by Scott Wright, Staff Writer
swright@opubco.com , The Oklahoman

The Cowboys, coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history at 9-4, have become one of college football's most popular subjects for preseason hype. So the question becomes: how will they handle it?

The Pokes dealt with some national hype last season, but nothing like this. It didn't arrive until early October, when OSU won at Missouri. From there, OSU jumped into the top 10 and drew the attention that comes with such a ranking.

But the hype never lasted more than a week at a time leading up to a big game, and faded after the blowout loss at Texas Tech.

The talk of a potentially great 2009 season at Oklahoma State started virtually from the second the Holiday Bowl ended in December.

Of the major preseason college football magazines that began hitting store shelves earlier this month, only one - Phil Steele's College Football Preview - projected the Cowboys outside the top 10.

Quarterback Zac Robinson, running back Kendall Hunter and receiver Dez Bryant all appear in preseason lists of Heisman Trophy contenders.

Left tackle Russell Okung's name is tossed around at the top of 2010 NFL Draft projections.

"You have to address it with your players," said OSU assistant coach Doug Meacham, whose tight end group is made up of all underclassmen. "You can't avoid the feeling that you like how it sounds when someone is saying nice things about you.

"You have to be able to handle this amount of positive press. You just can't get to where you start thinking you're great."

That's where senior leadership comes in - the likes of Robinson, offensive linemen Okung and Andrew Lewis, and linebackers Andre Sexton and Patrick Lavine provide a mature foundation for enduring the summer hype.

"Because of guys like them, we're able to absorb some of that talk to make sure there's not a letdown," said Meacham, who played on OSU teams that experienced similar preseason hype in the mid-1980s. "There were some high expectations for those teams when I was a player, but not to the magnitude that this team is experiencing.

"And ultimately, you welcome it, because it's a positive thing for your program."

Robinson has always been lauded for his leadership abilities in games and on the practice field. His role as essentially a player-coach becomes magnified during summer workouts when contact between the coaching staff and players is limited.

"You talk about it a little bit," Robinson said of the preseason hype. "We know that as fast as we got here, we can drop right back down. We know we've got to work twice as hard to stay in the top 10 and get ourselves in position to win a championship.

"It's cool being talked about so much, but we know it can be gone just like that."

OSU IN THE RANKINGS

The source of Oklahoma State's hype begins with its offense. Here's how the Cowboys rank in the eyes of three major preseason magazines overall and by offensive unit.

The number in parentheses is the total number of teams the magazine ranks by position.

Magazine Team rank QB RB WR OL Phil Steele's (33) 14 9 4 24 12 Lindy's (10) 10 NA* 3 NR NR Athlon (10) 9 6 6 NR 7

* Lindy's does not rank quarterbacks and running backs separately, but lists backfields as a whole. OSU in the rankings

WHAT THEY'RE SAYING ABOUT OSU

"Take any team's top quarterback, running back, receiver and offensive lineman. Are they better than Zac Robinson, Kendall Hunter, Dez Bryant and Russell Okung? Don't think too hard: The answer is no."

- Lindy's College Football Preview magazine

"The season will be a success if the Cowboys win the Big 12 South. OSU is thinking big, like, BCS Championship big, but it can't get there without winning the Big 12, and it can't get there without winning the South. It might be this simple, though; win the South, and get to the national championship. With an offense this good, shooting for anything less wouldn't be quite right."

- Pete Fiutak, CollegeFootballNews.com

"Zac Robinson has accomplished feats no other quarterback in school history has done. Another big statistical season could make him the greatest quarterback in OSU history. He's in the discussion right now, along with his Mike Gundy and Josh Fields. But Robinson can distance himself with a big season."

- Tim Griffin, ESPN.com

"The nation's most dynamic runner and most dangerous offense - a combination that could lead to 2,000 yards (for Kendall Hunter)"

- The Sporting News' Matt Hayes on

Hunter's Heisman Trophy campaign What they're saying about OSU

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