Two on OSU with The Hutchens Twins

Guerin Emig joins Sam and Ben Hutchens to discuss what Mike Gundy needs to do as he faces a daunting early-season slate of opponents.Show highlights: 06:21: A surprising non-conference opponent that could be just as difficult as a Big 12 opponent11:12: The Cowboys’ best route to the College Football Playoff is to win the Big 1213:4:7 The extra value of bye weeks18:55: Colorado should be improved, but Guerin likes OSU’s chances against the BuffaloeProducer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneSocial media team: Bobby HowardDirector of Content: Mike Sherman Subscribe on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

Jimmy Johnson is a Pro Football Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl-winning coach, the last coming 30 years ago this month.But in 1981, Johnson was a first-year, first-time head football coach at Oklahoma State about to tell Matt Monger he should quit the sport.Johnson waved Monger, a freshman walk-on from Miami, Oklahoma, to come sit with him in the Lewis Field stands, where he would tell Monger he was wasting his time trying to play football and that it might be time to concentrate on his grades.Monger didn’t quit, instead becoming an All-Big Eight linebacker his senior season and making 175 tackles, still the second-most by any Cowboy in a single season. Monger went on to play five seasons in the NFL with the New York Jets and Buffalo Bills. On this episode of Two on OSU, Monger, now a financial advisor in Tulsa, reflects on his three seasons in Stillwater playing under Johnson and how Johnson and a talented coaching staff changed his life. Episode highlights:2:43 Jimmy Johnson’s ‘press on’ theme foreshadowed his coaching stardom3:46 How Johnson inspired loyal players, not mercenaries5:57 Monger “was a scrub” when he walked on the team7:50 Jimmy Johnson asked Monger to quit11:20 A case of mistaken identity helped Monger get on the field17:15 Johnson was helped by a strong cast of assistant coaches19:20 The best speech Johnson gave resulted in putting Monger on scholarshipA hearty thank you to the sponsors of this show:2 Fellas Movers: https://2fellas.com/MidFirst Bank: https://www.midfirst.com/Firelake Jobs: https://www.potawatomi.org/jobs/National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum: https://nationalcowboymuseum.org/Oklahoma Ford Dealers: https://www.buyfordnow.com/tulsa-okc-lawton/Read the latest on Sellout Crowd here: https://selloutcrowd.com/Want more free, exclusive OSU content every week? Sign up for our newsletter: https://selloutcrowd.us14.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=247e72513f7d1b2ed660a3777&id=d9f0762721Related stories:Gunnar Gundy re-enters transfer portal | https://selloutcrowd.com/oklahoma-state/2024/01/23/report-gunnar-gundy-re-enters-transfer-portal/ OSU freshman Willie Nelson has the name and game to shine in Stillwater |https://selloutcrowd.com/oklahoma-state/2024/01/20/osu-freshman-willie-nelson-has-the-name-and-game-to-shine-in-stillwater/ Episode links:YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCsz3eNHZ58YXDCkA3pNiU1A/videos X/Twitter https://twitter.com/Ben_Hutchens_, https://twitter.com/Sam_Hutchens_ Instagram https://www.instagram.com/samhutchens_/, https://www.instagram.com/ben_hutchens_/ Sellout Crowd https://selloutcrowd.com/ben-hutchens/, https://selloutcrowd.com/sam-hutchens/ Show info: Sellout Crowd https://selloutcrowd.com/ben-hutchens/, https://selloutcrowd.com/sam-hutchens/ Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/me/podcast/two-on-osu-with-the-hutchens-twins/id1705330024 Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/7qO7yHblGxM1yK41wQUck7 Credits:Producer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneSocial media team: Michael Martin, Bobby HowardDirector of Content: Mike Sherman

Losses keep coming for Oklahoma State basketball.The 8-9 Cowboys are 0-4 in conference play and have lost a player projected for a big role in the preseason.Seven-foot-one center Isaiah Miranda has left OSU, for what coach Mike Boynton called “personal reasons.” He transferred in as a highly touted recruit but played just 16 minutes across three games. The loss is not one of production, but of potential (0:53).The Cowboys have struggled with interior defense. Through four Big 12 games, OSU has allowed 184 points in the paint. In contrast, OSU has scored just 94 points in the paint during that stretch.“It’s a problem, there’s no question,” Boynton said. “Gotta go back and reevaluate. We’re taking away 3’s, but obviously we’re getting just annihilated (in the paint). And literally, it’s all the way at the rim, too. We’re not talking about guys making a bunch of runners or midrange pullups. They’re making, in many cases, uncontested layups.”Miranda’s loss ensures there’s no answer for OSU to turn to off the bench. His absence puts an increased emphasis on the other centers on the roster: 6-foot-11 freshman Brandon Garrison and 6-foot-10 senior Mike Marsh. (7:07)Full rundown:(00:53) Impact of Isaiah Miranda’s departure(4:14) Miranda’s potential popped in preseason practices(7:07) How promising freshman Brandon Garrison could benefit(9:32) Statistically, OSU has found a groove late in Big 12 play under Mike BoyntonProducer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneDirector of Content: Mike Sherman Subscribe on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

Sam joins me to give our way-to-early predictions for the 2024 Cowboy football season.Among them:Which nonconference game could give OSU the most trouble (9:49)How the Big 12 will do in the 12-team playoff format (12:25) A surprise player who will lead OSU in receiving yards (7:47). Also: Following the announcement this week that former OSU receiver Justin Blackmon is going into the College Football Hall of Fame this week, Sam and I recall Brandon Weeden’s story about their introduction while playing basketball at the Colvin Recreation Center (5:54) and Blackmon’s first touchdown against Colorado in 2009.OSU’s basketball is off to an 8-7 start (21:36). Freshman center Brandon Garrison scored a team-high 20 points and four blocks and we talk about why Mike Boynton got emotional talking Garrison’s Big 12 debut and what went wrong in Lubbock.Producer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneSubscribe on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

The Cowboys, by most standards, had a successful 2023. Ten wins, a Big 12 Championship Game appearance and a Texas Bowl win against Texas A&M were all landmarks of an impressive year.There is reason to think 2024 will be better. Considering OSU began 2023 rebuilding from 22 transfer portal departures and without a clear starting quarterback and still managed a 10 wins, the path to success seems relatively simple in 2024.OSU returns the focal point of its offense, running back Ollie Gordon, who led the nation with 1,732 rushing yards. The team’s leading receiver, Brennan Presley, is back for a super-senior year. Offensive line starters Cole Birmingham, Dalton Cooper, Jake Springfield and Joe Michalski have announced returns. “(Next year we could be) dangerous…dangerous for sure,” quarterback Alan Bowman said. Of course, the senior Bowman is waiting for the NCAA to approve his medical hardship waiver to play next season. He said after the Texas Bowl he expects a decision in the next couple of weeks. Regardless of the decision, offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn said he feels good about Bowman, and young 2024 quarterback options Garret Rangel and Zane Flores. “Zane is talented, so is Garret, so it will be interesting moving forward into spring how the dynamic at quarterback changes, well, not changes, but (sorts) its way out,” Dunn said.Defensively, linebacker Nick Martin emerged as a star and will return for his junior season. He led the Big 12 with 140 tackles, 25 more than UCF linebacker Jason Johnson. OSU’s top four-tacklers: Martin, Kendal Daniels, Trey Rucker and Collin Oliver are all NFL Draft eligible but can return.“The large majority of players that are on this team that have the chance to come back have said that they want to come back,” coach Mike Gundy said. “I think they like the chemistry of the team. I think they like competing with each other against whoever we’re playing and they feel like we could make a really good run next year.” Producer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneSubscribe on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

Heston and Holden Thompson have starred at Stillwater High playing football and track. The identical twins will fulfill their dreams by walking on at OSU next year after graduation.They joined Two on OSU to talk about their football careers (3:17), track background (2:19), the moment they accomplished their goal of getting an offer to walk-on at OSU (9:29) and their Pioneers teammates also playing at OSU next season (32:17). The conversation closes with a conversation about the bizarre things that identical twins get asked (13:32) and a how-well-do-you-know-your twin quiz (20:35).Producer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneSubscribe on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

Maealiuaki Smith’s remarkable high school football career ended with disappointment.Next season, Smith, a quarterback and the top recruit in Oklahoma State’s 2024 class, will be a Cowboy. Now, he is at Junipero Serra High School in California, where he broke records held by the Padres’ most famous graduate: Tom Brady.Saturday, Serra lost 35-0 to Mater Dei in the California Open Division Final. Serra entered the matchup 12-0, but No. 1 Mater Dei, the No. 1 high school team in the nation with commits to Oregon, Stanford, Alabama and Georgia limited Serra to just 58 yards.Smith took over as Serra’s quarterback at the end of his sophomore season. His junior year he passed for 2,781 yards and 34 touchdowns, both school records. In 1994, Brady threw for 2,121 yards and 20 touchdowns. In his final two seasons, Smith led the Padres to two state championship games and a 25-2 record.Sam Hutchens joins me to discuss Smith’s career (3:10). Sam also shares what he saw at the Paycom Center from the Cowboy basketball team Sunday night where OSU beat Tulsa 72-57. (19:30), and also four-star cornerback Kobe Black’s college decision (14:32) that you can read more about here. Producer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneSubscribe on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

It’s time to get the suit and tie back out of the closet. We are handing out honors in the Two on OSU Awards Show.But first, we highlight interim Texas A&M head coach Elijah Robinson’s press conference (2:39). The Cowboys' Texas Bowl opponent is undergoing major changes. Then we name the play of the year (8:00), newcomer of the year (10:45), defensive player of the year (12:45), best player in a supporting role (14:41) and MVP (16:55).If you disagree with one of our picks, let us know in the comments and we will open the discussion back on another show.Producer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneSubscribe on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

A win against Texas in the Big 12 Championship would have propelled Oklahoma State to lofty heights. A New Year’s Six Bowl against Georgia, or some other mighty foe, may have been in OSU’s future,Yeah, it’s probably right that OSU has settled in the TaxAct Texas Bowl. The Cowboys were bludgeoned in Arlington, losing 49-21, showing they didn’t have the firepower to hang with one of the best, most athletic teams in the nation. Coach Mike Gundy didn’t offer the explanation of being outcoached as he’d shared after blowouts against South Alabama and UCF.The Cowboys may have been outcoached, but Ben Hutchens and I think that, for the first time this season, the problem was OSU was outclassed.Producer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneSubscribe on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

Ben and Sam Hutchens preview OSU’s Big 12 Championship game matchup with Texas.They talk about the time Ollie Gordon and Quinn Ewers played against each other in the Texas high school playoffs, Mike Gundy winning Big 12 Coach of the Year and gave their score predictions for the Big 12 Championship2:00 Why Ollie Gordon said he felt like Texas disrespected him6:25 Gordon and Ewers played against each other in high school11:54 Mike Gundy Big 12 Coach of the YearProducer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael Lane

The Cowboys finished eighth in Big 12 scoring (30.2 points) and points allowed (27.3 points). Somehow that added up to a 7-2 conference record and a spot in the 11 a.m. title game Saturday against Texas in Arlington. Ben Hutchens joins me to break down what went right for OSU in the Cowboys’ come-from-behind win against BYU. We also recount moments that changed OSU’s season, with the Week 4 decision to turn the offense over to quarterback Alan Bowman. Producer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneSubscribe on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

This year’s Oklahoma State team that is competing for a Big 12 Championship is different from past iterations of OSU’s championship-caliber teams.In 2021, linebackers Malcolm Rodriguez and Devin Harper were two of a few future NFL defenders who anchored the Cowboys’ suffocating defense. In 2011, quarterback Brandon Weeden developed a connection with receiver Justin Blackmon.The 2023 Cowboys’ offense is ranked eighth in the Big 12 in scoring. The defense is ranked ninth in points allowed. And yet OSU finds itself in the driver’s seat to reach Arlington with one week left.Ben Hutchens joins me to talk about what makes OSU so special this season, and if the Cowboys will keep it up next week against BYU.Producer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneSubscribe on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

Cougars quarterback Donovan Smith who is built like former Cam Newton and is an integral part of Houston’s rushing game.Smith is 6-foot-5, 241 pounds, similar to the former Heisman Trophy winner, and has the most carries on his team this season. Ben Hutchens joins me to talk about how OSU has struggled at times against dual-threat quarterbacks and who will be important to stopping Smith.After a road walloping followed a triumphant Bedlam win, Oklahoma State has a chance to steady the season in its last road game of the regular season at Houston.OSU’s pass rush has been quiet lately. Coach Mike Gundy called it “very average” against UCF. We discuss the two linebackers who lead OSU in sacks and why they are important Saturday.The Cowboys final road trip will be their first of the season to the state of Texas. If the Cowboys close strong, they may not be done playing in the Lone Star State. Ben and I talk about the importance of Houston to the Big 12, some past notable OSU players hailing from Houston and the city’s importance to OSU.Producer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneSubscribe on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

Rain, turnovers and poor tackling led to Oklahoma State taking a 45-3 loss against UCF. My twin brother Ben Hutchens joins me to discuss whether what went wrong in Orlando could show up in Houston and against BYU. Also, what are the similarities between this game and OSU’s 33-7 loss to South Alabama, and which is more alarming?On the basketball side of things, Cowboy point guard Javon Small made his OSU debut and contributed to an 85-70 win against Sam Houston. His shot-creation helped OSU tie a program record with 17 3-pointers just one game after shooting 5-of-23 from deep.We wrap up the show trying to think of one good thing OSU did in Orlando…it’s as tough as it sounds.Producer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneSubscribe on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music

Stop me if you’ve heard this before: It feels like Ollie Gordon will have a big game on Saturday.OSU’s sophomore running back leads the NCAA with 1,224 rushing yards, more than 100 yards clear of Troy’s Kimani Vidal, OSU’s matchup Saturday should allow him to build on that lead. UCF allows an average of  211.8 yards per game on the ground, No. 127 of 133 FBS teams. My brother Ben Hutchens and I discuss expectations for Gordon and the Cowboys in a road matchup some view as a trap game.We also explain what went wrong for the Cowboys in their basketball season-opening loss against Abilene Christian.A two-minute drill closes the episode out. Because it is the first Big 12 matchup between the Knights and Cowboys, what is the first thing that comes to mind when you think of UCF?Producer: Jacquelyn MusgroveCreative Director: Michael LaneSubscribe on Youtube | Spotify | Apple Podcasts | Amazon Music