Originally published at: https://pistolsfiringblog.com/column-time-is-up-osu-must-win-out-or-risk-squandering-having-a-first-round-quarterback/
Support PFB with a PFB+ membership — $8 a month or $50 for a year. STILLWATER — Oklahoma State pushed in most of its chips on Saturday night. The Cowboys bet they could make Houston quarterback Conner Weigman one-dimensional and bet on their offense at the 2-yard line. Those didn’t pan out as the offense ran into an all-too-familiar wall in the red zone, and Weigman hit a career-high through the air while moving the chains four times on nine carries. The Cowboys are quite simply out of time. They must hit their potential now if they intend to turn this season, which is increasingly looking like Drew Mestemaker’s last college try, into a special one. In the old days, this fall would be all about proving Oklahoma State could hang on the field with anyone, and 2027 would be THE year the Cowboys really aim for championships. But as the last regime repeatedly discovered, those days are long gone. And even someone with Morris’ pedigree for QB development can’t count on landing a first-round quarterback anytime soon. Mestemaker’s talent adds urgency to the present moment, but it also brings hope. Oklahoma State will likely be favored, or at worst, very slight…
Good god y’all are whiners. OSU is lucky to have this team performing at the level it has up to this point considering the entire roster and coaching staff is brand new to Stillwater. There is no guarantee Drew is leaving after this season, no matter what any mock draft or NFL analyst says. The kid has barely started at QB and is still learning the game. Chill out.
The only way we’re winning out is if the offense scores about 10 points every quarter and the defense just plays average. Also, if we convert our red zone issues into actual touchdowns 70% of the time. We gotta stop screwing around in the first halves of games. It’s amazing to me that we’re halfway into the season and we haven’t got the red zone issues even partially fixed yet.
As for Mestemaker going pro. I think based on what I’ve seen so far another year of ball in college would do him some good. I’m about 85% sure he’s not going to stick around though. I could be wrong. Maybe if he gets a core of these guys to come back he would. I think a lot of that depends on how the rest of this season plays out as well.
Agreed. This whole article was imho a hand-wringing, teeth-gnashing, garment-rending histrionic hot take. So DM might be gone at the end of the year. Or he may not. If he is, I trust that Eric Morris won’t suddenly find himself incapable of gaining us another great QB, maybe not a #1 pick (or maybe!), but his track record clearly shows he’s pretty capable of finding more dudes that are first rounders.
Meanwhile, he might get us better on defense. More disciplined in special teams and penalties. So much could change for the better to counterbalance any loss we might see at the QB position.
We truly have a Charlie Brown mentality as a fanbase. I can’t blame us, but let’s relax and enjoy what is clearly a path upward.
I dont think we are Whiners. I think we are in full control of all faculties. Indeed, this is ‘strike time’ and that should be our expectations! I dont believe we ‘are lucky’ given new roster makeover and Coaching staff. This roster was put together with ‘logic’ behind it and a qualified coaching staff to implement the talent brought in. Our expectations are in alignment. Doesn’t mean the ball will always bounce our way as we play out the string … but, we are ‘right on’ in BELIEVING & EXPECTING!
furthermore…a bowl game is completely meaningless to me …sorry ..
Assuming OSU wins out, here’s the help to root for:
BYU: Lose at least twice in conference play.
Utah: Lose at least twice.
Houston: Lose at least once more, preferably twice, because Houston beat OSU.
Texas Tech: OSU must beat Tech on November 14. Tech losing another game would help.
Arizona and Baylor: Ideally lose at least once more apiece.
Looking at everyone else’s remaining schedules here:
BYU’s most likely losses could be UCF and Utah
Utah’s could be Houston, Arizona, and BYU
Texas Tech could possibly lose to Arizona and OSU
Houston’s could be Utah and Baylor
Arizona could be Tech and Utah
Baylor ends the season with Houston, BYU, and Texas Tech
Essentially, even if we win out we’re still going to need some chaos to happen, and currently we’re at about a 4.5% chance to make it to Arlington.
Two things can be true. We can be on the right trajectory but the hype can be such that there were legitimate beliefs we could be a playoff team this year. So, you can be glad of the trajectory but also dissatisfied that we might be blowing Mestemaker’s last season. If Mestemaker leaves, that’s a reset. If he doesn’t leave, it’s because the wheels fell off of this season.
I think we all need to come to the reality Mestemaker is gone after this year and proceed with that expectation. He may come back, but I would very highly doubt it. It’s highly probable he has locked himself up a $30+ million dollar contract by this point in the season barring injury. With the way he’s been playing he may find himself with a high likelihood of an almost $70 million dollar contract come December.
Remember that there are 2 teams in the title game. So ByU could just win out. We only need to be in the top two.
If we don’t make the B12 title game, it’s not a squandering. Just because Mestemaker is a potential first round pick, doesn’t mean anyone on defense is. The Oregon win got us all pumped up. Now Oregon is unranked….we’ll see where they end up. Yes, we all want to play for championships, but at least we are very competitive on the field.
Imposter syndrome to the max. Like you said, I understand why our fanbase is so insecure but it’s still maddening to see, even before Oregon’s QB got injured, fans already doubting how good they were just because we beat them.
Right, should’ve clarified one of those as an either or scenario.
If so we need to go after the Atkinson and Legree kids from Oregon State.
There will be a long list of programs throwing their hat in the ring for em. Unfortunately I think we are far too poor for them.
I thought I was the only one who thinks he’s not ready. There are things he needs to improve on. Getting thrown into the NFL fire won’t be good, esp if the team he goes to starts him the very first game.
My point being that we will almost certainly be a playoff contender in years to come even after Mestemaker is gone. Especially if they go to a 24 team format. I don’t see any way with the kind of success that Eric Morris has had that we won’t be in the mix for that most years.
Just need another Boon Pickens that’s it.
That’s way premature. I think he’s a good coach. A 24 team playoff does make that more likely. I wouldn’t say we’re a slam dunk to be in the mix year in and year out, though. We’re probably the 5th best team in the Big XII right now? We have a chance against Tech to change that assessment (and by the same token, everyone I am assuming we are better than left on the schedule gets that chance against us), but it’s got to be Utah, BYU, TTU in whatever order you want then Houston has earned the right to be above us.
Everyone in this league is trying to be better. Some teams are better funded than us. Do I think we’re just such a superior, well-run machine that we’re guaranteed to jump from 5th to top 3 year in and year out (what it will probably take to get into a playoff even in a 24 team scenario)? If we got in every four or five years, that would be really good. I think Morris can get us to that point, but it’s certainly not a given.
I would have agreed with you, but this is exactly what I thought SHOULD have occurred after Texas and OU left the Big 12, and yet, we decided to lose 20 straight instead.