The Oklahoma State Cowboys and Stanford Cardinal are both going to be disappointed to not be in the BCS National Championship Game this year. Both teams were most certainly flawed though, and that's why they are going to be competing against each other in the 2012 Fiesta Bowl.
Okie State is the team that really has to be kicking itself, because it was kept out of the title game thanks to a shocking loss to the Iowa State Cyclones in a game that really was there for the taking. The good news is that the Cowboys did come out and crush the Oklahoma Sooners in Bedlam, which proved to be the de facto Big XII Championship Game this year.
QB Brandon Weeden has a great offense and a ton of talent surrounding him. He threw for 4,328 yards and 34 TDs against 12 picks. His top target was WR Justin Blackmon, who had 113 receptions, 1,336 yards, and 15 trips to the end zone. It's not like the rushing game wasn't stout as well. RB Joseph Randle had 1,193 yards on the ground and a total of 25 TDs, while his backup, RB Jeremy Smith had 645 yards and nine scores on the ground.
The stock for QB Andrew Luck is starting to fall. He was the runaway favorite for the Heisman Trophy for the mass majority of the season, but he failed to win the award and couldn't capitalize on the fact that the biggest game of the year against the Oregon Ducks was on "The Farm" in Palo Alto. Stanford was crushed in that game 53-30, and though it finished up the year at 11-1, it never really seemed like it recovered.
Luck threw for 3,185 yards and 35 scores on the campaign, but he was also picked off nine times. His top receiver, WR Chris Owusu had a terrible season that was marred with injuries, and a concussion very well could keep him out of the Fiesta Bowl as well.
RB Stepfan Taylor is clearly a rising star for the Cardinal, though. He had 1,153 yards and a total of 10 TDs on the season, matching that of TE Coby Fleener, who had 648 yards on just 32 receptions. His 20.3 yards per catch average was one of the top in the nation regardless of position and was clearly the best for tight ends in the game.
The Fiesta Bowl betting odds at 5Dimes.com have favored Okie State for the whole bowl season. The Cowboys are laying 3.5, while the 'total' is set at 74, the highest of any of the BCS bowl games.
