andyokstate

Watching the CU/NU game made me a little nostalgic for the Big 8. That was one helluva game. I do miss the Big 8 - except for the annual drubbings you handed us (and OU still hands us most years). I don't have a problem with WVU or TCU generally, but there's no shared history with them - much like some of you have said about teams in the Big 10. And WVU is a hellacious road trip. Some day, I will make it there for a game. Say what you will about Aggie oddness, but my visits there and in Lincoln are among my favorite football road trips. So yeah, I miss parts of the Big 12, as it was before the implosion. I will say that I enjoy the dumpster fire currently raging down in Austin. Hopefully this season OSU will make it 4 straight wins against them. Good luck this year. It's good to see that you finally found a coach you can really get behind.

That was not a pretty game. We've had so many games over the years where we were the lose ones like this. It's nice to finally be on the winning side of one. I won't lie - I thought we were going down. Luck is the real deal. I love their offense. Flinging the ball all over the field can be fun, but give me a power running attack to control a game. This has been such a fun year for Oklahoma State football. The stars aligned nicely for us (ISU loss notwithstanding). In any case, it's been a great ride. I don't know that I can honestly say that I will expect us to stay at the top of the Big 12-2-2+2 next year. But here's hoping we stay competitive and are in contention more often than not.

Thanks for the kind words. While I am disappointed we weren't selected to the championship game, I am ecstatic with the way our guys beat OU to secure the Big 12. Our history has been...painful. But as Blackmon said earlier in the season, "We're not OSU history, we're OSU now". I hope that "now" isn't just a blip on the radar and we remain relevant to college football in more than a schedule-us-for-your-homecoming-game kind of way.

What do I think our chances against OU are? Man, that is hard to say. I'm a man! I'm over 40! And in my lifetime, we have beaten OU all of six times. We have endured about as many different ways of soul-crushing defeats at their hands as you can come up with. I expect us to break through this year, but quite honestly, it won't shock me if OU finds a way to go medieval on us. Again. Sonofa. At this point, I just want us to survive and advance to the next week. KSU will either be broken after their thrashing last week, or really really pissed. Heh, Matthew - nice job with the Airplane autopilot avatar, and Jeffersons quote. It really sounds like you've found a good (evil dictator-less) home in the Big 10. I'm thinking about an expansion to the Big 10 would be like. There are things I would freaking love about it, but those road trips would be hellacious. Still...Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan, Nebraska, Wisconsin. Wow. Great lineup. Thanks for the kind words, all.

Ah, for some reason I thought you had both tOSU and Michigan away next year. No kidding about the rough first year schedule. But you're doing just fine! I'm glad to hear you're enjoying the move. Big 10 IS football tradition. The Big 8 really seemed more...'family'...than the Big 12 ever was. Granted, we were the little kid that always got picked on, but hey. The Big 8 basketball tournament was always such a great thing to attend. I still go to the Big 12 tournament, but it's just different and not as collegial as all those years at Kemper. You're right about the Big 12 dying a painful death. It's weird that a conference could have two top 10 teams, yet still disintegrate. Several people around here were all pumped about going to the Pac Large Number. I don't get it. I have no vested interested in seeing my team play Washington State or UCLA on a yearly basis. Oh well. We shall see what shakes out. I'm just ready for whatever happens...to actually happen. I hate this state of limbo. It would be cool to see an out of conference home/home series with you guys some time in the not too distant future. That's a road trip I'd make (again).

Man, it is freaking weird not seeing Nebraska in the Big 12. So how are you all enjoying life in the Big 10? It has to be cool playing teams like tOSU and Michigan. Next year will be rough going to both the Big House and palace that Woody built. Whew. Have many of you made roadtrips to watch NU play at other Big 10 schools? I've never been to a game at Madison, but the city/campus is amazing. I do have to say that I love the round robin format that the Big 12 has this season. I hope the Big 12 (-2-1+1-1+?) can find some semblance of stability soon though. I don't mind TCU coming on board, but the addition of WVU just seems so out of place. Man...I miss the Big 8. Anyway, I just wanted to stop by and say 'hey'. Good luck the rest of the season.

I am sad to see you and CU go. Some of my fondest memories of the Big 8 are of going to the basketball conference in KC. The camaraderie of the fans was just fantastic. There was really no true hatred there. What I don't miss about the Big 8 was that we (OSU) sucked for much of it, both in football and basketball, save for a few good/great years here and there. Heh. I went to the 2007 OSU/NU game in Lincoln and had a freakin' blast hanging out with the Husker fans post-game. Hopefully, I'll get to see us play you one last time in a few weeks at JerryVille™.

We are pretty miffed at the ticket situation here as well. I think Holder (our AD) has taken the position that he would rather make more money with the stadium at 80% capacity than have a soldout house with more accessible ticket prices. I read somewhere earlier that OSU/OU is the most expensive single game ticket in the nation. Good grief. And yes, you guys were loud. My dad lives fairly close to the high school and took his dog for a walk through there Saturday morning. He said it was an invasion, but enjoyed chatting with a few fans. Do you always rent out the local highschool to park and have a pep rally? Regarding the empty stands in the 4th quarter, I seem to remember seeing lots o' empty seats in the 4th quarter the last time I visited Lincoln. But I was surprised at how early they did take off. While I didn't expect a comeback at that point, you just never know. And as much as the tickets cost, I'm damn sure going to soak in all the misery I can...I paid for it! Heh.

We haven't beaten OU & UT in the same year since '97, which is the last time we beat UT. Our last win against OU was in 2002. While I would love to see you all again in the CCG, I just don't see us winning out. And if we do by some chance make it, I shudder to think what Martinez will do for an encore.

Oh, let's not.

Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit drinking. And to paraphrase Bobby Knight after his Raiders got destroyed by the Cowboys one seasons. "We came to play a football game. NU came to kick our asses." And so it went. I have no analysis except for your guys just took it to us. That second half was brutal to watch, as we couldn't convert third down after third down against the blackshirts, and T.M. escaped time and again to make (and complete) a big throw. I hope that those of you who attended the game enjoyed your time in Stillwater. I, for one, am going to miss seeing the original Big Red in the Big 12ish.

Oh crap. Sufferin' succotash.

I dunno, man. Orange Pantone 166 has some pretty nasty chemicals in it.

"Between 1962 and the early years of the Big 12 in 1999, Nebraska was 35-0-1 against the Cowboys." Sob.

Showdown OSU's star wideout faces Husker's shutdown corner By Anthony Slater Sports Reporter Published: Thursday, October 21, 2010 Updated: Friday, October 22, 2010 01:10 With an incredible start to his sophomore season, Cowboy wide receiver Justin Blackmon has burst onto the national scene and emerged as a top NFL pick when he becomes eligible. This is something Nebraska senior Prince Amukamara can relate to, as he has been projected as one of the top cornerbacks in his draft class for a few years running. When they finally meet on Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium, it could be the first of many showdowns in the promising careers of these budding stars. "It is going to be a great chance to go out there and compete and it will be a good game to watch," Blackmon said. Through six games Blackmon has been virtually unstoppable, leading the nation with 955 receiving yards and 12 touchdowns. Using a combination of size and speed, Blackmon has completely dominated opposing defensive backs. Continuing that trend will be a monumental task, as Amukamara is the catalyst for a pass defense that only surrenders 117 yards per game, far and away the best in the nation. Even in the loss against Texas a week ago, the Nebraska defensive backs surrendered one completion to a wideout. Although coach Mike Gundy said he believes Nebraska will use bracket coverage at times to contain Blackmon, he knows there will be plenty of one-on-one battles. "There will be times when they come right after (Justin) and match them up," Gundy said. "I would think they feel (Amukamara) is good enough to do that." While Amukamara has rightfully earned all the confidence in the world from the Cornhusker staff, Cowboys offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen believes Blackmon can beat anyone in single coverage. "Justin has proven he can get open on anybody," Holgorsen said. "We feel like we need to win that match-up." Even the most diehard football fans did not foresee this sudden leap in Blackmon's production. The Ardmore native went from a relatively unknown freshman to leading candidate for the Fred Biletnikoff Award, given to the nation's best receiver, in one season. "Justin Blackmon is a talented player that maximizes his opportunity because of his work habits," Gundy said. Gundy said he began to see this talent emerge in spring workouts and throughout the fall camp. "He had tremendous work habits, understood the importance of preparation, trained hard in the weight room and he is very competitive," Gundy said. "Those are the key ingredients of a good football player." All the recent national hype has even made its way to Lincoln, where the Nebraska secondary is quick to compliment the Cowboy receiver but feel they have a formidable unit to contain him. "He is a big, physical receiver, but I really have faith in both our corners shutting down anybody," Husker safety DeJon Gomes said. So in the eyes of the coaches and players involved, Blackmon can get open on anyone and Amukamara can cover anyone. That will change for one of them on Saturday. Whichever side is right will have a huge advantage in one of the biggest games in recent memory.