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Are Oklahoma State’s Future Recruiting Classes Dependent on … OU’s Playoff Run?

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It seems a preposterous notion, but the phrase “a rising tide lifts all boats” has stood the test of time for a reason. It’s no secret Oklahoma State is having a rough month on the crootin trail. Some of that was put into motion by the Bedlam beating it received and some of it is probably inevitable for a tier 2/3 school like Oklahoma State to begin with (recruits start getting antsy this time of year, especially after having been committed for so long).

The irony of Bedlam is that, in the end, it might end up helping OSU that OU smoked them in Stillwater to make the playoffs. Lunacy? Let me explain. Actually, let me let Jeremy Crabtree of ESPN explain.

The Big 12 has a national recruiting perception problem. With signing day around two months away, collectively the Big 12 has still yet to land a five-star recruit for the fifth straight class, and trails behind every other Power 5 conference in number of ESPN 300 commitments, and that number isn’t even close.

Not great, Bob. But there’s hope. And it comes in the form of another Bob.

“I think that perception chances almost overnight,” a Big 12 recruiting coordinator said Wednesday. “We’ve had to really work hard to sell kids that the Big 12 is a place where you can win national titles and get in the playoffs. The last few years, especially last year when we got shut out despite two great teams, has made it a hard sale. If OU can ride this momentum to a title, then it makes it easier for everybody in the conference to sell national championship aspirations. It doesn’t just help OU. It helps us all.”

That is fascinating, right? Side note: You know which company has a vested financial interest in propping up, uh, conferences that aren’t the Big 12 so that more five-star recruits will come to conferences that aren’t the Big 12 and make those conferences better and more fun to watch? The same company that produces a channel that pretty much all recruits watch all the time. But no, that probably doesn’t factor in. We’re all good here.

Now, does this mean OSU is going to be bombarded with four and five-star guys starting in January? No, but the SEC perception is a real thing and so is the Big 12’s. If OU hoists that skinny gold thing in a month, that changes at least a little bit. This doesn’t mean we have to throw on Boz throwbacks and sing Boomer on NYE, but it’s a nice salve if OU does end up winning it all.

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