It’s still a year until the Big 12 Conference can truly crown One True Champion with a title game, but that didn’t prevent people from looking forward.
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Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy’s hair – there’s nearly a full-blown party in the back – was the social media talk of the first day of Big 12 Media Days.
Besides the new do, here’s a look at what Gundy had to say at the unofficial start to football season. “This year, we’re going to work on things with him, when the ordinary play is there let’s take it. When you have to be extraordinary, you have that ability to go do it”.
On defensive leaders and what it meant for Chad Whitener to be thrust into a starting role last season – “At the time, it was devastating for us to lose the experience and leadership that Ryan Simmons brought our football team”. Commissioner Bob Bowlsby said one potential model would periodically realign two divisions based on the strength of the teams. The Pokes threw the ball at will, but struggled to gain much traction on the ground.
“We weren’t very good”.
In Stillwater, Oklahoma, Sanders will have every opportunity to be the featured back.
We’re used to Big 12 fashion being exclusively discussed when Texas Tech head coach Kliff Kingsbury takes the stage, but the entire Big 12 is now focused on Gundy’s attractive hair.
If you think that made Gundy fortunate, Thomas had a backup running back who was pretty good himself. But like he was in the spring, Gundy was optimistic about his offensive line that is the most veteran in the league, but failed to have a single member make the Preseason All-Big 12 team.
He may not be a Junior, but that’s how Mike Gundy referred to Barry J. Sanders during Monday’s media day session.
After spending time with the Stanford Cardinal, Barry Sanders Jr. will follow in his father’s footsteps and suit up for Oklahoma State.
“Our concentration points didn’t have much to do with scheme, I’ll be honest with you”. He finished up at Stanford in the middle of June. “He come in and has been with us for a few weeks now”.
“I don’t know what exactly happened”, linebacker Chad Whitener said. I know that he is mature. “That he’s dependable, seems to be durable”. He came from an offense that obviously runs the football.
“We’ve talked about an equity-based (system) that would, on a rotational basis, be responsive to how teams are finishing in the overall standings”.
Oklahoma State is coming off a 10-3 season that saw them get thumped by Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl, 48-20. This year, reporters who cover the league pegged OSU to finish third behind Oklahoma and TCU, a team that lost both its star quarterback and receiver. “He runs great – he’s fast, a track star”.
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Now that may be overstating it just a bit, but here was his reasoning and, listening to him, your heart has to go out a little bit to the situation he is in. “He’s a fast kid and he’s a hard worker….” “So that has me excited…. I think society can learn a lot from these young and I’m excited about working with some of them at KU”.
