Cowboys Return Rested and Ready to Jump into Baylor Preparation
STILLWATER – It’s time to come to this realization in the Big 12. There is very little difference this season between teams in the conference. For example, the USA TODAY Coaches Poll has 9-of-the-10 Big 12 teams either ranked or getting votes for the poll. That’s amazing. I had one person, very sharp football person, today tell me that you can basically flip a coin on any of the Big 12 Conference games the rest of the way and it’s that close. Kansas, you’d better not go to sleep or take them lightly. The 4-0 Jayhawks can play. Texas may seem down and on their way out after losing in Lubbock on Saturday, but I would not count on the burnt orange fade away until it happens. The purple pride rose again after losing their final non-conference game in an upset to Tulane and beat Oklahoma. Now, they are back to being the dangerous sleeper to win the Big 12.
Okay, Oklahoma State is 3-0 but they haven’t been tested. Baylor is 3-1 and now 1-0 in the Big 12 after giving Iowa State their first home conference loss since Oklahoma State beat them in Ames in 2019. That’s right, Iowa State had an 11-game Big 12 home winning streak. While Baylor worked on Saturday and proved some mettle after losing a double overtime test at BYU in game two, the Cowboys rested. Oklahoma State had Friday and Saturday off. Head coach Mike Gundy got them back on Sunday.
“I thought it was really good. They lifted yesterday afternoon and came back and practice well last night,” Gundy said of the return from a couple of days off. “This group is pretty focused and committed to each other. I feel really good about the chemistry amongst the guys and the leadership that we have.”
In Waco, Baylor head coach Dave Aranda, ever the philosopher, said his team passed a test with the Iowa State win, They showed Aranda that they are “playing green”. That is the term the head coached has coined for giving up for yourself to play for your teammates and being yourself while doing it. Aranda just says it a little more philosophical than Gundy.
“I think they are focused and I think they care about each other,” Gundy said about his guys. “We’ll know a lot more about ourselves as a team in a month,” Gundy added. “We are about to get into the meat of it. We’ll have a pretty good feel. We’ll have some conference road games and home games against some pretty good teams. So, we’ll know a lot more about us in a month.”
In other words, Aranda feels his team has been tested and Gundy feels his team’s test is coming starting on Saturday. My question is: is it better to be rested for your first big test or stressed like Baylor was in Ames with their 31-24 win over Iowa State. We’ll find out at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday.