Should Oklahoma State Think About Finding A New Pipeline?

Oklahoma State has only lost four games in since 2010 in the great state of Texas. The Cowboys have found ways to win 10-plus games in four seasons since (including 2010) and have kept their name in the conversation for the Big 12 championship. A little over a month ago, the Cowboys were in the talks for the college football playoff.

None of this matters, unfortunately. If it did, the Pokes wouldn't be getting shut out of the top 50 recruits from one of the top two, if not the top, states in the country. Since the year of winning the conference, Oklahoma State has brought in nine top 50 recruits from the state. Texas brought in 18 that year. The players OSU has brought in so far?

1. Ra'shaad Samples (Transferred)
2. Marcel Ateman (Contributor)
3. Michael Wilson (Starter on the line)
4. Darion Daniels (Promising young player)
5. Chris Hardeman (Backup/special teams player)
6. Vincent Taylor (Contributor)
7. Keenan Brown(Redshirt one year, backup this)
   
8. Trey Carter (one tackle in 2015)
9. Ben Hughes (Backup)

Sure, one could blame the stiff competition. After all, the state is a feeding ground for every other conference in the country. As of right now, there are only 10 recruits who have yet to commit in the top 50 for this year's class. Out of the remaining 40, 15 are going to one of the five SEC schools, 16 to the Big 12, five to the Pac-12 and one to the Big 10, along with three going to Houston. The year before, even more went to the SEC, as there were 10 SEC schools who ran away with top 50 guys from Texas.

TEN SCHOOLS.

That includes Missouri, Tennessee, Florida and more. Yes, those are good schools, and when you're recruiting against the best, you've got to bring your best. However, these recruits aren't just going to the blue blood schools. They're also going to the smaller ones. Rutgers, Oregon State (who has the No. 41 recruit right now), even Texas Tech has one over OSU while Oklahoma State has won the last seven games over that program.

Sure, you don't need four or five stars from possibly the best recruiting state in the nation to win championships. You need coaching, a good schedule, leaders and of course some luck. However, the luck for Oklahoma State has run out in recent years when it gets to the spotlight. In the Cotton Bowl in 2013 and just recently when the Pokes were clearly the lesser team against Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl. Maybe it's time for the Cowboys to search other states, as the state of Texas may not be big enough for everyone. No, that's not to say to entirely give up on the state, that would be ignorant. But doing things like going to South Carolina for Mason Rudolph - the man leading the team now - needs to become more common if the Cowboys wish to take the next step instead of being left behind in the dust.