at these two examples, history is definitely leaning toward their favor.