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.
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.
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.
