Sound Familiar

[Functianalyst]

I know you don’t want to hear me harp on comparing this year’s K-State team to the 2014 OSU team. But since last season is fresh in my memory and because I am in Oklahoma, tell me if any of this sounds familiar:

• OSU went into 2014 picked to finish 6th (5th at best) in the conference;
  
  
• They started the season against ranked FSU, losing 37-31;
  
  
• The Pokes won their next 5 games including 3 conference wins;
  

We know the rest. OSU went on to lose its next 5 games by an average score of 41-13 with 28 of those points being scored against Baylor. Coach Gundy warned OSU fans last year to not put too much credit in to how the season started. He knew that the O-Line was new and eventually took some hits during the season. They lost their starting QB, their 2nd string QB and eventually pulled the redshirt off Mason Rudolph with 2 games to go in the season.

It’s easiest to blame the coaching staff when a season goes as bad as this, I get it. Like OSU last year, we knew it was a rebuilding season. Also like OSU, matters only worsened when players started dropping faster than the coaches can develop the next man up. I am not sure how you prepare for that. But no matter how sound your preparation is for the upcoming game, how well you call plays, or no matter how much effort is put into the team executing during the game, 2nd, 3rd and even 4th/5th string players at this level are going to show, no matter if it’s TCU who has struggled because of injuries and suspensions on defense. I could be having a deja vu, but I am sure I saw what we are going through this year played out in Stillwater last year. Yet they bounced back.