Eric Morris, the new head coach at Oklahoma State, didn’t hold anything back after Week 1, flat out saying, “I’m utterly embarrassed.” He was talking about a 24-10 loss to Tulsa, an American Conference team, which is a brutal start for a program that shelled out big bucks for a supposed offensive genius. Morris even called his own team “piss poor” on the radio at halftime. Yikes.
The “Blueprint” Just Hit a Wall. Hard.
Power Four athletic directors have been running the same play: grab an offensive head coach from the American Conference, then let him bring his roster and staff. They called it the Indiana Blueprint after Curt Cignetti rebuilt the Hoosiers and won a national title in Year 2. Everyone noticed. But Week 1 results? They were, at best, mixed, and at worst, a disturbing trend straight out of their old conference. Morris was supposed to bring an explosion to Oklahoma State, after coaching North Texas to the nation’s most explosive offense at 45.1 points per game. He even brought nine offensive players with him, and his new quarterback, Drew Mestemaker, was lured by NIL deals reportedly worth $3.5 million. On Saturday, with all that talent, the Cowboys mustered just 10 points, 368 yards, turned the ball over four times, and gave it up on downs three more times. Mestemaker threw two picks and fumbled on a sack. Morris summed it up perfectly: “We got beat on every level today. I mean, for an offense that’s supposed to be explosive, we played awful.”
It’s Not Just Oklahoma State Facing a Reality Check
The struggles weren’t limited to Morris. Ryan Silverfield, the new guy at Arkansas, called his offense’s debut “probably one of the worst I’ve ever been associated with.” They needed most of the afternoon to put away North Alabama, which isn’t exactly a ringing endorsement. Alex Golesh at Auburn actually won his opener, but even he sounded worried, saying his offense was “a bit off,” and a repeat performance would get “their brain beat in” in the SEC. Golesh’s offense was electric in the American Conference, but over four games against power-conference opponents in the last two seasons, his South Florida teams averaged a meager 15.3 points and 349.3 yards. With six former Bulls in Auburn’s starting lineup this past Saturday, the Tigers managed just 17 points and 389 yards, their quarterback got sacked five times, and threw a career-high three interceptions.
These programs hired these coaches to fix their offenses and bring new life. Instead, they’re seeing the same struggles, if not worse, right out of the gate. Week 2 cannot get here fast enough for these teams. They need to show something, anything, to prove this “blueprint” isn’t fundamentally flawed for the Power Four. Otherwise, it’s going to be a long season of embarrassment.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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