the release of the first College Football Playoff poll last week, the selection committee sent a clear message.
Asked what the committee based judgments on in a football sense, rather than examining metrics, chairman Jeff Long mentioned that teams needed to be complete.
“I think it’s the balance of the team,” he said. “We have teams that are just one-sided offensive teams or one-sided really strong defensive teams, so that combination of offense and defense, and how they’ve played offensively and defensively.”
Oklahoma State, which remained undefeated with 49-29 upset of TCU on Saturday, is showing that combination, especially if you put the win over the Horned Frogs in context. The Cowboys (9-0, 6-0 Big 12) allowed previously unbeaten TCU 663 yards, yet won 49-29 after defending a school-record 110 snaps.
Draw it out, and TCU averaged 1.7 points on 17 possessions. A week earlier, when Texas Tech erupted for 642 yards, it managed 1.5 points on 10 second-half possessions as the Cowboys rallied from three 17-point deficits to win 70-57 in Lubbock.
To Oklahoma State defensive coordinator Glenn Spencer, points allowed is the bottom-line baseline for a good defense. It is why the Cowboys predicate their defensive package on limiting points when opponents reach the red zone and why they are also adept at forcing turnovers, including four interceptions against TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin, a Heisman Trophy candidate.
“Our guys were scoring fast,” Spencer said. “Everything happens quick, and we’re back on the field. That’s how we choose to win ballgames around here, and I’m not apologizing for it. I’ve got to defend our (defensive) kids. That’s all I’m doing.
“I want someone to look at the stats and tell me we had a bad game so that I can laugh it off. For these guys, this was outstanding and I’m so proud of them. It’s a huge night. There were 110 gradable snaps, right? So there were about 120 when you (include) penalties and such. Those guys are exhausted.”
They also were instrumental in helping Oklahoma State remain undefeated, along with Baylor, in the Big 12. The Cowboys play Saturday at Iowa State (3-6, 2-4) before closing at home against Baylor and Oklahoma.
The advantage Oklahoma State gets playing in T. Boone Pickens Stadium could be a difference down the stretch, though the team must focus on the Iowa State trip first.
A 2011 loss in Ames, in a rare Friday night setting following a plane crash hours earlier that killed Oklahoma State women’s basketball coaches Kurt Budke and Miranda Serna, was all that kept the Cowboys from a perfect record during their Big 12 title run.
Although memories of that night are painful, Spencer was not buying into any parallels.
“Could we lose that game up there (on Saturday)? Yes, but it ain’t going to be because of all of this,” Spencer said of the tragedy four years ago.
“If we lose, it’s because (the Cyclones) execute better than us. This (OSU) team can get beat by anybody. I really believe that. Hopefully, that allows us to keep an edge for Saturday and not listen to what everybody is saying about us.”
Each of Iowa State’s victories has come at home. The Cyclones feature one of the top freshmen in the Big 12, running back Mike Warren, who has five 100-yard performances.
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–WR James Washington has enjoyed two huge games back-to-back and could be establishing himself as the next great receiver at Oklahoma State. Washington had a 200-yard game at Texas Tech on Oct. 31, then followed with 184 yards and three touchdowns on five grabs in Saturday’s upset of TCU. Washington ranks fifth in the Big 12 with an 85.8-yard average per game.
–QB Mason Rudolph ranks third among Big 12 passers with a 314.9-yard average and seems to be growing more comfortable in the rotation he shares with J.W. Walsh. Walsh, a fifth-year senior adept in the OSU system, often enters in short-yardage situations, but he is also a threat to throw. Although Walsh often accounts for TDs in the red zone, Rudolph still has 17 touchdown strikes against eight interceptions.
–LB Chad Whitener shared team-high honors with 12 tackles in the TCU win and also grabbed two interceptions, returning one 42 yards for the Cowboys’ last touchdown. A Cal transfer, Whitener has progressively learned the Oklahoma State system and become a big asset, particularly after a season-ending injury to a veteran starter, LB Ryan Simmons.