Oklahoma State football fans should want Eric Morris, North Texas to make CFP | Mussatto
NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos...
OSU fans are in one of two camps.
Some Pokes are hoping North Texas loses to Tulane in the American Conference title game on Friday night so Eric Morris can hightail it to Stillwater ASAP, shed his green for orange for good — assuming he doesn’t stick around for a non-CFP bowl game — and go all in on his new job.
Others are pulling for Morris and the Mean Green to win Friday and secure a bid in the College Football Playoff. What better way to restore the reputation of OSU football than to have the Cowboys’ new head coach featured on national television as free advertisement for the future of Oklahoma State football?
The entire Cowboy contingent should be in camp No. 2, flying the North Texas flag as honorary Dentonites. Dentonians? Dentoners?
Here’s why.
What’s the rush?
College football’s early signing period is over and the transfer portal doesn’t open until Jan. 2. Now, that doesn’t mean players, agents and general managers aren’t negotiating behind the scenes, but players can’t take visits or communicate with coaches until January.
As our man Scott Wright reported, North Texas GM Raj Murti is already working on behalf of the Cowboys — recruiting, evaluating and no doubt getting a jump on portal-bound players.
Gone are the days of a heliocentric coach. A lot of roster-building can be done without them. The nuts and bolts, at least, before the coach provides the finishing touch. Not saying that’s how Eric Morris is going to operate at OSU, but to think the Cowboys are hamstrung until the Mean Green is eliminated from playoff contention is naive.
Eight players who signed with OSU on Wednesday were North Texas commits, including quarterback prospect Brodie Vehrs from Chandler, Arizona.
Most notably, Jenks running back Kaydin Jones flipped his commitment from Kansas to OSU.
Morris’ split obligations probably didn’t hurt the Cowboys one bit.
“They’ve done a very, very good job of recruiting here in the state of Texas,” said John Wesloski, the dad of North Texas’ leading tackler, Ethan Wesloski. “You’re competing against amazing schools, but it’s not like he was taking the leftovers. He was recruiting head to head with these other schools.”
OSU needs a win
The positive exposure Eric Morris could bring to OSU football with North Texas in the CFP is unquantifiable, but my bet is that it far outweighs the benefit of Morris being in Stillwater full time starting Saturday versus starting two weeks from Saturday.
The perception of OSU football has plummeted. Morris leading North Texas to the CFP would give the Cowboys a jolt.
“Anybody that looks at his track record and doubts his ability to scale his success I think is underselling and underappreciating what he’s done,” said Tom Young, the dad of North Texas’ leading receiver, Wyatt Young.
Think of all the times the camera is going to pan to Morris on the sideline — more than once the broadcast is going to mention how Morris is set to take over at Oklahoma State. How the guy who just led North Texas to maybe its best season in program history, who’s orchestrated the most prolific offense in the country, is Stillwater-bound.
Same goes for the American Conference title game, albeit for a drastically smaller audience. You’ll have the OSU coach-elect against Jon Sumrall, the new man at Florida.
The Cowboys and Gators are indirectly playing for bragging rights.
“Coach Morris has put himself in a great position,” Tom Young said. “With success comes interest and great opportunity, which is super cool, and he’s such a deserving dude. It’s easy to be excited for him. Bittersweet because we know so much around here could change.”
North Texas deserves your support
You took their coach! Such is life for a Group of Five program, but show some compassion.
The Mean Green is on the cusp of the playoff, yet it’s all sort of bittersweet for the UNT faithful because the coach who led them to the promised land already has one foot on the north side of the Red River.
“We all wish he’d stay,” said Scott Robinson, a business owner in Denton and longtime UNT supporter. “He’ll probably take some of the players with him. But he’s gotta do what’s best for him. He’s moving up, he’s not moving sideways.”
Added Todd Samuels, who’s on the board of directors for the UNT alumni association: “It’s hard, but being in the Group of Five, it’s become a normal thing we’ve got to deal with.”
“Every time we get a little good,” said North Texas alum John Woolley, “usually someone comes in and hires them away.”
Despite their resignation at losing Morris, most of the North Texas fans I talked to said they’ll be pulling for him at OSU.
“I think he’s awesome, and I wish him the best,” Woolley said. “I wish it could be here. Unfortunately it’s not gonna be. He’s turned our program around and given us some fun football to watch.”
You know who hasn’t had fun football to watch? OSU fans for two years running. Remind yourselves what it feels like to root for a winner. Plus, how cool would it be to see the team who plays in the stadium you’ve never been to but have passed 146 times on I-35 make the College Football Playoff?
A team led by the nation’s leading passer in Drew Mestemaker, who didn’t start on varsity in high school, and a running back from Shawnee’s North Rock Creek in Caleb Hawkins who leads the nation in total touchdowns.
And of course there’s the possibility, perhaps a strong one, that one or both of those guys will follow Morris to Stillwater.
And who knows who else.
“We have so much time to think about what’s next,” Tom Young said. “They have an opportunity to win a ring and go to a conference championship and go to the CFP. What’s next is always going to be in the back of our mind, but shame on us if we don’t enjoy what’s now, and what’s now is so awesome.”
Joe Mussatto is a sports columnist for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Joe? Email him at jmussatto@oklahoman.com. Support Joe's work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
AAC championship
NORTH TEXAS VS. TULANE: 7 p.m. Friday at Yulman Stadium in New Orleans (ABC)
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Eric Morris, North Texas making CFP would be win for OSU football
More at NCAAF College Football News, Photos, Stats, Scores, Schedule & Videos