Is 2017 the year of the Cowboys?
In Dallas, the argument could be made that the Cowboys are talented enough to make a run at the Super Bowl. In Stillwater, this could be the year Oklahoma State breaks through and grabs that elusive Big 12 championship.
The college version of the Cowboys is picked to finish second behind in-state rival Oklahoma in the conference but did manage to get some first-place votes. Experience could be the key, as Oklahoma, Texas and Baylor each start the season with new head coaches.
On the flip side, Mike Gundy is now the head coach with the longest continuous tenure in the Big 12.
“I’ve been around a long time and have a long history in not only the Big 12 but the old Big Eight in this part of the country,” said Gundy at Tuesday’s Big 12 Media Day. “But I’m a much different person and coach than I was 13 years ago. I would say patience has played a big role in that, and over a period of time, I’ve learned to have a lot of fun.”
Gundy has plenty to be excited about going into this season. Oklahoma State has its version of the “Big Three” in quarterback Mason Rudolph, running back Justice Hill and wide receiver James Washington.
Rudolph is considered the top senior quarterback in the nation by many NFL Draft experts. He’s on the Maxwell Trophy watch list along with the Wuerffel Trophy watch list, which honors college football's top community servant. The state of Oklahoma will have two of the top offensive quarterbacks, not only in the Big 12, but in the nation with both Rudolph and Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield.
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“It’s an explosive league, it’s a pass happy league and it’s fun,” said Rudolph. “It makes it something to look forward to week in and week out. That’s why I play this game.”
Washington is the latest in a long line of Oklahoma State wide receivers with NFL potential. The 6-foot, 205-pound senior from Stamford, Texas, was recently named to the Bilentnikoff Award watch list. Gundy feels Washington ranks right up there with other former Cowboys receivers that moved on to play on Sunday, including current Dallas Cowboys wide receiver Dez Bryant.
“I think James is just scratching the surface,” said Gundy. “I think the next 10 years for him, really, the sky’s the limit for two reasons. One, because he’s just starting to develop. Two, he’s got a terrific attitude, and he’s unselfish, and he loves to play the game of football, and he’s tough. So he ranks really high up there, in our opinion, with the wideouts that have been at Oklahoma State.”
What sets Washington apart from those star wideouts like Bryant, who once wore the Oklahoma State Cowboys uniform?
“What sets me different from them, I would say, is my frame size,” said Washington. “I’m not as big as they were but I feel like with the help of the coaches and individual work, that I can be one of the top two.”
With the magic that is the Big 12 championship game returning this season, there is a chance that Bedlam can happen twice in one season. The Sooners will travel to Stillwater to face the Cowboys in November. Both teams could very well turn around and play again less than a month later at Jerryworld for the right to be called the best in the Big 12.
“We respect our opponents, but we don’t fear anybody,” added Gundy.
The journey begins for the Cowboys on Aug. 31 with a home game against Tulsa at Boone Pickens Stadium.
