CRFF Roundtable: Let’s have some fun!

It’s time for another edition of the CRFF Roundtable. We’ve polled our staff of editors, writers, and contributors about Oklahoma State athletics’ current events. In this edition, we talk Big 12 coaching duos, OSU baseball, football hair styles, and the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame.

(I hold no responsibility for the answers given, except my own.)

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1) Athlon Sports ranked the best football/basketball coaching duos in the Big 12. OU came in number one, with Oklahoma State in fourth. Do you agree or disagree with the rankings? Where would you put OSU?

Brodie Smith: I don't know that a single ranking on that list is correct, probably because I think the whole idea is silly. Who really cares? How doe you even rank some duos with some coaches in their first years? Further, does Beatty offset Self that much? Kruger made a Final Four, but does that push him and Stoops to the top? Can Herman and Smart hit number four with virtually nothing to put them there other than they now coach at Texas (with less than two years there respectively, and Herman hasn't even been there for three months!)? If you could effectively "rank" this, I would imagine OSU would have to be in the top four.

Tyler Wiederhoeft: I disagree. It's a load of phooey. Allow me to put on the orange-colored glasses and say Oklahoma State should be #1 on the list. Football is second best in the conference, and basketball is 5th in the league and their winning streak gives them a 6 seed in March Madness. OU is all by themselves in the cellar for basketball, and Trae Young isn't going to flip the program by himself, so they shouldn't be #1. TCU isn't better than Oklahoma State in either sport, so they shouldn't be ahead of us. Texas is third, because of their potential. LOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOLOL The biggest surprise is West Virginia at 7. I think the list was made poorly so it would get people upset and talking about it and then Athlon gets free publicity.

Colin Price: That's a really subjective list. Maybe if they had done it based on average conference rankings or something like that I could agree with it a bit more. But seeing how 2 football coaches haven't gotten to their first season yet and three basketball coaches are in their first year, there are no real objective ways to do this. For example, I think Shaka Smart is a great coach but he hasn't done anything too exemplary at Texas, so I gotta take that into consideration. Same thing with Tom Herman. Do I think he's good? Sure. Do I think he's in the top half of Big 12 coaches? We'll see but as of now, no. As for OSU, Gundy is a top 3 coach in the Big 12 any given year and I'm comfortable calling Underwood in the top half of the conference this year. But time will tell before we can solidify any of these spots.

Micah Allen: I disagree with this whole list. I feel like those guys down south are only number 1 because of football. And UT at number 3, like what? Idk, I'd like to see how exactly they got what they came up with.

Joel Penfield: I don't agree with this list at all. Of course I have some bias here and think OSU should be up at the top of the list because of how successful our football and basketball programs have been this year. Having Texas up at #3 based on "potential" is a joke. Potential doesn't mean a thing, you have to prove it on the field. It makes sense for OU to be near the top because of the success of their football program, but last time I checked, there's only one last place team in the Big 12 for basketball...

Phillip Slavin: I’ll say this, the optics of OU at number one while their basketball team is in last place are bad. I realize OU is going through a rebuilding year, but great coaches don’t go from the Final Four to last place. On the flip side, the combination of a guy who has won the Big 12 in Football nearly a dozen times, combined with a guy who just got to the Final Four isn’t the worst pick for first. I don’t think OSU should be forth behind Texas and TCU. Shaka Smart hasn’t done much at Texas and Herman hasn’t coached a game. Gundy has done more in the Big 12 than Patterson and it’s hard to compare to first year coaches in the league. If you want to give an edge to Dixon, then fine, but OSU should be at least 2b. The rest of the list? Kansas at fourth? Bill Self is great, but he doesn’t make up for the football program THAT much. I’d have West Virginia over Kansas State, but that’s mostly nitpicking. Baylor? I hate to say it, but they should be higher.

2) OSU basketball continues to be on a roll. We asked this earlier this season, but I want to know, with three games to go, can Oklahoma State finish Big 12 play with a 10-8 record?

Brodie: Why not go 3-0 and finish 11-7?! Each of the remaining games is winnable, with the greatest challenge closing the season in GIA against a Kansas squad that will have already wrapped up the conference title. I think the Cowboys pull of the trifecta and enter the conference tournament on a streak that keeps them in the conversation for the automatic bid (even though the Pokes will be in regardless).

Tyler: I think they can. Kansas can't win in Stillwater (because the refs aren't there to help them win), Texas Tech should be a win. Iowa State is the toss up to me. If we win there, I think we could win out and finish the season at 11-7 in the conference.

Colin: 10-8? Absolutely. We can beat TTU and KU at home and have the talent and coaching to win in Ames. The question now is whether or not winning out the regular season is a possibility.

Micah: I think so. I think we beat tech, KU has trouble in GIA so that could be a win, and then ISU could be a good road win.

Joel: I think the Cowboys can win out and finished the regular season 11-7. I feel confident in a victory this Saturday against Tech. Going to Ames does worry me, but "Hilton Magic" has to run out at some point right? Consistently, the Cowboys find a way to beat the Jayhawks at home. With the Big 12 title already wrapped up, I have a feeling Bill Self will rest some of his main guys (Frank Mason, Devonte' Graham, Josh Jackson, etc.), with them playing limited minutes, the Cowboys should get another win.

Phillip: I think OSU gets the win over Texas Tech this Saturday. At Iowa State? I’m still not past the Travis Ford era enough yet to think we can pull that off. Kansas at home? I think, with the sell-out crowd expected, that’s doable. Here’s the thing, Kansas couldn’t win in Stillwater... against Travis Ford. I realize Underwood is a better coach, but sometimes it’s not about who’s the better coach, it’s about match-ups. I think Ford circled the KU game at the start of every season and said “That’s the game. Win and we’re in the tournament.” It’s how they got in most years he did. Underwood? I don’t think he coaches that way. Doesn’t mean they won’t or can’t win. I just don’t know yet.

3) Baseball season has begun. OSU returns from a trip out west with a 2-2 record, dropping two games to Grand Canyon (is it actually in the Grand Canyon) University. Does the lack of runs scored in the weekend series concern you?

Brodie: No. Baseball is a game of streaks that can easily be reversed once the games matter and the kids start having fun without the pressure of the early season. In three weeks, I might be concerned, but not after four games.

Tyler: No it doesn't. Yeah we kinda laid an egg against Grand Canyon, but we made up for it against #19 Arizona State. Opening weekend can be tough for some teams, but I'm not going to worry about it. I'm going to go watch the team this weekend, and I'll get a better feel for how this season is going to go.

Colin: I'm not concerned. We started off the season rough last year as well and still made it to Omaha. This team will find their rhythm and the hits will come. The pitching should also start to clamp down come conference play when Trey Cobb returns from injury.

Micah: Not at all, sometimes at the beginning of the season it takes awhile for the bats to get hot. Now if we still can't hit the ball when we're playing TCU, then I'll be worried.

Joel: I'm not worried, baseball has a long season and it is a fluky game. Trying to judge at team off of one 3 game series in February is very difficult. The Cowboys couldn't score against the Lopes, but put up a really crooked number against Arizona State, so it's hard to tell which end of the spectrum we'll end up on this early.

Phillip: I admit, this was almost a loaded question. There are two many games in baseball to be worried this early. Last season OSU started 2-5, and got one win away from the National Championship series. It’s early, and I trust Holliday and Walton to figure this team out over the next few weeks. However, allow me to play devils advocate for a minute. I have absolute faith in Oklahoma State pitching. If they can’t find consistent bats, they will be in trouble.

4) Bryant "Big Country" Reeves is being inducted into the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. Who is the next Oklahoma State athlete, coach, etc... you think should get in?

Brodie: No one should get in until Eddie Sutton is in the National Hall of Fame. #BoycottHOF

Tyler: Hmmmm that's a tough one. Having only known Oklahoma State for the last 3-4 years, it's hard for me to answer this question. Keiton Page maybe? Phil Forte? This is not a good question for the Oklahoma-transplant.

Colin: Probably someone like Alex Dieringer in a couple years. Lots of championships, total dominance in his time here, and will probably be on the Olympic team soon enough.

Micah: EDDIE EDDIE EDDIE. He's not doing so well and I really hope he can get it before (lord forbid) something happens to him.

Joel: Plain and simple.... #PutEddieIn

Phillip: I agree on Eddie, but we’re talking the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame, not the Basketball Hall of Fame. I would hate to see Eddie get in after he died out of pity, instead of while he was alive, because he deserved it. As far as the Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame goes, Weeden. The guy led Oklahoma State to it’s first Big 12 Championship and BCS win. He broke numerous OSU passing records. He needs to go in.

But yeah... #PutEddieIn.

5) With all the attention Gundy’s mullet has received this season, is it actually better than Cornerback Ramon Richard's doo?

Brodie: I've said it before, the mulletfest is old. Just let it die already! If I had to pick between the two (which CRFF is forcing me to do), I'd go with Ramon's because it's the kind of "do" you need little prep every morning to make it through the day. No product? No problem. Just wrap it in a bandana, and you're all set. No need for special treatment.

Tyler: Ramon Richards is stealing Medusa's look. Gimme the #ArkansasWaterfall all day, every day and twice on Sunday.

Colin: Love the mullet and its certainly getting all the attention but Ramon'snew style is quite fresh. I like it.

Micah: This is a toughie, but I dig the Arkansas waterfall, don't dig the cut dreads. Before he cut his hair I'd say Ramon because he'd but different colors in it and stuff and that was cool.

Gundy: Mike Gundy's mullet is better, no question about it.

Phillip: Gundy’s got recruits’ parents praising the mullet. Richards has a trimmed mop top that was rejected from a muppet. I’m kidding. Richard’s has a sweet doo, but it’s not earning him Sportscenter interview time with Barry Melrose. The win goes to Gundy here.