.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
.vresize.36.36.medium.0.png){kind=small}
If the old adage is right that defense wins championships, it's easy to argue that No. 3 Oklahoma State's bid for a title is doomed to fail because of the nation's 103rd-ranked defense.
But wait.
A case can also be made in favor of the Cowboys (7-0, 4-0 Big 12), who are forcing takeaways at a higher rate than anyone except Rutgers and lead the nation in turnover margin. Is there a better play on defense than taking the ball away?
''Our main objective is to create those turnovers. So, no matter how many yards we give up, we can fix that problem,'' said cornerback Brodrick Brown, who has a team-high four picks this season. ''If an offense can't score and we create turnovers, then it doesn't mean nothing at the end of the game.''
Defensive coordinator Bill Young preaches turnovers above all else - forcing his players to run if they don't create five takeaways in practice each day - but that doesn't mean that giving up big yards is acceptable.
''We want to stay away from the phrase, `Bend but don't break.' We want to force the issue, we want to be aggressive but at the same time we want to play sound football,'' Young said. ''We don't want to do something stupid and give them a big touchdown and all of a sudden you don't have that flexibility to play for it or make a break.''
LSU is second in the nation in turnover margin and the nation's other six undefeated teams - Boise State, Houston, Kansas State, Clemson, Stanford and Alabama - are all in the top 20. But none are giving up as many yards per game as the `Pokes.
In fact, Oklahoma State's 431.9 yards allowed per game is the same amount top-ranked LSU and No. 2 Alabama are giving up combined.
''It doesn't matter much to me because we all know that ultimately you win and lose. ... I know that the coaches and the players would like to be in different situation statistically because everyone likes to feel like they're doing good, and it gets brought up a lot now,'' coach Mike Gundy said. ''Part of it is my fault because I put all the young kids in at the end of games, but there's also a lot of room for improvement.''
The numbers are somewhat skewed because Gundy completely emptied his bench in some blowout wins early on, even putting in players who weren't high enough on the depth chart to know the game plan.
''To some extent, that's just an excuse. We can't rely on that crutch,'' Young said. ''We've got to go out and we've got to play better. We didn't have anybody but first- and second-team players at Missouri and we gave up 248 yards rushing, so that's our fault. We've got to get that corrected.''
Young said he doesn't believe there's any reason the Cowboys can't keep causing turnovers and give up less yardage - just like the other top teams. He sees the extra yards as the result of poor positioning and missed tackles, not the result of unnecessary gambles to try for takeaways.
''The thing about these darn spread offenses is they get you out in space, you're from sideline to sideline, and then they've got people running vertical routes on you taking some of your support people out,'' Young said. ''So when you miss a tackle, it's a big gain. That's a big issue.''
In Gundy's eyes, Oklahoma State is improving its defensive speed but still at least two solid recruiting classes away from being able to run with the Southeastern Conference's top defenses.
''Everybody talks about the defenses in that league and I don't think there's any question that one thing they bring to the table is speed and strength on the defensive line,'' Gundy said. ''We want to get a group of guys on the field that can run like crazy and make plays, especially now what we're finding in this league everybody's scoring points so you've got to run them down.''
The Cowboys aim to eliminate the big play and force opponents to snap the ball over and over again, believing that each play is another chance to take the ball away.
''The style of defense we're trying to play, we want to force you to be perfect. We buy time, we know eventually you're going to make a mistake and we're going to capitalize on it,'' safety Markelle Martin, who has forced two fumbles this season.
''For us, if you take all day to try to score on us, you still have to match up with an offense who's putting up that many points. Eventually you're going to run out of time and you're going to have to put the ball in the air, and that's when we make our plays.
So far, the Cowboys have been able to come up with turnovers whenever they've needed stops the most. Against Texas A&M, they caused four second-half turnovers to rally from a 17-point halftime deficit. At Texas, they got a fumble and an interception on the Longhorns' last two drives to preserve a 12-point victory. And at Missouri last week, four second-half turnovers put away a game that was 24-17 at halftime.
''People are human. Sometimes you get greedy, sometimes you don't pay attention to the defense or whatever the case may be,'' Martin said. ''So we just keep chugging along, keep pulling on the ball and eventually you get tired of it and that one time you hold the ball loose, we're going to get it out.''
Baylor coach Art Briles doesn't necessarily see Oklahoma State's reliance on turnovers as a weakness he can exploit when the Bears (4-2, 1-2) bring standout quarterback Robert Griffin III and the Bowl Subdivision's second-ranked offense - averaging 550 yards per game - to Stillwater on Saturday.
''It's a pretty good way to make stops, if you can certainly depend on that. That's about the best way to do it,'' Briles said. ''But they play an aggressive style of defense, their guys are active, they're confident and they're around the football. There's a lot of great effort and a lot of great hustle, and that usually leads to great plays.''
