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Oklahoma State Football

Athlon's Out First, But Accuracy? On Oklahoma State Not So Much

May 21, 2023
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STILLWATER – There it is, the first of the preseason college football magazines is out and Athlon Sports Xollege Football 2023 edition won the race for the fastest. I have to admit that I no longer hold these magazines to as high a standard for accuracy. The NCAA transfer portal windows have changed that. You look at Colorado and after the demolition job that Deion Sanders did with his “Louis Vuitton” luggage speech with 51 players going into the portal how would you like to write that preview or predict that “two-deep”. Somebody did and the depth chart was the only one in the magazine missing jersey numbers, less than half the players had a jersey number. There were only five returning players combined on the first and second team. 

Robert Allen - Pokes Report
Oklahoma State preview page in Athlon’s.

I’m not going to get into detail, but the Oklahoma State depth chart was missing starters and those missing players were listed neither first or second team. My friend John Helsley, who writes the preview for Athlon Sports can be forgiven. He doesn’t get to practice and Mike Gundy doesn’t give a lot of access making it kind of a guessing game. You see below how Athlon’’s predicted the Pokes.

Category Athlon’s Projection
National Finish 45th
Big 12 Finish 8th
Season Record 7-5 (4-5 Big 12)
All-Big 12 Players Brennan Presley, WR, 1st-Team, KR, 2nd-Team; Collin Oliver, LB, 1st-Team; Kendal Daniels, Saf, 1st-Team
Bowl Projection Liberty Bowl, Memphis, Tenn. Oklahoma State vs. Missouri

My biggest take away is that Oklahoma State will win more than seven games overall and will win more than four in the Big 12. No doubt about that! Also, I agree with the first-team All-Big 12 Cowboys, but to have no others on second and third-teams except Presley on second as a kick returner is ridiculous. We’ll see. That is what makes predicting either triumphant or embarrassing. 

Robert Allen - Pokes Report
CaptionBreakout players and Transfer players.

I also took exception with their full page of “Breakout Players” and full page of “Top Transfers” with no current Cowboys on there. My breakout players would include receiver Jaden Bray, running back Jaden Nixon, and safety Lyrik Rawls. On my top transfers would be nose tackle Justin Kirkland (Utah Tech), quarterback Alan Bowman (Michigan), wide receiver De’Zhaun Stribling (Washington State), and defenders Justin Wright and Anthony Goodlow (Tulsa). I know you wouldn’t have then all on there, but a couple should have been.

Former Cowboys Spencer Sanders (Mississippi) and Mason Cobb (USC) made it. 

Hey, we’ll see how it comes out. Meanwhile, I love these magazines for entertainment and this one is entertaining. 

Discussion from...

Athlon's Out First, But Accuracy? On Oklahoma State Not So Much

4,284 Views | 7 Replies | Last: 10 mo ago by Orangeheart72
Joe Khatib
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Hey Robert, you and I have known John Helsley for a long time and he currently serves as an instructor on campus in Stillwater working with students! Why didn't he make contact with YOU to get a better feel and understanding of the program coming out of Spring Ball??? If Inwere tasked with doing this the first two people I would have contacted would have been you and Tom Dirato because of the access you two have to Mike and the program!!! Inquiring minds!!!
Orangeheart72
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Joe, I'd assume RA wouldn't provide depth chart guesstimates for the same reason coaches won't publish them. Morale and/portal. But I'd assume that I could set a 90% accurate first team at least by just keeping up with RA, Locked, GoPokes, etc., (other than the fall injury affects and impacts). You'd think local, paid media might have somewhat similar interest and efforts.
RodeoPoke
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I agree with you both, it looks like Helsley half-assed it.

OSUCobra
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Dude, seven wins is OPTIMISTIC for 2023. We lost basically every serious contributor to eligibility or the portal, we're breaking in a no name DC, and the OC should have been shown the door five months ago. And as always Gundy knows he has a job for life no matter what. Seven is a pipe dream.
Joe Khatib
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Orangeheart72 said:

Joe, I'd assume RA wouldn't provide depth chart guesstimates for the same reason coaches won't publish them. Morale and/portal. But I'd assume that I could set a 90% accurate first team at least by just keeping up with RA, Locked, GoPokes, etc., (other than the fall injury affects and impacts). You'd think local, paid media might have somewhat similar interest and efforts.
John is an instructor in the Oklahoma State University School of Journalism! He works for OSU, plus I don't think you will see much in the way of depth charts during the off-season but will see something to that effect during the season. I admit I didn't see the information and am going off what Robert is saying, so maybe I need to look at it myself and form my own opinion! Also, I am going to be BLUNT AS HELL, the only legitimate information you were going to get on this football team this Spring was from Robert and Zach and Pokes Report! Pistols Firing and Go Pokes are treated as after thoughts!!!
RodeoPoke
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OSUCobra said:

Dude, seven wins is OPTIMISTIC for 2023. We lost basically every serious contributor to eligibility or the portal, we're breaking in a no name DC, and the OC should have been shown the door five months ago. And as always Gundy knows he has a job for life no matter what. Seven is a pipe dream.
it really depends on health, especially at QB... just like last year.

by most accounts OSU is better at every position, and the personnel changes (odd defensive front, use of TE/FB on offense) are yet to be determined, but on paper could be huge positive changes.

The easier schedule should help get us to seven wins easily.... going beyond that is going to depend on the above mentioned changes and health.

Orangeheart72
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You should save this comment and read it again at the end of the bowl season. You have to expect this coaching staff to reload after each season. You also have to accept OSU is now a top 10-20 program virtually every year absent major injuries and/or unusual schedule impacts. The national media hasn't accepted those facts. See attached from RA's story....(and I duplicated on by accident).



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