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posted July 26, 2007 at 19:57 in NCAA F Articles

Offense: The Cowboys may have the most complete set of gifted skill position players in the country. Good news for their college football betting investors. At quarterback, junior Bobby Reid (6-3, 235) puts his large athletic frame under center yet again. He spent all spring working on his familiarity with the scheme and making good decisions in order to expand his passing skills. Given his 55.4% completion rate last year, that was important (though his TD/INT ratio of 24/11 was nothing to be embarrassed about). He was sub-50% in the spring game so he still has some work to do to achieve the kind of reliable consistency he and the staff are looking for.

OSU entered ’06 with 2005 Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year, Mike Hamilton, as the anticipated starter at tailback. By the end of the year, however, he was the team’s fourth-leading rusher and he transferred to Georgia Southern after the season. OSU had the luxury of losing Hamilton because of the amazing emergence of two ridiculously talented newcomers.

JUCO-transfer Dantrell Savage (5-9, 195; 4.3 40) ended ’06 with 820 yds (6.5 ypc) and 8 TD’s despite starting only 5 games. His most impressive performances were: 117 yds vs. Nebraska, 134 yds vs. Texas A&M and his 112 yds vs. Alabama. Sophomore Keith Toston (6-1, 210) brings great size to the backfield and is a great change-of-pace back. He scored six times on the ground (631 yds) and twice through the air (out of only 10 receptions). In short yardage situations, Senior Julius Crosslin (6-0, 235) is a great option (29-71, 3 TD’s in ‘06).

However, pass-catching is where the Cowboy personnel is utterly gifted. Adarius Bowman (6-4, 220) is special. He had 60 catches last year for 1,181 yds and 12 TD’s (though 466 yds and 5 TD’s were in only two games – Houston [70th-ranked pass-defense] and Kansas [the nation’s worst {119th} pass-defense]).

Sophomore Artrell woods (6-1, 185; 10.5 100) is a true burner and finished with four catches and 111 yards in the spring game. However, he injured his back this Summer and underwent emergency decompression. He will miss the entire season while rehabbing. His loss may be sophomore Jeremy Broadway’s gain. Broadway (6-0, 195) showed big-play potential in the spring game with four receptions for 73 yards and a score.

Tight end Brandon Pettigrew (6-6, 260) gives Reid an enormous additional target. Pettigrew averaged 12.9 ypc and scored four times off of the 24 passes he pulled in last year.

Four players with starting experience lie in the two-deep OL roster. However, several of them are playing new positions. For example, last year’s RT for the final eight games of the season, Russell Okung (6-5, 290), will start at LT this year. David Koenig (6-5, 290) will move to RT in ’07 though he was the team’s LG last year. Fortunately, David Washington (6-3, 305), who started 13 games at center in 2006, will return to his familiar position this season. Former reserves Steve Denning and Andrew Lewis will move in with the ones at guard this year.

Defense: This is where OSU’s chances could deflate next year. Contrast is the word for the status of the three levels. While all seven linebackers and defensive backs are back for 2007, not one of last year’s starters on the line returns.

Injuries slowed down senior DE Nathan Peterson (6-2, 240) at the end of ’04 and all of ’05. He had three starts last year but still produced eight sacks and made the honorable mention All Big-12 list. Marque Fountain had 4.5 sacks last year as a reserve at the other end spot and he will be Peterson’s bookend for 2007. Jeremy Chatham (6-3, 280) is the only interior lineman from last year’s two-deep and, at that, he saw little action while backing-up Ryan McBean at DT. This year, he is the team’s starting nose guard though JUCO-transfer Tonga Tea will push him for snaps.

True freshman Patrick Lavine (6-3, 220) collected 70 tackles in just 9 starts last year at SLB while MLB Rodrick Johnson returns after making 69 tackles last year. Johnson performed big in big games last year, logging 7 tackles and 3.5 TFL’s against Texas A&M, 8 tackles against Texas and 9 more against OU. OLB Chris Collins had 31 tackles in six games before suffering a season-ending knee injury last year. He’s back for 2007.

Martel Van Zant (6-1, 210), Jacob Lacey (5-11, 175) and return-specialist, Perrish Cox (6-1, 185) are three very talented players who will each see volumes of snaps next year at the cornerback spots. Strong safety Andre Sexton (6-1, 210; 4.38-40) started every game last year as a true freshman and finished as the team’s leading tackler (79 tackles; 8.5 TFL’s). Donovan Woods (6-2, 225) is a safety in a linebacker’s body and receivers certainly know where he is every down. This group of defenders is solid and will not be the reason for sub-par defensive efforts next year.

Special Teams: Jason Ricks made ten of twelve FG’s a year ago (perfect inside-40). Punter Matt Fodge was second-team All Big-12 with a nearly 45-yard average (44.9). As a true freshman last year, Perrish Cox made the biggest dent as a kick-returner (12.8 ypr-punt; 23.8 ypr-kickoffs). Senior Grant . Jones had a better average on kickoffs last year but his graduation will let Cox shine by himself in 2007.

2007 OUTLOOK: The Cowboys’ college football odds of winning the Big 12 South is a mere +1000, behind Texas (+125), Oklahoma (+200) and Texas A&M (+650). No odds have been given OSU to win the national championship.

The offense will be special this season. There is simply too much experienced talent to predict anything different. Woods’ presence would have been a certain boon but the team can certainly score, often, without him.

The utterly inexperienced defensive line is the team’s Achilles heel. The defensive backfield is a strength. However, no backfield can hold coverage forever and, barring the unexpected emergence of a star or two on the young line, this one may often be put in the position to try to do just that next season. The linebackers are all skilled veterans and it should be no surprise to see OSU blitz to stress offenses and compensate for its puppies on the line.

The Cowboys open up on the road in an upset-special against Georgia in Athens. That is just the kind of challenge Gundy & Company need to get them fired up early in ’07. They will have relative breathers again Sun Belt foes Florida Atlantic and Troy before hosting division-mates Texas Tech in Stillwater. It is noteworthy that Troy uses a Texas Tech style attack so the game plan will not be alien to the Cowboys as they take the field this year against the Red Raiders. Sam Houston State follows and OSU gets both Kansas teams at home while spending one road trip going to a very winnable game against Baylor (who beat them 34-44 the last time in Waco).

The stadium and facilities are not all that are new in Stillwater. OSU will wear a previously unseen coat of confidence on every field they play this season. A nine-win season and an upset over at least one of the division teams ranked higher than them this year is in the cards for 2007.

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