The Daily O’Collegian

Michael Bevers/O’Collegian

Junior quarterback Zac Robinson had an early interception in OSU’s 61-41 loss Saturday, but he recovered to rack up 344 total yards and four touchdowns. Sophomore receiver Dez Bryant broke the OSU record for touchdown receptions in a season, but the Cowboys fell to a top-3 team for the third time this season.

Three things stood between OSU and a perfect season.

Those things just happened to be the No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the nation.

After the No. 3 Sooners tacked on a late touchdown on the Cowboys to make the final score 61-41, fate had settled in. The Cowboys finished the 2008 regular season fourth in the Big 12 South with a 9-3 record and another loss to rival Oklahoma.

However, OSU’s losses came at the hands of elite teams — No. 1 Texas, No. 2 Texas Tech and No. 3 Oklahoma.

The Cowboys took care of business this year against lesser opponents and were just a few plays away from victories at Texas and against Oklahoma.

“It’s obviously tough,” junior quarterback Zac Robinson said. “We play in an outstanding conference, which gives great teams every week.

“When you lose to No. 1, No. 2 and No. 3 teams in the country, it’s tough, but we have hung right in there with the best of them.”

In years past, the Cowboys have lost to teams with poorer records. Baylor in 2005, Kansas State in 2006 and Troy 2007 were all games that Oklahoma State were favored in but lost.

This year, the Cowboys won every game they were favored in and lost to the three highest ranked teams in the nation.

“It’s important that we take care of ourselves and not worry about our opponents,” coach Mike Gundy said. “Every time we practice and every time we play a game, we ask our guys to get a little bit better.

The top three teams in the Big 12 have been shuffled many times this season and the Cowboys were a part of that mix.

Oklahoma State and Missouri both finished 9-3, but both teams were further down in the overall Big 12 race.

“That is just playing in the Big 12 South,” defensive coordinator Tim Beckman said.

“That is what competition is all about, and when you sign a letter of intent to play in the Big 12 South, you are going to be playing against some great teams.

“Texas, Oklahomas, Texas Techs, all good good football teams and very well-coached, just as we are, and we were with them for most of the games.”

The Big 12 is constantly compared to the SEC, and experts argue about which conference is stronger.

Trooper Taylor, former Tennessee assistant coach and now Cowboy co-offensive coordinator, has experience with both conferences.

“After being through both of them, I will tell you it’s pretty tough,” Taylor said. “You watch the guys, and every week one has beaten the other one up. I thought I left that behind, but I jumped right back into the fire.

“That is what you want as college player and a college coach. You want to be at the best and highest level. I am excited about the group that is coming back.”

OSU will return a majority of its starters next year while several of the Big 12’s upper-echelon teams will be losing key players.

“We would like to win those games, and in all those games we played our hardest and we just fell short,” sophomore Dez Bryant said.

“We are just going to look past this and get ready for our bowl game and get ready for offseason and practice hard and get ready for next fall.”