FanHouse OklahomaStateCowboys

The Oklahoma State Cowboys rallied in the second half to defeat Colorado, 31-28, on Thursday night at Boone Pickens Stadium to remain in contention for their first BCS bowl.

With Zac Robinson sitting out the game due to a shoulder injury, the 12th-ranked Cowboys (9-2, 6-1 Big 12) turned to junior Alex Cate but it was third-string sophomore Brandon Weeden who rallied them from a 21-10 deficit against the struggling Buffaloes.

Weeden completed 10 of 15 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns. His 28-yard touchdown pass to Justin Blackmon while rolling right gave the Oklahoma State Cowboys the lead for good with 8:11 remaining in the game. Weeden also had a 47-yard touchdown throw to running back Keith Toston earlier in the second half.

The news just keeps getting worse for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, the team many figured could challenge Texas and Oklahoma for supremacy in the Big 12 this season.

The school confirmed Wednesday that All-American receiver Dez Bryant has been declared ineligible after lying to the NCAA about his interaction with former NFL star Deion Sanders this past May. Bryant visited Sanders' home in Texas, had lunch with him and worked out with the NFL star this past May.

But when asked by the NCAA first in the offseason, then again Sept. 11 about the interaction with Sanders, Bryant denied both accounts because he thought it was a rules violation. The meeting and workout with Sanders, who is unaffiliated with Oklahoma State, likely wasn't a violation. Misleading NCAA investigators, however, is.

There were a few reasons why Pitt could feel confident going into the second half of Sunday's second-round game with Oklahoma State knotted at 49. DeJuan Blair only had three rebounds, one foul and one point. Sam Young was on fire with 23 first half points. Unlike the previous game, Pitt only had six turnovers. Finally, Oklahoma State had shot 63 percent for the first half (17-of-27, and nearly that on threes with 10-of-16), but were not in the lead.

While Sam Young was hot for Pitt, it was Levance Fields draining a three just before halftime to tie the game that killed Oklahoma State. The Cowboys had played a nearly perfect offensive half. They had completely limited DeJuan Blair from getting a chance at the ball -- even if they did not get him in foul trouble. Yet, they were only in a tie game.

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Who's in? Who's out? Find out as FanHouse takes a look at teams somewhere between in NCAA or NIT.

Team: Oklahoma State Cowboys

Record: 20-9 (9-6 Big 12)

Good Wins: Rhode Island (Oklahoma City), Texas, Kansas State and at Nebraska

Bad Losses: At Baylor

Oklahoma State's Donovan Woods will line up in his fourth position in as many years this fall. The 6-2, 225-pound Woods has previously been a quarterback, free safety and strong safety for the Cowboys. In 2007, he will line up at the modestly-named "star" position. According to OSU coaches becoming a Star means being utilized as a linebacker/safety hybrid.

"We did it a lot at Ohio State," said new defensive coordinator Tim Beckman following the Cowboys' 94-play situational scrimmage on Friday. "It's just one position where we can utilize him."

Donovan is keeping a positive mindset, which is refreshing in a time of rampant "me first, gimme, gimme" attitudes in college sports.

"Plans change," Woods said. "Only one person has the true plan for us, so I kind of look at it that way." "I knew I had the potential to play a lot of positions," Woods said. "I can look at it and say, 'Wow, I really have played four positions in four years,' but I'm continuing to get an opportunity. I'm thankful for that."

And you can't blame the Cowboys for attempting to utilize Donovan anyway they can. He is after all, the last of the long line of Woods brothers to come through Stillwater. Donovan was preceded at Oklahoma State by siblings Rashaun and D'Juan, who are both in the top five in receptions and receiving yards for the Cowboys.

Oklahoma State quarterback Bobby Reid is hoping to build on a successful 2006 season. A year ago the athletic junior threw for 2,226 yards and 24 touchdowns. This season he's hoping to improve his control of the offense.

"I expect more out of myself and more control of the game," the junior added. "I want to start dictating things more and I just want to be more efficient than I was last year."

Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy appears to be high on Reid's abilities this spring.

"Bobby is better now than he was at the end of the year. He's doing a better job of engineering and controlling the offense. He's more confident now and if he continues to run the ball like he has in the last four or five practices, he'll be able to create a lot of problems for a defense."

Despite the superlatives, Gundy isn't entirely ready to dismiss the two-quarterback system he employed a year ago. That means fans can expect to continue to see sophomore Zac Robinson.

"We'll have six or eight plays a game with Zac in there because he's a good player and he makes plays," Gundy added. "The more playing time he gets will help him. ... There's no substitute for game experience."

It makes sense to get both quarterbacks on the field, especially given the success the Cowboys enjoyed in 2006. Reid appears capable of carrying the team, but Robinson has also shown the ability to step up, including completing 8/17 passes for 149 yards against Oklahoma a year ago.

I'm having some Fred MacMurray in "Double Indemnity" visions. The Oklahoma State Athletic Department will be taking out $10 million insurance policies on 25 of its alumni/donors.

OSU's "Gift of a Lifetime" program involves selected alums in a broad age spread who have qualified for $10 million individual life insurance policies and agreed to name Cowboy Athletics the beneficiary. Cowboy Athletics is paying the premiums. So far, 25 alums have qualified for the program, which is a form of testamentary giving.

Oklahoma State will pay $20 million in premiums on the 25 alums. Sort of. They borrowed the money to pay the premiums. The members of the Deathwatch class of 2007 all are between the age of 65 and 85 (and presumably white and male) and passed a physical (meaning the insurer is not the same company that Ed McMahon pitches on daytime cable).

Already other schools are inquiring about how the program works, so expect this tactic to spread. I'm sure the official names for other programs will be equally versed in double speak in how they title a program that encourages their fans to literally die for their school. I do think the Penn State program called, "Just try and outlive Joe Paterno" is a winner.

Other views on the Cowboy Deadpool:

The Wizard of Odds: Pickens Again at Center of Controversy
Every Day Should Be Saturday: T. Boone Pickens Bets on Death, Sweet Death