Oklahoma State: We'd Better Recognize

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

You might remember how high I was on Oklahoma State as I was preparing for my 2009 One Great Season tour. I was a big Mike Gundy fan and I thought the Cowboys' offense was going to be loaded with a Heisman Trophy trio of candidates like Ohio State's offense was in the 2006 preseason.

Oklahoma State had Zac Robinson coming back at quarterback, Kendall Hunter at running back and Dez Bryant at wideout. For a variety of reasons, none of the three had the seasons that were expected of them, but in Stillwater, fans this year are saying better late than never. There's a new trio in town, and they've got the Cowboys atop the Big 12 South Division heading into next week's clash with instate rival Oklahoma, with a berth in the conference championship game on the line.

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Quarterback Brandon Weeden had yet another stellar Saturday in his team's 48-14

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Dez Bryant Not Ineligible For This Photo Gallery

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

BATON ROUGE, La. -- Oklahoma State star wideout Dez Bryant, whose name was sprinkled onto some preseason Heisman lists, was ruled ineligible for violating an NCAA rule, the university announced Wednesday.

The school also said it has already begun to file an appeal on Bryant's behalf.

Bryant developed a relationship with former NFL star Deion Sanders, and lied when asked to disclose specific details of any interaction between the two.

"This incident does not involve anyone associated with the OSU football or athletic department staffs, any employee of the university, alumni, donors, or any third-party affiliated with OSU," read a statement issued by the school and cited by The Tulsa World. "OSU is taking this step because Bryant failed to openly disclose to the NCAA the full details of his interaction with a former NFL player not affiliated with OSU."

Bryant also was quoted in the statement.

"I made a mistake by not being entirely truthful when meeting with the NCAA," he said. "I sincerely regret my mistake and apologize to my teammates, coaches, OSU fans and the NCAA."

Added coach Mike Gundy: "We are certainly disappointed, but we are moving forward as we would with any challenge during the season."

In four games for the No. 15 Cowboys (3-1), Bryant has 17 catches for 323 yards and four touchdowns. Two of those touchdowns came in the season opener against Georgia, pictures of which can be seen in a gallery of Dez Bryant pictures right here.

After Arrest, Cox Says Cowboys Ready For Prime Time

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

STILLWATER, Okla. -- After Georgia blasted Oklahoma State in 2007, Cowboys Coach Mike Gundy said his team wasn't ready for big-time games like that one. But two years later, OSU players now say they're up to the challenge, including defensive back Perrish Cox, fresh off last week's arrest for allegedly driving with a suspended license.

Oklahoma State, unranked before the 2007 meeting with the traditionally strong Bulldogs, finds itself in a unique position -- ranked among the nation's top ten teams before a single game has been played.

Saturday's meeting at Boone Pickens Stadium will be one of the top games in the country this weekend, and it's arguably the biggest season opener in team history.

There's so much focus on the game that Gundy kept the media away from practice for 10 days. Monday's luncheon was the first chance for reporters to ask their oh-so-critical questions.

And Cox, one of the nation's top dual-threats -- he's a lockdown corner who returns kicks with the best of them -- said he thinks he and his defensive mates are ready to improve a unit that was among the worst in the country.

NCAA's Handshake Move Rattles Gundy

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

STILLWATER, Okla. -- There's going to be some feel-good college football this weekend, particularly in Columbus when Ohio State fans are expected to stand and applaud when visiting Navy takes the field before it gets slaughtered by the Buckeyes.

YOUR THOUGHTS: Should teams shake hands before the game?

And in other games that don't have BCS implications, student-athletes will shake hands with their opponents before going to battle.

The NCAA has encouraged its schools to ask their players to meet their opponents at midfield for pregame handshakes this weekend. But some teams are thinking about things far more important than the practice of good sportsmanship.

Heck, here in Stillwater, Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy has a national championship to chase this year, beginning with a huge tilt at home Saturday against national power Georgia.

Monday was my first face-to-face exposure with the man whose "I'm-a-man-I'm-40" meltdown was a YouTube sensation in 2007, and he told a room full of reporters familiar with the program that he didn't want to get riled up about the handshake sitch. Gundy light-heartedly asked a reporter not to inquire about the NCAA's suggestion, but the reporter of course pressed anyway.

"You have 110 or 115 (Oklahoma State players) that could potentially be in uniform and (Georgia's) bringing approximately 70," Gundy reasoned. "It just takes one guy to pop off, and I don't know that we could get it broken up before the game. That's one thing that concerns us."

Should a pregame donnybrook ensue, you can bet you'll see pictures of it right here on One Great Season.

"I have a lot of respect for (Georgia) Coach (Mark) Richt and their team and I'm sure he probably does for us, but how do you control something like that?"

Though the game is just a few days away, Gundy said he's still uncertain what to do.

"We haven't made that decision," he said. "It's a difficult decision."

OSU LB Expects "Old-School" Battle With Bulldogs

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Andre Sexton is hardly old-school. He's that new kind of hybrid linebacker/safety that's become all the rage in the sport the last couple of years. But that doesn't mean he's unclear about what tradition-rich Georgia will bring to Boone Pickens Stadium for college football's biggest game this opening weekend.

I had the pleasure Monday of meeting a couple guys from the OSU school newspaper, The Daily O'Collegian. Ryan Stewart told me it will be a sad day for local sports scribes when Sexton plays his final game for the Cowboys, since "he's the best interview on the team by far."

Sexton said while he's aware of Georgia's speed and athleticism, he doesn't expect the Bulldogs to forget to pack some of that "old-school" power for the trip.

Zac Robinson Says Passing Game Deeper Than Dez

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Zac Robinson, with his mop-top hanging just above those Adrian Grenier Hollywood blues, told reporters at Monday's media luncheon that his team is deeper and more mature than it was last year, so it's time to turn those close losses they couldn't finish last year into victories in 2009.

Plenty of preseason attention has gone to Robinson, his star wideout Dez Bryant and fellow stud Kendall Hunter at running back. But Robinson said the passing offense goes beyond Bryant, that there's a virtual entourage of receivers from which he'll be able to choose when SEC power Georgia visits Boone Pickens Stadium Saturday.

One Great Season Tour Kicks Off

By JOHN P. WISE
One Great Season

STILLWATER, Okla. -- It's official: the One Great Season tour has arrived in Stillwater for Week One of what promises to be, well, one great season.

I'll be covering the Georgia vs. Oklahoma State game here at Boone Pickens Stadium on Saturday, but throughout the week leading up to the big season-opener, I'll try to capture some of the color and flavor for those of you who aren't here with me.

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