Bowl Pulse: Win Is Doable, And Needed

There’s little sexy about this Cheez-It Bowl.

No breathtaking buildup.

No must-see TV, even for the die-hardest of fans.

No early Orlando arrival for activities and sightseeing for the players.

No fun.

Still, it’s an opportunity for both teams – an opportunity to build toward a better tomorrow.

And more so for the Cowboys, who entered 2020 with grand goals and a roster to reach for the sky. Miami has already gained momentum for 2021, turning away from a rough stretch in the program’s era and this week getting news that dynamic QB D’Eriq King will return for another year.

But like almost everything we know in 2020, OSU’s season turned forgettable. And there’s a need to offer a teaser for optimism when the Cowboys take the field again next fall. I sense a dangerous aura of apathy among the OSU faithful. Too many stacked seasons of high hopes hammered down by disappointment, if not through Bedlam then one in a series of sinking and inexplicable flat losses.

Fool me once…

Beating Miami in Orlando won’t fix all the wrongs from the past few months, but it could patch some sores and allow some dreams to renew, right?

There won’t be sendoffs for Chuba Hubbard, Teven Jenkins or Rodarius Williams, who all opted out to focus on NFL Draft prep. But Tylan Wallace and Dillon Stoner are strapping it up, as are Amen Ogbongbemiga and Malcolm Rodriguez, and a few others in representing a small yet significant senior class.

And then there are those who can reinforce promise for 2021 – quarterback Spencer Sanders, running backs Dezmon Jackson and Dominic Richardson, stud safeties Tre Sterling and Kolby Harvell-Peel, the entire defensive front, albeit minus Trace Ford who’s recovering from knee surgery, a group of young offensive linemen who gutted through a rough stretch to grow up early on the job, and many more.

The Cowboys returned a lot of playmakers for this season, sparking the heavy offseason optimism. They could bring back a bunch again, too.

But a strong final impression would be wise for this group.

Miami is a good team, not a great team. Hey, the same can be said of the Cowboys.

Still, beating the Canes is doable.

Jenkins and Williams will be missed, but the Cowboys are just fine at running back. And Wallace’s availability is vital, as he dictates defensive game plans, which turn ultra-aggressive when he’s missing.

Indeed, beating the Canes is doable. Won’t be easy; nothing is for these Cowboys. But beating Miami, on a bit of an upswing, would be a solid ending to an otherwise forgettable year.

It ain’t sexy.

But it’s the kind of win that can provide some forward momentum, which the program needs.

Desperately.