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For Oklahoma State, beating even a lackluster Texas is still crucial
Even though Texas doesn't seem like Texas anymore -- the Longhorns have lost four of their past five games and nine of their past 15 -- beating UT at home still is a big deal, especially if you're an out-of-state program that recruits heavily in the Lone Star State. Oklahoma State has won its past three trips to Austin, and that has certainly helped the Cowboys' recruiting in the state.
"We've had a lot of success in the state of Texas," OSU coach Mike Gundy told me Tuesday on this week's Edward Jones Huddle. "This is a big game for us in recruiting. There are so many players that'll watch this game from the state of Texas."
A prime example of the game's impact is Emmanuel Ogbah, the most talented guy who will be on the field Saturday and a guy who as a recruit attended UT's game with OSU. Ogbah also wasn't one of those guys pegged as an elite prospect by most of the recruiting world. However, he's emerged as a force for Oklahoma State. He has 4.5 TFLs and 3.5 sacks to lead OSU this fall. Last season, Ogbah was named the Big 12's Defensive Lineman of the Year after notching 17 TFLs and 11 sacks as a sophomore.
Ogbah grew up a Longhorn fan and wanted to play for UT, but was never offered. He was one of 12 Texans in his 23-man signing class to come to Oklahoma State.
Of OSU's 15 commits this far, seven are Texans, including blue-chip QB prospect Nick Starkel.
Ogbah is just the latest OSU unheralded Texas recruit who has blossomed in Stillwater, following in the line of Ryan Simmons, Jimmy Bean, Kendall Hunter and Russell Okung.
"[Ogbah's] come in and done terrific," Gundy said. "He's a potential first-round draft pick in our opinion at some point in his career. He was a two-star [recruit], maybe a three-star. We don't get many five-star players here. We don't get a lot of four-star players. We look for the guys that we feel like can develop and that football is really important to 'em, have a high football IQ and want to be a part of the team, and Emmanuel certainly fits that criteria. He's done a great job of developing his body and staying focused on academics."
Gundy said Ogbah showed up at 227 pounds but weighed in at 275 pounds before this season started.
"He made big strides last year. He just kinda showed up and started making big plays. He's really polished his game now, and he's improved his speed. He's gotten down from a mid-4.7 (40) guy to a low 4.6 guy. His attitude and work ethic has been tremendous."
It's been contagious for the 3-0 Cowboys, just the way Gundy hopes the message to Texas recruits will spread.
Bruce Feldman is a senior college football reporter and columnist for FOXSports.com and FS1. He is also a New York Times best-selling author. His new book, “The QB: The Making of Modern Quarterbacks,” came out in October 2014. Follow him on Twitter @BruceFeldmanCFB and Facebook.
