2011 OKLAHOMA STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW OPUBCO COMMUNICATIONS GROUP BEST VIEWED Shake IN IBOOKS and bake No need for a sidekick here, Blackmon and Weeden are equal parts good for Oklahoma State PHOTO BY SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN SARAH BY PHOTO PAGE 1 I 2011 OKLAHOMA STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW I THE OKLAHOMAN Table of contents Page 3 I Unlikely coaching Page 8 I The Cowboys’ Page 16 Dynamic duo: Page 24 Dynamic duo: duo anchors OSU staff. dynamic duo on offense Running back Defensive line ON THE COVER: Oklahoma State’s Justin Blackmon and Brandon Weeden. PHOTO BY SARAH PHIPPS, THE OKLAHOMAN OPUBCO COMMUNICATIONS GROUP PRESIDENT EXECUTIVE VICE EDITOR & SPORTS EDITOR ART DIRECTOR PROJECT DESIGNER David Thompson PRESIDENT VICE PRESIDENT OF NEWS Mike Sherman Todd Pendleton Matthew Clayton Christopher P. Reen Kelly Dyer Fry OPUBCO COMMUNICATIONS GROUP Unlikely duo anchors OSU staff Bill Young, Joe Wickline a sign of how far OSU football has come STILLWATER — Bill Young and Joe Wickline are an unlikely duo. Young is the grandfatherly type, always quick with a joke for his players and a smile for anyone passing his way. Wickline is the drill-sergeant sort with a crew cut and an I-just-spent-an-entire-practice- yelling-at-my-guys voice. But these two Oklahoma State assistants are more alike than they seem. They have become successful coaches. They have been sought-after men. Yet, they have shown they are commit- Jenni ted to the Cowboys. Carlson They are a sign of just how far the program has come. There jcarlson@ was a time when assistants like Young and Wickline didn’t stay opubco.com put in Stillwater. Now? COMMENTARY “It is a good deal, and we realize it,” said Young, the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator. “We understand how fortunate we are to be here.” We’ve long heard that kind of talk from OSU assistants. What else are they supposed to say about the school that’s writing their paychecks? But Young and Wickline aren’t just talking PHOTO BY BRYAN TERRY, THE OKLAHOMAN about how great their gigs are. They are showing it. Bill Young, above Wickline is considered among the best offensive line coaches in college football. and Joe Wickline, left, are two differ- He’s developed the likes of Charlie Johnson, Russell Okung, not to mention the Cowboys’ cur- ent kinds of coaches rent crop of standouts. Several programs have made overtures and attempted to hire him away on the field, but off from OSU, including Texas a season ago. the field, they show a strong commit- He said no before the process even started. ment to Oklahoma State. “You think about the greener grass. You think about the bigger place,” said Wickline, whose other stops include his alma mater, Florida, Tennessee and Mississippi. “Stillwater and Okla- homa State, I guess everybody has their own opinions, but to me, it’s good stuff. It’s good for me and my family. “I feel good about coming to work, so why am I going to mess with it?” PHOTO BY JOHN CLANTON, THE OKLAHOMAN CONTINUED ON PAGE 4 THE OKLAHOMAN I 2011 OKLAHOMA STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW I PAGE 3 OPUBCO COMMUNICATIONS GROUP CONTINUED FROM PAGE 3 Young feels the same way. When the Cowboys’ defensive coordinator job came open after the 2008 season, the OSU alum got on the phone After being here, it’s an even right away. Young talked to Joe DeForest about the job better opportunity than I nearly a dozen times. He wanted it badly. thought it was.” “After being here,” Young said, “it’s an even better op- portunity than I thought it was.” BILL YOUNG, SHOWN AT RIGHT Oklahoma The leadership of the program is solid. The camaraderie State defensive among the coaching staff is strong. The chemistry be- coordinator tween coaches and players is superb. That has led to un- precedented success on the field. “ Those intangibles enhance the tangibles. State-of-the- art facilities. Top-of-the-line amenities. Long-term con- tracts. “The last time I was here, our contracts were up in Janu- ary,” said Young, who was an OSU assistant from 1976-78. “They fired us Dec. 10, and we had a little over two weeks to find a new job.” Young landed at Iowa State, but because he made only $250 a month as a part-time coach, he had to substitute teach just to pay the rent. Is it any wonder multiyear, high-dollar contracts are a big deal to football assistants? Credit Les Miles for starting the trend in Stillwater. Yet for several years, the improved contracts weren’t always enough to keep assistants. Sure, guys like Larry Fedora, Tim Beckman and Dana Holgorsen left to be head coaches. Yes, Karl Dunbar moved on to the NFL. You can under- stand those types of moves. But up-and-comers like Cur- tis Luper and Trooper Taylor made lateral moves. That isn’t happening much anymore. As Young and Wickline have demonstrated, coaches want to be there and want to stay there. “I don’t know what rung of the ladder Oklahoma State was on among coaching jobs,” Wickline said. “But I’ll tell you this — it’s on a higher rung now.” PAGE 4 I 2011 OKLAHOMA STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW I THE OKLAHOMAN OPUBCO COMMUNICATIONS GROUP OSU schedule analysis BY JOHN HELSLEY, OKLAHOMAN STAFF WRITER 2011 a season of road tests for the Cowboys Sept. 3 vs. Sept. 8 vs. Arizona Sept. 17 at Tulsa Sept. 24 at Oct. 8 Oct. 15 La.-Lafayette Once an attractive non- This game carries a Texas A&M vs Kansas at Texas The Cowboys conference series, this scare factor, sand- This game is noth- The Jayhawks OSU ended a long are 7-0 all-time matchup lost some wiched between ing shy of momentous have fallen on losing streak at against the Ragin’ shine when the Cow- Arizona and A&M, for the Cowboys when hard times. And Texas a year ago, Cajuns. Win No. boys routed Arizona in with a 9 p.m. kick- considering their un- among a gaunt- but those ’Horns 8 should come last December’s Alamo off against the dan- abashed title hopes. let of rugged road were hardly of easily. ULL has Bowl. Still, the Wildcats gerous Golden Hur- It’s the big game on the games, this will be standard UT a new coach and schedule, maybe across a welcome exit to stock. Will these has been picked have elite offensive skill ricane offense. This players, if no experi- is a veteran TU team the Big 12. It’ll be a the rest area that be any better? to finish near the tough task at Kyle Field, is Boone Pickens The Cowboys still bottom of the Sun enced offensive line- and one that would men. covet an upset. although OSU has won Stadium before figure to have an Belt Conference. the last three meetings. heading back out. edge in talent. THE OKLAHOMAN I 2011 OKLAHOMA STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW I PAGE 5 OPUBCO COMMUNICATIONS GROUP OSU schedule analysis BY JOHN HELSLEY, OKLAHOMAN STAFF WRITER 2011 a season of road tests for the Cowboys Oct. 22 at Oct. 29 vs. Nov. 5 vs. Nov. 12 at Nov. 18 at Dec. 3 vs. Missouri Baylor Kansas State Texas Tech Iowa State Oklahoma The Cowboys For all the recent Bill Snyder has The Cowboys won Any late-season In a perfect scenario, stunned a excitement sur- returned to bolster- comfortably in Lub- visit to Ames can the Cowboys and high-ranked rounding the Bears, ing his squad with bock last year. The be dangerous, Sooners meet un- Tigers team in they haven’t fared transfers. And the Red Raiders could be with the chance of beaten with the Big 12 their last trip so well against the Wildcats could be improved in Year 2 of wicked weather. title on the line. It’s a to Columbia. class of the league. improved, having the Tommy Tuber- The Cyclones long and difficult road Mizzou’s OSU rolled them added talent. But ville regime — or not, seem to be on the for OSU. But if they defense should up with ease a year there are QB con- depending on much rise. But are they somehow make it, be stout, but ago. And this one is cerns and a lack of much he drifts away athletic enough this will be the big- the offense has back in Stillwater. playmakers overall. from the spread of- to hang with the gest game in program issues. fense. Pokes? history. PAGE 6 I 2011 OKLAHOMA STATE FOOTBALL PREVIEW I THE OKLAHOMAN OPUBCO COMMUNICATIONS GROUP 2011 football schedule SEPT. 3 vs. La-Lafayette OCT. 22 at Missouri @ Boone Pickens Stadium, 6 p.m. Columbia, Mo., TBA TV: Fox College Sports TV: TBA Radio: Cowboy radio network Radio: Cowboy radio network SEPT. 8 vs. Arizona OCT. 29 vs. Baylor @ Boone Pickens Stadium, 7 p.m. @ Boone Pickens Stadium, TBA TV: ESPN TV: TBA Radio: Cowboy radio network Radio: Cowboy radio network SEPT. 17 at Tulsa NOV. 5 vs. Kansas State Tulsa, 9 p.m. @ Boone Pickens Stadium, TBA TV: FSN TV: TBA Radio: Cowboy radio network Radio: Cowboy radio network SEPT. 24 at Texas A&M NOV. 12 at Texas Tech College Station, Texas; TBA Lubbock, Texas; TBA TV: TBA TV: TBA Radio: Cowboy radio network Radio: Cowboy radio network OCT. 8 vs. Kansas NOV. 18 at Iowa State @ Boone Pickens Stadium, TBA Ames, Iowa; 8 p.m. TV: TBA TV: ESPN2 Radio: Cowboy radio network Radio: Cowboy radio network OCT.