(Neon Tommy will be previewing the 2011 College Football Season throughout the summer. You can find links to each of our Top 25 previews here. Today, we preview the team ranked 10th, the Oklahoma State Cowboys.) 

Gundy has led the Cowboys to five straight bowl games. (Aravind Seshadri via Wikimedia Commons)

Mike Gundy (47-29 over six years)

Oklahoma State’s 2010 season:

11-2 (6-2 in Big 12). Defeated Arizona 36-10 in the Valero Alamo Bow.

Offensive Analysis:

-- Ten returning starters

-- Impact Players: QB Brandon Weeden, WR Justin Blackmon, OT Levy Adcock

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are led by one of the best quarterback/receiver combinations in the country. All-American WR Justin Blackmon returns after recording 102 receptions for 1,665 yards and 18 touchdowns in his 2010 campaign.  

Blackmon's partner in crime, 27-year old quarterback Brandon Weeden, will look to help new offensive coordinator and former Jacksonville Jaguars receivers coach Todd Monken learn one of the most successful offensive systems in the country.

That Weeden-ran offense in 2010 produced 4,277 passing yards and 34 touchdowns. Weeden became the first Oklahoma State passer to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a single season.

The offense might be returning ten starters, but important questions remain: First, can Monken learn and develop an offensive scheme that former offensive coordinator Dana Holgorsen had so much success with? Second, will the Cowboys be able to find a replacement for RB Kendall Hunter, who finished the 2010 season with 1,548 rushing yards?

Look for the backfield to be a motley crew–one that lacks a feature back, but makes up for it in diversity.  Joseph Randle, a versatile back will take most of the handoffs in 2011, but short-yardage back Jeremy Smith and scat-back Herschel Sims will lighten the load. The Cowboys also return all five offensive linemen, which will certainly help the Cowboys' ground game.

-- Six returning starters

-- Impact Player: CB Markelle Martin

If it weren't for an absolute collapse in the fourth quarter of a pivotal matchup against the Oklahoma Sooners in 2010, the Cowboys would have played for the Big 12 Championship. Oklahoma State gave up 23 points in the fourth quarter, and Sooners QB Landry Jones ended the game with 468 yards passing.

The 61st-ranked scoring defense in the country last year must improve in order for OSU to get over the hump. With Arizona and Oklahoma coming to town and trips to both Texas A&M and Missouri, improvement is a necessity.

Unlike last season, the Cowboys should have depth within their defense, but will still lack talent. The linebacker corps is weak, with a definitive missing piece at WLB. In addition, the Cowboys must replace three defensive linemen, Once again, the OSU defense could be the team's Achilles heal.

Strengths:

Continuity and talent on offense.  Holgorsen's departure wont really be felt until Weeden and Blackmon leave for the NFL. The transition to Todd Monken won't be seamless, but look for the Cowboys' offense to be one of the best in the country once again.

As mentioned above, the defense is porous and ultimately lacks leadership. And it seems that a defensive mindset in Stillwater is rather, well, missing. If Gundy and company can't develop a defensive core and recruit talent on that side of the ball, OSU will always be a second-tier team in the Big 12. 

Final Thoughts:

The Cowboys will be fun to watch, starting with a Thursday night game and Alamo Bowl rematch against Arizona. If defense isn't your flavor...good, because high-scoring games won't be out of the ordinary for this OSU team. But in the end, the OSU defense may be too much of a weakness for the Cowboys to win the Big 12.

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