ESPN College Football

Mel Kiper's Big Board is out -- along with updated mock drafts from Kiper and Todd McShay.

First, taking at look at McShay's mock draft and Kiper's mock draft, they agree on the top three: Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck to the Indianapolis Colts, Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon to the St. Louis Rams and USC offensive tackle Matt Kalil to the Minnesota Vikings.

Both have praise for Luck:

McShay: It's never easy to say goodbye to a legend like Peyton Manning -- a Super Bowl winner and the face of the franchise since his first day in training camp -- but using the No. 1 overall pick on a once-in-a-generation prospect like Luck is an opportunity the Colts can't pass up. Luck's NFL-ready skill set and demeanor sets Indianapolis up for another decade-plus with one of the best quarterbacks in the league.

Kiper: No change here, even with the change to the future of Peyton Manning. Luck was going to land with the Colts; it was only a matter of whether he'd be serving an apprenticeship. I'm interested to see if he gets a deal done well before the draft so he can dive into the playbook. You know the scouting report. Arm strength, talent, size, smarts, leadership, intangibles -- it's all there. Luck is currently working hard out in Palo Alto to further refine his talents.

And for Kalil:

McShay: The Vikings just missed out on being able to cash in with the second overall pick, but with Baylor QB Robert Griffin III likely to be the pick there, Minnesota is in a position to finally begin shoring up its offensive line with an elite prospect. Kalil is one of the top left tackles I have ever evaluated coming out of college, with a skill set equal to Joe Thomas and a mean streak to go with it.

Kiper: This is one I'm going to stick with. I've liked the pick since the first mock, and I don't see a reason to change. Minnesota needs an upgrade at left tackle, and Kalil is the rare one who could step into that position right away at the NFL level. There's a lot of talk about which quarterback will go where right now, but this pick is about keeping Christian Ponder upright for the Vikings. They won't know what they have unless they can block for him. And it's obvious this will help the running game, too.

But Pac-12 fans -- especially those of the Cardinal persuasion -- will notice one major difference between the two mocks. One has Stanford offensive tackle Jonathan Martin listed. The other doesn't.

McShay has Martin going No. 13 overall to the Arizona Cardinals. Kiper, however, doesn't have Martin in the first round. This is the first time we haven't seen Martin in the first-round projections. During the season, Martin was widely regarded as the No. 2 offensive tackle off the board behind Kalil. McShay has Martin as the third OT off the board. Kiper has three offensive tackles listed in the first round. In his ranking of the top five players by position, he has Martin listed as the fifth tackle.

The other Pac-12 discrepancy is with USC's Nick Perry. Kiper lists him as a first-round pick at linebacker. Perry, however, doesn't appear on McShay's board. Both include Stanford offensive guard David DeCastro and Stanford tight end Coby Fleener.

Looking at Kiper's Big Board, Martin no longer appears in his top 25, but Oregon running back LaMichael James makes his first appearance.

Sprinter's speed, and enough size to not be considered merely an occasional home run threat. James is explosive, has good hands and won't shy away from running between the tackles.

The rest of the blogs are recapping the best and worst of the conference bowl season. There's only one game to look at for Stanford. And even though most fans probably don't want to revisit the Fiesta Bowl, it's still worth busting out a bag of Tostitos and taking a look back at the highs and lows.

Best overall performance (offense): Stepfan Taylor certainly deserves a look for his 177 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. But Andrew Luck's swan song was just superb. Yes, he had the one interception. But outside of that, his performance was outstanding, 27-of-31 for 347 yards and two touchdowns. It was the big game we expected from him in a big game -- including 15-for-15 on Stanford's scoring drives and 4-for-4 on the final drive in regulation.

Best overall performance (defense): I thought linebacker Jarek Lancaster, who was already having a great season, took a huge step forward. His open-field tackling was clutch and he led the team with seven solo tackles.

Best unconfirmed report: Rumor has it a reporter tried to approach Jordan Williamson in the locker room after the game. Naturally, the kicker wasn't feeling chatty. Allegedly, a Stanford offensive lineman who will remain nameless made sure the kicker wouldn't be bothered. We all have jobs to do, but there are limits when dealing with college kids. Nice to see teammates stick up for each other.

Best moment for me: Talking with Cameron Fleming's mother, a U.S. Army lieutenant colonel stationed in the Mideast, about her efforts to make it back for the game. Very cool.

Funniest moment: Who didn't laugh when Jeremy Stewart laid out Ty Montgomery after he tried to take a kickoff from deep in the end zone?

Best postgame quote (it wasn't exactly a sitcom-writers' room after the game): Tight end Coby Fleener, who missed the fourth quarter with an ankle injury. "Well, I'm standing up, so I've got that going for me."

Worst feeling in the world: Knowing exactly what Justin Blackmon is going to do, then watching him do it eight times for 186 yards and three scores.

Worst time for the Wildcat to go wrong: Two plays, -4 yards.

Best forgotten performance: With all of the Luck/Taylor talk, easy to forget that Montgomery -- when he wasn't getting laid out by teammates -- caught seven balls for 120 yards and a score. Only he and Blackmon crossed the 100-yard receiving mark. And when your name is mentioned with a two-time Biletnikoff winner, you're in pretty good company.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Jordan Williamson is going to wake up this morning, and it’s going to hurt. He’ll wake up Wednesday and Thursday and Friday morning, and it’s going to hurt. Then next week, it won’t hurt as much. And eventually the redshirt freshman kicker will get to the point where he can realize that while he didn’t win Tuesday night’s Fiesta Bowl, he certainly shouldn’t shoulder all of the blame for losing it.

Williamson had a rough night. Having only missed three field goals all season, he missed 3 of 4 attempts in a 41-38 overtime loss to Oklahoma State -- including a 35-yarder as time expired that would have given the Cardinal a victory. While Williamson did not address the media after the game, his teammates were quick to defend him.

“He’s made a million kicks for us in the past and kept us in games and won us games,” said tight end Coby Fleener. “We will never hang a guy out to dry, just like we don’t put one guy on this team on a pedestal. He’s still a hell of a kicker.”

Many of the defensive players say the blame is on them. Had they stopped Oklahoma State on fourth down on the previous drive, rather than allowing the Cowboys to convert a fourth-and-3 that went for 21 yards to Justin Blackmon, the field goal attempt wouldn’t even be an issue. Then there were Blackmon’s 186 receiving yards and three touchdowns. There were plenty of game-changing moments in the 59 minutes, 57 seconds of regulation that could have prevented it coming down to Williamson’s leg in the final three ticks.

“Put yourself in that situation and it’s tough,” said quarterback Andrew Luck. “It’s very tough. I know guys will rally around him. He’s got a very bright future ahead of him. I know the media tends to want a scapegoat or a hero. But that’s just not the case in any football game.”

Williamson was 12-of-15 heading into the contest and was 6-of-7 on field goals between 30 and 39 yards this year. In addition to the kick at the end of regulation, he missed a 41-yard attempt on Stanford’s opening drive and a 43-yard attempt in Stanford’s only overtime possession.

“We trust him,” said linebacker A.J. Tarpley. “We’d put him out there if there was a game tomorrow. Sometimes they don’t go in and sometimes they do. We had a lot of chances to win this game so it’s definitely not his fault.”

In Stanford’s locker room after the game, the scene was very un-fiesta-like. Teammates would stop by Williamson’s locker as a show of support.

“We love him, man,” said defensive end Ben Gardner. “That doesn’t change. He’s been solid as a rock all year. We had no doubt he would make the kick. But shoot, it’s football. Things happen. We all had bad plays tonight. It shouldn’t have come down to just that.”

This one is going to sting for a long, long time. There is no 24-hour rule here, no chance to put this one behind you and focus on the next opponent. All there is is time to think, stew, marinate in a myriad of how-did-it-all-go-wrongs.

There are two ways the Stanford Cardinal can move on from a 41-38 overtime loss to Oklahoma State in the Fiesta Bowl. They can slide back into Pac-12 mediocrity now that quarterback Andrew Luck and an amazing cast of seniors are leaving. Or they can learn from this loss and come back with a chip on their Luck-less, shoulder.

“We’re going to be back,” said a choked up defensive end Ben Gardner. “We’re going to be just fine. We’re going to be back next year with a vengeance and we’re going to be a strong program for years to come.”

That’s what the big boys do -- the established programs that season after season are in the top-10 conversation. They learn to take the sweet with the sour. And this group hasn’t had to swallow much sour over the past few years. A loss like this can numb the taste buds or accelerate the desire to get back to the sweet.

“If you dwell on the loss, you never get better,” said nose tackle Terrence Stephens. “If you keep dwelling on what went wrong, you’ll never be able to focus on what to do right.”

There will be questions. In the immediate future, most of them will swirl around a redshirt freshman kicker. Jordan Williamson missed three field goals, including a 35-yarder as time expired that would have given the Cardinal their second straight BCS bowl victory. He also missed a 41-yard field goal on Stanford’s opening possession and a 43-yard kick in overtime. Williamson did not address the media after the game.

There will be questions that head coach David Shaw played it too conservative on the final drive in regulation that set up Williamson’s miss – a straight shot up the middle that hooked left. Maybe. It’s worth noting, however, that Williamson was 6-of-7 this season on kicks between 30 and 39 yards.

But bigger questions loom after the missed-kicks fallout settles. Like finding Luck’s replacement; like filling holes on the offensive line for the NFL-bound Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro; like replacing veteran safeties Michael Thomas and Delano Howell; whether outside linebacker Chase Thomas leaves school or returns for another season.

Whatever the answers, Stephens believes the Cardinal will be just fine.

“That’s the best part of our program,” Stephens said. “We hold the word resilient very high. You have to be resilient in everything you do. You come back and you fight and you get better. That’s been the attitude since I got here and it will be the attitude far after I leave. I think that’s something the players instill in the other players.”

There’s no doubt that the departing players leave the program in much better shape than when they came in -- several of whom committed following (even during) Stanford’s 1-11 season.

Luck thinks the future of the program is in good hands.

“I think just keep getting better, put your head down and keep working,” he said. “A lot has been written about the seniors and the senior class and regardless of which guys stay and which guys leave, there are really good football players here. Obviously, you want to improve every year. But I think a very solid foundation has been laid with coach Shaw at the helm. I see a very bright future for the program.”

Still, it’s tough to see that through the haze of missed field goals, missed opportunities, missed tackles and Justin Blackmon's jet wash. The Oklahoma State wide receiver torched the Cardinal for 186 yards and three touchdowns on eight catches.

“He took advantage of our mistakes and that’s something that any good player will do,” said Michael Thomas. “You can’t afford to make mistakes against that guy. One missed tackle and he takes it to the house. Missed communication in coverage and you leave the best player on the team wide open. Just guys not taking advantage of the opportunities they had, but give credit to him. He made the plays and he exposed us when we made mistakes.”

Lost in the mix will be an amazing performance by Luck -- who was 27-of-31 for 347 yards, two touchdowns and an interception -- and a fantastic performance by the rushing attack. Stepfan Taylor pounded out 186 yards on 35 carries and two touchdowns.

“There’s an old saying that adversity reveals character,” Shaw said. “… Two real good teams come down to a few plays, not just that one (the field goal at the end of regulation) but a few plays that we could have all done something a little bit better.

“I have a lot of confidence in the guys we have in our locker room as individuals, but also what we’re capable of together; get through this together and coming back, fighting back strong and hard.”

Shaw and his players are saying all of the right things. Now the ball is in their court for the next seven months to back it up.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- The offenses fizzled early, exploded late and the two marquee playmakers in the this game, Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck and Oklahoma State wide receiver Justin Blackmon, shined on the brightest stage. It was so good, 60 minutes couldn’t contain it. Here’s how it all went down, with Oklahoma State winning 41-38 over Stanford in overtime in the desert:

How the game was won: In the first overtime, after Stanford kicker Jordan Williamson missed a 43-yard field goal attempt (he previously missed a 35-yard attempt for the win as time expired in regulation), Brandon Weeden connected with Colton Chelf on a 24-yard pass down to the Stanford 1-yard line. Weeden took a knee to center the ball, setting up a 22-yard field goal that Quinn Sharp nailed.

Second guessing: Trailing 28-21, an interesting decision by OSU coach Mike Gundy to kick a 19-yard field goal rather than going for it on fourth-and-goal at the Stanford 1-yard line. Not saying it was the wrong call, but clearly it was the conservative one. Hey, they won.

Stanford player of the game: As good as Luck was, running back Stepfan Taylor was fantastic, carrying 35 times for 177 yards and two touchdowns. He made holes when they weren’t there and exploded through the ones that were.

Oklahoma State player of the game: Blackmon was everything the Cardinal thought he would be -- and a whole lot more. The wide receiver caught eight balls for 186 yards and three touchdowns. He was clearly the most athletic player on the field.

What it means: For two teams feeling more than a little disrespected for being left out of the national championship game, both showed why they there were among the nation’s elite this season. Oklahoma State was the benefactor of a couple of missed field goals, but fought their way back all game and proved to be the more clutch team in overtime. For the Cardinal, it’s a disappointing end to the Luck era -- one of the most successful stretches in school history.

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Some first-half thoughts from the Fiesta Bowl.

Turning point: On fourth-and-4 at the Stanford 32, Brandon Weeden hit Justin Blackmon for 23 yards with less than a minute in the half, setting up first-and-goal. On third-and-goal at the 2, Weeden took it in himself to knot the score at 21-21. It was Weeden's first career rushing touchdown.

Stat of the half: After only 13 three-and-out drives all season, the Cardinal already have two in the first half.

Best player for Stanford: Linebacker Jarek Lancaster is having a fantastic game. He’s made several open-field tackles -- including two on critical third downs -- and been in on several others.

Best player for Oklahoma State: Blackmon became the first wide receiver to gain more than 100 yards on the Cardinal this season. Through the first 30 minutes, he has four catches for 139 yards and two touchdowns.

Best tackle of a teammate: Jeremy Stewart taking down Ty Montgomery on a kickoff that Montgomery thought about taking 5 yards deep out of the end zone. As Montgomery approached the line, Stewart brought him down. The form was questionable and it might have been helmet-to-helmet, but no flag was thrown.

Best fan-made sign in the stands: “Superman wears Andrew Luck socks.”

GLENDALE, Ariz. -- That's a little more like it. Both teams put together scoring drives that match their personalities.

The Cardinal went 87 yards on seven plays, using 4 minutes, 30 seconds of clock to cap the drive with a 24-yard touchdown run by Jeremy Stewart.

Oklahoma State answered with a four-play, 84-yard drive that took up just 1:11, ending with a 43-yard touchdown pass to Justin Blackmon.

The pair teamed up again on a 67-yard touchdown pass to tie the score.

Blackmon already has 110 receiving yards -- marking the first time this season the Cardinal has allowed a receiver to gain more than 100 yards.

About six minutes left in the quarter and OSU has regained the momentum after falling behind by two scores.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Fireworks are expected in the desert as the Nos. 3 and 4 teams in the country get together. Each boasts one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Both defenses are feeling a little disrespected with all of the chatter about offense. All the ingredients are there for a classic matchup.

Here’s a quick preview from the Stanford perspective.

WHO TO WATCH: Bet you thought I was going to say Andrew Luck. Sure, keep an eye on that guy. But really watch running back Stepfan Taylor. The hard-nosed runner has his second consecutive 1,000-yard season and he's done it while rotating with three other backs. Luck calls the plays and puts the running backs in the best position to do something once they've got the ball, and Taylor rarely disappoints. He explodes out of the hole with a compact frame that usually carries defenders an extra few yards and he rarely takes a negative play. He's shifty enough to make jump cuts, but powerful enough to go North and South. He's also sure-handed coming out of the backfield with 22 receptions and a pair of touchdowns.

WHAT TO WATCH: It’s got to be the Stanford secondary against Oklahoma State’s passing attack. Justin Blackmon is the best wide receiver the Cardinal have faced this year and by far quarterback Brandon Weeden’s favorite target. But it’s not just Blackmon. Weeden will spread the ball around to other receivers as well as running backs on swings and dishes in the flat. Head coach David Shaw already said they are willing to yield a few yards at a time in lieu of the 70-yard touchdown. When the Cowboys score (and they will), Shaw wants to make sure it’s because they earned it.

WHY TO WATCH: Now, we're going to talk about Luck. This will be his final collegiate game before jetting off to make his delayed NFL debut. He's the brightest quarterback in the country and one of the most heralded NFL prospects in decades. There will be plenty of chances to watch him work his magic over the next decade on Sundays. But one last chance to see him do it at the college level should be more than enough reason to watch the Fiesta Bowl.

PREDICTION: Stanford 38, Oklahoma State 35. If this game was played a week after the Notre Dame game, I’d put the outcome at Oklahoma State 42, Stanford 28. But I believe the month off helps Stanford more than it does Oklahoma State. The Cardinal used that time to get healthy on the offensive line, at the tight end spot, and to rejuvenate the legs of their multi-headed rushing attack. They are fresh and have the complete playbook at their disposal now that the Tree Amigos are at full strength. They are game-changers and difference-makers. And in this game, they will be the difference.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Stanford University has always prided itself on being at the forefront of social change – and that’s evident with its history of hiring minority coaches.

At Friday’s Fiesta Bowl media day, David Shaw, the third African-American head football coach at Stanford, said he’s proud of the progress minority coaches have made across the college football landscape.

“I am. I really am. … No question,” Shaw said. “I give a lot of credit to Bill Walsh. He has always done a lot for minority coaches. And Stanford likes to be at the forefront of a lot of different things. And it is kind of the way we do business. I’m very proud of my school.”

Shaw said much of his upbringing and influence to become a football coach comes from his father, Willie, also a longtime coach in the NFL and college.

“It’s something I follow with my father being a coach,” he said. “I credit my father, Tyrone Willingham, Denny Green, a lot of those guys that, gosh, did a good job and showed that they could win games so that opportunities for the rest of us are more prevalent than they were before.

“I think the athletic directors, there has been, gosh, last seven or eight years, a hard push by athletic directors to make more guys like me available, get to know more guys like me and give them opportunities when they deserve them.”

SPLIT TITLE?

Asked what the ranking landscape of college football will look like should Alabama beat LSU in the national championship game, Shaw said he didn’t know, nor did he really care.

“That is a great question that I don’t have an answer for,” Shaw said. “For us, we just concentrate on this game. We don’t care where we are ranked after this game. We don’t care what happens where anybody else says that we are. It just means that we are Fiesta Bowl champs. That’s all we can care about. As far as the championship game, that’s great, people will watch that and enjoy that, but we are just concentrating on our game.”

WARY OF TURNOVERS

While Oklahoma State’s defense gets knocked for the yards it gives up, one stat that is indisputable is turnovers. With 23 interceptions on the year and 42 total turnovers, the Cowboys rank second nationally in turnover margin. That’s a scary thought, said Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck.

“Forty-two takeaways is a statistic that doesn’t lie,” Luck said. “When they have to make a play, they’ll make a play. They can swing momentum. We have to take care of the football or else you see a guy in the other jersey going the other way.”

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED

Oklahoma State wide receiver Tracy Moore didn’t know that Stanford’s secondary hadn’t allowed an opposing receiver to gain 100 yards this season. He does now. He also didn’t know that only eight wide receivers have reached the end zone against the Cardinal this season. He does now.

“That definitely sounds like a challenge to me,” Moore said. “I know plenty of guys on this team, Justin (Blackmon), Coop (Josh Cooper), knowing that, now we’re licking our chops.

“All of that happened before. They gotta play us now.”

Justin Blackmon's athletic ability falls somewhere between brilliant and baffling. You know it. I know it. Stanford head coach David Shaw knows it. The Cardinal secondary knows it. Every NFL scout knows it.

So how do you stop Oklahoma State's prolific wide receiver? Ah ... a simple question with a nearly impossible answer.

That's the challenge facing the Stanford secondary when the Cowboys and Cardinal clash on Jan. 2 in the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl.

Consider Blackmon's résumé this season:

• Six times he went over 100 yards in a game.
• Six times he had double-digit receptions in a game (113 on the year).
• Five times he went for more than 120 yards -- including a 205-yard performance against then-No. 14 Kansas State.
• Five times he had multi-touchdown games.
• He scored at least one touchdown in 10 of 12 games.

Pretty daunting stuff.

Stanford's secondary gives up a lot of yards, about 241 per game. Blackmon gets a lot of yards, about 111 per game. He also finds the end zone, with 15 touchdown receptions this year. However, this is where Stanford's pass defense takes a significant turn for the better. The Cardinal have only allowed 15 passing touchdowns all year. Break that down even further and you'll see that of those 15, only eight touchdowns were caught by wide receivers.

Still, Stanford's secondary gets a bad rap for the yards it yields (the most overblown stat in football, by the way) and its lack of interceptions. Safety Michael Thomas said he and his teammates don't deserve the reputation of being the weak link in Stanford's defense.

"We're not OK with that at all," Thomas said. "At the same time, besides going out and playing, what more can you do? You can't change anybody's opinion unless you go out and play. We get one last shot going against a talented group of receivers -- especially Justin Blackmon -- and we're going to try to make a statement this game to show we can play with the best receivers out there."

If you were paying attention this season, they've already shown it. Stanford has already faced six of the top 20 statistical wide receivers in the country this year: Robert Woods (USC), Michael Floyd (Notre Dame), Keenan Allen (Cal), Marquess Wilson (Washington State), Juron Criner (Arizona) and Noel Grigsby (San Jose State). Against the Cardinal, five of those six performed below their season average. Only Floyd matched (but did not exceed) his season average. Wilson and Grigsby failed to score and Woods, Floyd, Allen and Criner were held to one touchdown each.

Stanford's secondary is also yet to allow a 100-yard receiver this season. That's a major accomplishment the Cardinal defenders are hoping to complete.

"If we stop No. 81, we wouldn't have allowed a 100-yard receiver this season, and I don't know how many other secondaries can say that," Thomas said.

"What's different about him is while he plays physical, he plays bigger than his size and he plays faster than his speed. We've played some very dynamic athletes. This cat brings a whole new dimension. We feel like he plays as fast as he needs to play. There is no flaw in his game whereas other guys we could find something. This guy doesn't have any flaws. But all we can do is prepare for him like we did the rest of them."

Preparation, therein lies another problem. The Cardinal have no one on their roster who can simulate the way Blackmon plays.

"We’ve got about four guys wearing the No. 81 jersey," Shaw said. "It’s hard because we’re trying to practice at game tempo for our team, but there are not many guys in college football that can run full speed eight plays in a row, deep routes, and still come back and not even be out of breath. We’ve been rotating guys in and out because that’s so hard to emulate."

The closest offense Stanford has seen this season to Oklahoma State is Arizona. That's the game the players are going back and watching.

"That's really the only thing we can compare it to," Thomas said. "It's high-tempo, but not like Oregon. But they are like Arizona in terms of depth at the wide receiver position, one stud quarterback who can sit in the pocket and make throws. We're treating them like we did Arizona, but making some tweaks."

Just as Stanford's offense isn't all about Andrew Luck, OSU's receiving game isn't all about Blackmon. Quarterback Brandon Weeden commands the spread offense with precision and efficiency. Tracy Moore has a pair of 100-yard receiving games and four touchdowns. Josh Cooper has gone for more than 100 yards three times.

"They have a bunch of guys who can make plays," Thomas said. "And we'll have packages in place for all of them. But no matter what, you always have to keep your eye on No. 81."

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Despite the presence of Justin Blackmon, Brandon Weeden and an Oklahoma State passing attack that averages 386.2 yards per game, Stanford’s defense knows that the key to a good defense — no matter who is slinging and who is catching — starts with stopping the run.

“We are definitely concerned,” said defensive end Matt Masifilo. “I think they have a great running attack. The passing kind of overshadows the running game, but we are very aware of their ability to hit the big gaps with force.”

True, Oklahoma State runs a spread offense with a pass-first mentality. The Cowboys throw about 60 percent of the time. But Joseph Randle and Jeremy Smith make up quite the terrible twosome. Randle carries the bulk of the load with 1,193 yards, 23 touchdowns and an impressive 6 yards per carry on 198 attempts. Smith spells him nicely and has 645 yards, nine touchdowns and a 7.2 average on 90 attempts.

“They dominate the line of scrimmage,” said Stanford co-defensive coordinator Derek Mason. “They are big, strong, and establish the line of scrimmage. They do a good job of making sure they get to the second level. In pass [protection], the quarterback does a good job of getting it out. But they are underrated in the run game. Those guys get to the second level and what do they do, they break tackles.

“For us, we have to tackle. I have seen 3- and 4-yard runs turn into 10- and 12-yard runs. And when they get in the red zone, they smell the end zone. Their running game is as good as anybody we have faced all year long. The merit can be pushed to the pass game. But if you underrate what they do run-wise, you can be falling asleep at the wheel.”

Just how explosive can Oklahoma State’s runners be? As a unit, they have seven touchdowns this season of 30 yards or more, including four touchdown runs of 59 yards or more — two from Randle (62, 59), one from Smith (74) and a season-high 81-yard touchdown run from Herschel Sims. By contrast, Stanford has just one touchdown run longer than 40 yards this season.

“Traditionally, any defense, you always want to stop the run and make them one dimensional,” Masifilo said. “That’s the huge task, is making them one dimensional, stopping the run first and taking down the pass. It is a great opportunity and also a great challenge – one that will define the end of our season and also for a lot of us seniors.”

A little more on Randle; his 150 points represents the second best season in school history — second only to Barry Sanders' 234 points. His 23 rushing touchdowns are second only to Sanders' 37. That’s twice his name has been mentioned alongside Sanders, so he's gotta be doing something right.

Smith, meanwhile, was supposed to be a short-yardage, goal-line type of back. He has about 15 pounds on the speedier Randle — yet he rushed for 140 yards on just seven carries against Texas and 77 yards on three carries against Baylor.

Linebacker Chase Thomas said all of this talk about offenses is starting to get a little old.

“We kind of felt disrespected as a defense,” Thomas said. “I’m sure their defense did as well, saying it will be an offensive shootout. Every time they say that, our defense is always going to be mad. That’s part of the game. They see both teams put up great offensive numbers all through the season. So we are expecting them to say that. I think we were pretty good this year in the points allowed per game so I think we should be all right.

“I’m not saying they’re not going to score points. I’m just saying I prefer it be a low-scoring game because that means we are playing good defense.”

No doubt, Stanford head coach David Shaw is spending a great deal of time thinking about Justin Blackmon, the prolific Oklahoma State wide receiver who will be one of the biggest challenges for the Cardinal in the upcoming Fiesta Bowl.

The polished receiver, who has the size, speed and athleticism to make most defensive coordinators reach for the Pepto is unlike anything the Cardinal have seen this season. Shaw tried to compare him to some of the Pac-12 receivers Stanford has faced, but could only make the comparison by blending two of the conference's top receivers into one.

"He's not quite the size of [Cal's] Keenan Allen, but he plays big, like Keenan plays," Shaw explained. "That ball goes up, he's jumping over people. He makes the tough, acrobatic catches. He doesn't have the super speed of [USC's] Robert Woods, but he runs great routes like Robert does. He changes direction, so he's in the middle between those two guys probably."

As a former NFL assistant who spent years evaluating incoming draftees, Shaw said he knows what a can't-miss pick looks like.

"He's one of those guys that I know NFL scouts are just drooling over," Shaw said. "He's going to be an every-down, starting receiver very early in his career in the NFL."

STANFORD SELLOUT

Remember that bad rap the Cardinal kept getting about not traveling well or having complacent fans? Toss it out. Stanford sold its allotment of 17,500 tickets to the Fiesta Bowl within five days of the game being announced.

This comes on the heels of Stanford selling out six of seven home games this season.

"I think there is great enthusiasm for this team and the players who populate it," Stanford athletic director Bob Bowlsby said in an email to the San Jose Mercury News. "There is no doubt that the opportunity to see a great group of seniors play one more game was a big motivation."

STAY IN SCHOOL

Shaw said high school seniors graduating a semester early to come to college doesn't work at Stanford -- either academically or athletically. Shaw said he and former head coach Jim Harbaugh studied that scenario and how it would work at Stanford and it didn't add up.

"You have a lot of guys were getting hurt," Shaw said. "It's high school seniors playing college football in spring of their senior year, whereas, with us, those guys finished high school, start to work out and do the things we ask them to do and they get an entire summer to get bigger, faster, stronger, and there's six more months of body maturity, six more months of lifting weights, getting stronger and coming in to the fall ready to play college football."

He'd rather they complete their full high school term, participate in all of the postseason all-star games and make the most of the high school experience.

"I think [all-star games are] great," Shaw said. "I like the fact that the coaches have to stay away from them so they get to be pure. Our stance hasn't changed since we got here, which is enjoy the heck out of high school. Enjoy it. Take advantage of every opportunity. Play multiple sports. If you get into an all-star game, go play in that all-star game. You'll meet guys in an all-star game you are going to play against for the next four years and some of them in the pros as you get older. You can't pass up those opportunities when you're a high school senior. You have to take advantage of every single one of them."

EASY WEEK

With this week being finals, the Cardinal are taking it easy with just two practices before ramping up the practice schedule next week. The first few practices will focus on developing younger players with only a little bit of Oklahoma State. The additional practices are like an extra spring, Shaw said, and he's going to use that time to get younger players some live work.

"We've got to get those young quarterbacks and linemen ready and young receivers we're counting on next year," Shaw said. "They will get a lot of work."

Grush in San Francisco writes: Stepfan Taylor for Heisman 2012! Hear me out. Stepfan is putting up 5.6 yards per carry this year and is the 27th leading rusher in the country despite taking less than half of Stanford's rushing attempts. He is quietly one of the best running backs out of Stanford and one of three (including Toby Gerhart, Heisman runner up) to rush for 1,000 yards multiple years. With a new quarterback next year and perhaps a smaller committee of backs, Stepfan's production could increase. If Stanford wins at least nine games without Andrew Luck it will be because of the running game. Does Stepfan Taylor have a chance to be Stanford's fourth consecutive Heisman finalist next year?

Kevin Gemmell: I'm not going to say never, but he's going to have to get into the top five before we even start talking about him. When you look at some of the sophomore and junior running backs returning next season -- he's going to need to leapfrog a bunch of them just to get in the conversation as one of the top running backs -- let alone the best player in the country. I like Taylor a lot, but I don't see it happening.

---

David in Seattle writes: How will Stanford's secondary fare against OSU's air attack?

Kevin Gemmell: That's the million-dollar question, isn't it? If you look at my report card on the secondary from Friday, you'll see a breakdown of how the Cardinal have done against some of the top receivers in the country. And it's been pretty good. With that said, Justin Blackmon is by far the best receiver they have seen this year. I think the move of Corey Gatewood back to defense was a great one. Blackmon is going to get his yards and at least a touchdown -- so, as it always does with this group, it comes down to making tackles and keeping things in front of them. If they can do that, they'll have a shot at limiting his production. A turnover or two couldn't hurt, either.

---

Cooper in Kentfield, Calif. writes: How has Stanford done in recruiting over the past few seasons? Is there a noticeable trend upward in quality amongst the select few that qualify that point to Stanford being a yearly contender in the Pac-12 North, or have the past few years been an aberration?

Kevin Gemmell: Considering three (maybe four) Stanford players are expected to go in the first round in the NFL draft, I'd say recruiting has been pretty good. The question you should be asking is what kind of recruiters are David Shaw and Co.? Stanford has the No. 19 class in the country according to the current ESPN.com rankings with commits from two ESPNU 150 commits -- Noor Davis and Alex Carter. But as any good coach will tell you, four- and five-star recruits are nice, but it's the three-stars (Cameron Fleming, David Yankey, A.J. Tarpley, -- Ben Gardner was a two-star for heaven's sake) that really make the team go. It looks like a pretty solid class coming in next season. Your question, of course, can't be answered for two or three more years, but it looks like they are on the right track.

---

Tim in San Jose writes: Hi Kevin. All the Heisman talk has people ripping Luck and not giving him any chance of winning. Many people are saying Matt Barkley should be higher than Luck. What a joke. They don't watch the game. Stanford doesn't even come close to having the WR talent that USC and most every other team has. Also, Stanford is a run-first team, which also makes a big difference. If Luck had the WR's and threw a lot more, he would have 50 TD's. Your thoughts? And do you think he will win the Heisman?

Kevin Gemmell: Ah, the "what if?" question. If Luck threw more, then we probably wouldn't get to see what an amazing playcaller he is. If Luck threw more, he probably wouldn't be able to read defensive formations and be able to check plays as well as he does. It's what he does beyond the stats that make him so impressive. Luck may not win the Heisman tonight (and to answer your question, I don't think he will), but he proved beyond a doubt he is the smartest, most NFL-ready player. As for the comparisons to Barkley, I'm not going to knock Barkley at all in this blog. Even if I wanted to, there isn't much to knock. He's an outstanding player who has all of the tools to be a fantastic quarterback at the next level. But what I believe separates the two -- at least at this point in their careers -- is Luck's mental capacity. It's going to be fun tracking this quarterback draft class and seeing who's still around 10 years from now.

On Thursday, we'll be chatting up some college football award finalists in advance of The Home Depot College Football Awards show, which airs Thursday night (ESPN, 9 p.m. ET).

We'll be setting up shop, mingling with the finalists. So, check in to see who stops by to chat. We'll be grabbing some of the best players from the 2011 college football season, like Stanford quarterback Andrew Luck, Oklahoma State's Justin Blackmon, USC's Robert Woods and Boise State's Kellen Moore.

First thoughts ...

The 2012 Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, aka the January NFL Combine, could have as many as five first-round draft picks on the field when the Stanford Cardinal and Oklahoma State Cowboys meet on Jan. 2.

Four of them come from Stanford: quarterback Andrew Luck, offensive linemen Jonathan Martin and David DeCastro and possibly tight end Coby Fleener.

Oklahoma State boasts – hands down -- the nation's best wide receiver in Justin Blackmon. He has 113 catches, 1,336 yards and 15 touchdowns. The Cardinal have seen Blackmon-esque wide receivers this season -- Juron Criner, Michael Floyd, Robert Woods, etc. Big, fast, physical wide receivers who can use their bodies to create separation. But seeing players like Blackmon isn't the same as seeing Blackmon.

“The first time I saw him getting ready for Arizona, I put on the Oklahoma State game,” Stanford head coach David Shaw explained. “I’m trying to watch Arizona’s defense but I kept watching Justin. I had to go back to the sheet that had all of the heights and weight on it. Is he really that big? Can he be that big and that fast and that quick? A guy that will catch a 50-yard post and then come back again on the next play and it doesn't look like he's out of breath. He's a phenomenal athlete and an outstanding football player.”

The Cardinal have seen Weeden-esque quarterbacks before -- Nick Foles, Matt Barkley, etc.; quarterbacks with arms who can deliver with pinpoint accuracy. But seeing quarterbacks like Brandon Weeden isn't the same as seeing Weeden.

Oh yeah … did I mention they have Blackmon?

“That guy wearing No. 81 is something special,” Shaw said. “And the combination of those two guys is formidable. It has been. They have other guys. They have good running backs and other wide receivers that make big plays also. But Justin Blackmon I think is a special, special player. Being who I am, that's where my eye gravitates towards when I watch a team like this. I studied receivers for so long in the NFL. This guy is ideal. He's what you're looking for.”

We have a month to pore over statistics, scrutinize every position and every individual battle. But my first thought is that this is an incredibly even matchup.

• Both teams have marquee quarterbacks.
• Both teams have strong passing games – a clear edge to Oklahoma State’s receivers and a clear edge to Stanford’s tight ends.
• Both teams have strong running games, though the Cardinal are a little more balanced and methodical.
• Both have defenses that have taken their share of criticism, but ultimately make plays when they need to.

Of all of the BCS bowl games, this is the headliner. It might not be for the national championship -- both teams had a shot at it, though Oklahoma State has the bigger gripe -- but at first glance this looks to be the most entertaining game on the docket. If my DVR has space for only one of the BCS bowl games, this is the one I'd record.

“I think this game is going to be great for college football,” Shaw said. “I think it's going to be exciting. It has a lot of what you're looking for ... You've got one of the best teams in the nation, won their conference. Have an outstanding quarterback, outstanding receiver and an outstanding system; an opportunistic defense that gets turnovers and plays at a fast tempo with a lot of speed.

“Then you have this little team from the West Coast that runs the football with a prototypical quarterback with a balanced offensive attack and attacking style defense. I think it's going to be exciting. I think it's going to be one of the best bowl games this year.”

Question from reporter: Do you think it will be better than the national championship?

Shaw, with a laugh: “I didn't say that.”

Question from reporter: Will it be higher scoring?

Shaw, with a bigger laugh: “I didn't say that, either.”

Shaw doesn’t have to say it. We’re all thinking it.