With the big tool championship
game coming in just a few days,
happy to be joined by the voice of the
Oklahoma State Cowboys Dave Hunziker, Dave.
How are things in Stillwater this
week? Well, it's been a pretty
joyous place after the white bedlam
turned out not only winning it,
but the way that they want it.
You know, coming from behind late after a
really rough third quarter and you know,
beating your arch rival for the
first time since 2014, it's it's.
It's been pretty ecstatic around here,
but you know, I think players and
coaches or quickly shifted to.
The attention to the matter that is at hand,
and that's the championship
game against Baylor.
So while fans may still be rejoicing,
I don't think that's the case
here at the football operation.
You know, honestly, these are
two teams that are still kind
of relative newbies to a
Big 12 championship game.
So Oklahoma State's never
played and it Baylor is only
played in it once before.
And that was just two years ago.
What's? Is there a difference
in the way that you have seen
Gundy and the Cowboys handling
this week as opposed to a regular
thing? Not at all.
In fact, everything that they've
done has been basically like
treating it like a road game.
Although to a regular road game,
even down to putting travel together hotels.
Together all of that while there are
some nuances that come with playing
in the Big 12 Championship for sure,
some extra details that have to be taken
care of as far as the day-to-day operation,
the planning all that goes into it.
They have said this is a road game.
That's what this is.
Yeah, sure, it's a Big 12 championship game,
but there haven't been any changes
as to how they've done their work.
It's it's just basically been put
together like we're going on the
road and playing in conference game.
These two teams played October 2nd,
Baylor's first of two losses on the season.
What is it from that game that you
you see the Cowboys looking to carry
over here to ATT Stadium on Saturday?
I think the biggest thing really
was the ability for the most
part to shut down the run.
You know Baylor had the one long touchdown
run on a fourth and one situation where
they you know they hit a long TD run.
But outside of that they weren't really
able to run the ball much and so I
think that has to continue, you know.
And and you know,
as has been the case with many teams,
there were some attempts to hit some deep
shots early and those were well defended and.
Taken out of the equation,
so I think that's the first thing,
and I think sometimes you
know lost in Oklahoma,
State's win is Baylor didn't
have to Robert for that game,
and he's pretty important piece of
the puzzle defensively for Baylor.
So you know both teams are in different
situations from a health standpoint
than they were in early October.
That's always the Case No one's
ever 100% this time of year,
but you know,
that's a piece to the puzzle
that that it makes a difference.
That I think gets forgotten sometimes.
I'm glad you brought up Terrell Bernard.
He was going to be one of my next questions.
I mean how big of an advantage is
that for the Baylor defense to have
him back against this offensive
attack with guys like Jalen Warren,
expensive Sanders and how big
of a loss is it for the Baylor
offense that Gary Bohannon is still
questionable 3 days from kickoff.
Well, Bernards another experienced guy.
I think he's been second
team all Big 12 twice.
If I remember correctly and just played
a lot and you know you have Peachtree.
That's one of the better run defenders
at his position in college football.
He's been terrific,
he's just another guy that's that that's
in the equation with a lot of experience.
And then that's true.
You know, there's there are several
seniors starting on the Baylor defense,
but but he's a, you know,
he's a big part of who they are.
And certainly with Bohannon,
Nbo, he got off to a great
start and and really was.
Obviously, as you would expect,
a huge part of what they were doing
offensively and had really grown.
I thought since you know what,
we'd seen what little we'd seen
of him previously, so you know,
you know the thing about going into a
big game, whether it's a conference,
championship game or just a big game
at the end of the regular season,
that experience at quarterback matters.
I think it's, you know,
I think it's significant in that sense,
but you get into these conference
championship games too.
And it's not like these AA
tournament weird things happen.
I mean,
you know.
Heroes emerge out of the out of
dust and you know so and there's
the opportunity for guys to do
that in this game for sure.
Yeah, you mentioned the here doesn't
mean Bohannon was one of those when
Charlie Brewer went down for the
Bears two years ago in this exact
game against Oklahoma, how are the
Cowboys from the health perspective?
How are how is the injury situation
there? OK, I wouldn't say they're great.
You know. Danny Godleski, the sender,
didn't play last week against Oklahoma and
not really very certain about what he'll do.
Logan Carter Cowboy back there.
Most experienced tight end if you will,
did not play against Oklahoma.
Don't know what his status will be, you know?
They're banged up in some other areas.
They've had some guys missed some games
as of late or or be pretty limited.
The injuries have been almost
exclusively on the offensive side.
The defensive side took some hits
early from an injury standpoint,
but since about the middle of September
that defense for the most part with
just a couple of minor exceptions,
has stayed injury free,
and I think part of that is they have
so much depth on the defensive line
they're able to rotate guys in and out.
I don't think there's a defensive lineman,
it averages.
More than 41 snaps a game,
a luxury Oklahoma State's
not really had before,
so that that's helped out with that.
But you offensively you know,
kind of banged up honestly.
This is an OSU team that was kind of. It
instigated a lot of head tilting
early on you mentioned mid September,
two straight games, not a single
point in the second half against
Boise State and against Kansas State.
I mean what has changed for this OSU
offense and gotten it to the point
where it's at now for Spectacle,
Championship game chance for the
first conference title in 10 years.
Well, again injuries.
I mean the first two games when they
really struggled against Missouri
State in Tulsa, and I say struggled.
I shouldn't say that when you win
a game that's kind of ridiculous.
Lot of teams latines wish
they could struggle to win,
but you know the offensive line they
they were down Hunter Woodard who's
a really key part of their offense.
As far as the line is concerned.
At right guard he missed the first two games.
That was a big deal.
You know when they went to boisi they were.
They were basically starting
freshman receivers.
You know, Tay Martin was.
Injured Brendan, you know they had
Brendan Presley and that was it.
Tame Martin was heard they were
starting freshman pretty much
across the board everywhere else.
LD Brown had been injured at tailback,
allowing Jalen Warren to emerge.
You know the emergence of Jalen
Warren cannot be understated.
That was a huge thing,
and that breakout occurred in the Boy C game.
Spencer Sanders missed the opener
against Missouri State because of Kovid.
So you just had lots of things they
were dealing with on the offensive side,
Logan Carter missed the first
month and a half,
two months of the season.
Starting cowboy backs,
so there was just a long long
list of injuries that they dealt
with on the offensive side,
and is Spencer Sanders got comfortable.
Jalen Warren gained,
you know,
really just more and more momentum
after that boy C game and some
of these young receivers grew
up and others became healthy.
Things really took off for them and
I think they have an understanding
of who they are.
They become a little more explosive
in the passing game in recent weeks,
but you know they will literally
sit on a lead.
I mean,
they get a lead like they did
at West Virginia.
They'll basically try to make
a couple first downs and punt.
They won't take any chances.
That's the world they live in.
It's changed a little bit in the
last couple weeks, but you know,
it's they're.
They're so confident in their defense
they don't want to do anything to
put their defense in harm's way, I mean.
Curtis,
this offense has not had a single player.
Start at the same position for
all twelve games,
not a one.
It's only the second time that's
happened with Coach Gundy here.
The other time was 2014 and they needed
a Tyreek Hill miraculous punt return
just to make a bowl game that year.
That's an incredible stat and
this is an 11 and one team,
not a seven and 16.
Yeah, it's crazy.
Juxtaposition is incredible.
This is the only game this weekend
that features multiple Broyles
award finalists Jeff Grimes,
the offensive coordinator there at Baylor.
Coming from BYU his second straight
year as a finalist and then Jim Knowles,
the defensive coordinator at Oklahoma State.
How much of a chess match
is it with these two?
Because I would argue to
say that the offense.
Is very clearly both teams second unit,
but I think the dropoff might
be a little less severe with
Baylor from defense to offense
as it is at Oklahoma State.
Where you have these two
Broyles award finalists calling
plays at the exact same time.
Well, we ran into the same thing last
week and you know with Lincoln Riley who
calls offense for Oklahoma and you know
he's well established as a guru and so
that was a big part of the chess match
was to see who would emerge in that
Lincoln Riley when the first happened.
Jim those won the 2nd and
that's sort of how that went.
Jim Knowles is made.
An impact on this program, you know.
Dana Holgorsen made an impact
on this program in 2010,
just the one season he was here with
the retooling and Rio reincarnation
of Oklahoma State offensively,
and Jim Knowles has done the
same here defensively.
But I think his impact
is has been even greater.
You know,
we've got a really experienced defense.
All those guys have played
together for three years.
They've grown up in the system, you know,
last year it was pretty much all man.
Now they mix in zone.
You know, they went rush, three drop eight.
Most of the second half against.
Oklahoma, that's a total change
and they did it very effectively,
so he's been.
He's been incredibly impactful
on this program,
and those guys they love playing for him.
This is a conference Dave that you
know four months ago everybody in
the Big 12 kind of had the rug pulled
out from underneath them with the
news that Texas in Oklahoma would be
leaving the conference for the SEC.
Now Texas, no you not playing for a
Big 12 championship and they've played
in every Big 12 title game for as
long as I can remember at this point.
And obviously we had that, you know,
six or seven year gap between
conference title games.
You look at the four teams at
the Big 12 is bringing in.
And you have eight and four Central
Florida 11 and one Houston on 11
game win Streak 12 Anos Cincinnati
Bell face off in a conference
championship game Saturday as well.
And then you have 10 and two BYU.
Where is the future of the
Big 12 at this point?
Well, right now I think it
looks pretty darn good I.
I think that the only concern I really have
moving forward is the television money.
You know, I think if everyone is able
to stay somewhat where they are from
a television revenue standpoint,
I honestly think in an expanded playoff,
which I think we're headed that direction,
I think we're fine I I think we're just fine.
You know what you concern yourself with
is it's in the rough neighborhood of
$40 million per school of television
revenue right now.
When we do a new contract with
what would be the new membership,
what will that never be?
Will it be 40 million to school?
Will it be 35? Will it be 27?
Will it be 25 will be 30.
We don't know,
but the more success that you have with
even the Members that are joining the
conference or coming in like Cincinnati,
we have to feel like that value will go up.
So it's important.
I think what we're seeing with
some of these other schools being
successful as it pertains to the
financial outlook for the conference,
I've I firmly believe that
if things are OK financially,
then I think this league will be fine.
What you can't have happened?
Is let's say that TV revenue
drops to 25 or 26 million.
And then everybody else is getting
more money with their TV contracts.
So they're going up in TV
value 20 percent 30%.
You're going down 20 or 30%.
Then the playing field becomes.
Possibly financially,
almost too difficult to overcome, but again,
if you're talking about an expanded playoff,
how much does that matter?
You don't have in a playoff.
You have to beat him in a three
game series or a seven game series.
You have to beat him once.
That's it,
it changes everything.
That's why they fought it so long,
I think because the big boys,
the blue bloods,
you know we've had 16 out of 16
appearances in a playoff the last
16 teams have all been blue Bloods,
24 of $0.28 a playoffs started
him in Blue Bloods so.
They're not into a lot of change that
they they don't want to open this up.
You know, they?
Yeah, they don't want let the riff Raff in.
That's what they would say, you know,
keep the riffraff out of this thing.
Well, that's not.
I don't think that's going to continue,
and a lot of that is television driven
because of FOX and its relationship
with the Big Ten in the PAC 12 and
how that's sort of having an impact.
I think on playoff expansion and TV.
So yeah,
it's I.
I think that the playoff will expand,
and then I think there's a spot at the table.
And I think you have a chance
to be just fine.
What is an active mind here
too and I'll I'll end on this.
What is your biggest key for each
team on Saturday for me for Baylor,
I'm thinking the biggest keys you've
got to win the battle up front.
You have to make your strength on offense.
Beat Oklahoma strength.
Like you said, they're able to rotate
guys in on the defensive line,
and you've got to wear down the
defensive line for Oklahoma State.
To me, the Cowboys just need
to keep this business as usual.
Yeah, you have to win it the
same way you that you won the
Boise State in Kansas State.
Games then, so be it,
because it's you're still conference champ.
You're still 12 and one you
still have a shot of College
Football Playoff at that point.
Yeah, the the tricky thing for Baylor to me,
and this is very simplistic and
it goes far deeper than this.
But one thing that's jumped out to
me see if I remember my numbers.
I hope I have him write something like
only six opponent possessions have
started in Baylor territory all year and
it's something like 8 that it started
outside the opponents 36 yard line all year.
That is crazy field position.
Crazy Bill position,
it's driven by special teams
that are really really good.
Oklahoma State has the
highest rated special teams.
Unit in the Big 12 and depending on who
you would listen to Pro Football Focus,
I think now has a Cowboys third.
Some of that advantage of Baylor
normally enjoys goes away when you
play Oklahoma State because Oklahoma
State's good at covering punts.
They're great at covering kicks.
They returned two kickoffs for touchdowns,
including one by Brendan Presley
last week against Oklahoma.
That's the interesting thing.
I think these two teams in many ways
are a lot of life and I think that
the tricky part for Baylor in that
scenario is they they run into a team.
It might actually be better
at doing that than they are,
so that that's a big part of it.
I think the kicking game is
huge because you know if either
team blanks and special teams,
then they've got a problem and it
was Oklahoma last week and the big
game against Oklahoma State that
while the Cowboys fumble punt,
so did Oklahoma and then the
difference in the game turns out
to be the kickoff return.
Protest down because you look
at the return yards.
Curtis,
there was almost I think about
90 yards difference in return
yards between the two teams.
And next thing you know it's
a four point game and it's.
The difference,
so I think the kicking game
is is really important.
And then you know which team
can Russia football.
That's that's what it all comes
down to is you know which team.
Just as you said, the battle up front.
Who can Russia football that
that'll dictate it 'cause both
teams and when push comes to shove,
both these teams want to run the ball.
That they do, and that's
something that five years ago we
wouldn't have said about either
or no, no, not at all.
Mary is the voice of the Cowboys
with the keys to this week's
Big Float Championship game.
Dave really appreciate your time.
Look forward to seeing you
in Arlington on Saturday,
so happy to do it. This will be fun.