Oklahoma State football notebook: Controlling Big 12 title destiny ‘easier said than done'

Entering this weekend's games, only two teams control their own destiny to capture the Big 12 title. One, of course, is Kansas State, a team that is undefeated at 7-0, has already won at Oklahoma and at West Virginia and is third in the latest BCS standings. Advertisement .tn_results td {padding: 3px;}.tn_results a {font-weight: bold;}.tn_results_alternate_row {background: #F4F4F4;}.tn_results_event_text{font-weight:bold;}.tn_results_venue_text, .tn_results_tickets_text, .tn_results_datetime_text {color: #666;text-align: center;} Buy Tickets View all 2012 OSU Football Schedule Buy tickets The other is Oklahoma State, because it has one conference loss and K-State, Texas Tech and OU still ahead on the schedule. “Easier said than done,” coach Mike Gundy said when assessing the rest of the season. “I think the interesting concept with our league right now is we would all agree that Kansas State is ahead of everybody. Not that I'm going to sit here and comment on the entire league. I think Oklahoma's played pretty well lately. They've gained some ground. “And then the rest of us, for the way we're playing, I think you've got to limit your mistakes, you've got to play with effort, you've got to stay as healthy as possible. And offensively, it's all about big plays. And then defensively, it's about forcing turnovers. Air Max 95“That's the fun thing with our league right now with fans and media, and not so fun for coaches.” OSU'S GRADUATION SUCCESS RATE SCORE TIED FOR SIXTH IN BIG 12 Oklahoma State and Iowa State are tied for sixth in the Big 12 in the latest football Graduation Success Rate (GSR) scores released Thursday by the NCAA. OSU and ISU both had a GSR score of 62 percent. Recently departed Missouri led the conference with a 73 percent GSR, followed by Kansas (72), Texas A&M (69), Texas Tech (66) and Baylor (63). Kansas State (58), Texas (58) and Oklahoma (47) scored lower than OSU. The figures released are for students who entered college in 2005 and, unlike the Federal graduation rate, take transfers and students who leave the school while in good academic standing into account. The Big 12's newcomers, West Virginia and TCU, both posted GSR scores of 79. OSU SPREAD SYSTEM CATERS TO WIDE RECEIVERS, TOO Even without two starting receivers in Tracy Moore and Isaiah Anderson, the OSU passing game still churned out 415 yards against Iowa State and nearly had three receivers tally more than 100 yards. Charlie Moore finished with eight catches for 123 yards, while Josh Stewart had 13 catches for 89 yards and Blake Jackson had four catches for 96 yards. Offensive coordinator Todd Monken, as usual, downplayed the stats. But it's clear that the Cowboys' spread system still caters to receivers just as much as it caters to quarterbacks. “Probably, more than anything, (it's) creating space and making someone defend the field,” Monken said of the keys to receiver success in OSU's offense. “And then doing as much as you can over and over, so those guys get used to doing things. “It's the same thing as having two or three running backs that run for a lot of yards — then you've got to be running it. If you're throwing it a bunch then, hell, someone's got to catch it. And then, obviously, the better they are as players, the more they can do with it once it's in their hands and making people miss.” Despite the bevy of injuries at quarterback and receiver this season, OSU currently ranks seventh in the nation in passing offense (351 yards per game), while Stewart is tied for 13th nationally with seven receptions per game. GUNDY TALKS WACKY SIDELINE HABITS It's pretty well-documented that TCU coach Gary Patterson has a habit of constantly pulling his pants up and tying his shoes on the sideline. During the television broadcast of the Horned Frogs' triple-overtime loss to Texas Tech, the behavior was fully on display. And Gundy admitted he noticed the shoe tying when asked during Monday's press conference if he had any superstitions or nervous habits. “I've never really watched TCU play an entire game, because they weren't in our league, and I just didn't,” Gundy said. “…I thought whoever that equipment manager is, they've got to get him some shoestrings that stay tied. “I was going to give him a hard time, but you spilled the beans there on me.” Back to the original question: Does Gundy have any wacky sideline rituals? “I flip my (headset) switch on and off if I get tired of hearing Monken cuss,” Gundy said. “I go to the other deal, because (defensive coordinator) Bill Young's just as calm as all, and it's peaceful for me. Then I flip it back and forth.” MEET COWBOY HOOPS BEFORE SATURDAY'S GAME Members of the OSU men's basketball team will be stationed outside the northeast corner of Boone Pickens Stadium from 12:45 until 2 p.m. Saturday signing posters and offering shooting tips to children prior to the football team's game against TCU. Each child will also have a chance to win a Cowboy basketball, while supplies last. The autograph session is part of the Hall of Fame Block Party on the north side of the stadium.