With perennial power Texas trying to pick itself off the mat and Nebraska bolting for the 12-member Big Ten, Oklahoma State came into Wednesday night’s game against Arizona with a chance to establish itself as a front-runner in next year’s 10-member Big 12. (Don’t ask.)
Alamo Bowl, Oklahoma State Vs. Arizona: Cowboys Blast Wildcats, Likely Cranking Up Offseason Buzz
Go ahead and start up the Cowboys hype machine. Oklahoma State drilled Arizona, 36-10, in the Valero Alamo Bowl, a game that might have even felt more lopsided to those watching than the score indicates.
Not that Oklahoma State held a huge statistical advantage — or a box-score advantage of any kind. The Wildcats actually outgained the Cowboys, 370-312, and had 25 first downs to Oklahoma State’s 17. But the Cowboys’ defense, which was not supposed to be their strong suit, picked off Nick Foles three times, with one of the interceptions returned for a touchdown. And when the turnovers and other errors came, the OSU offense capitalized.
Brandon Weeden was 25-of-41 for 240 yards and a pair of touchdowns. Justin Blackmon caught nine of those passes, including both of the scores, for 117 yards. Among those connections was a 71-yard bomb that gave Oklahoma State a 14-0 lead and was the first real indication that Arizona might be in over its head.
For Arizona, it was the latest in a string of late-season defeats, all part of one of the most memorable meltdowns of the year. The Wildcats started the season 7-1, with goals like a BCS berth and a Top 10 postseason ranking well within reason. They end 2010 at 7-6, sharing a record with several other teams that will be unranked and unremembered by the time the offseason ends.
Oklahoma State will certainly be remembered, but the program still has several hurdles to clear to make sure it remains a Big 12(-2) front-runner next season -- a label in-state rival Oklahoma will likely share. Running back Kendall Hunter, who was quiet Wednesday but a major part of the offense during the regular season, will be gone. Weeden and Blackmon are eligible for the NFL Draft if they want to leave early. And offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen, who directed the system that clicked so well with his players’ talents, is off to be head-coach-in-waiting at West Virginia.
So Oklahoma State has a lot of questions heading into the offseason. But Wednesday night, the Cowboys looked like a team that also had a lot of answers.
For more on the Texas Bowl, visit Cowboys Ride For Free and Arizona Desert Swarm.
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