Chuba Back in Stillwater and More Cowboy News and National Title Prospect for Football?
STILLWATER -- It is a hazy, kind of lazy Sunday on the first weekend of May. The good news is there hasn't seemed to be a hiccup so far in the gradual opening up of the state of Oklahoma and other parts of the country. Everything is still cautious as in some places the order for isolation and stay in place remains in effect with the COVID-19 pandemic. One person on the move and back where he was when all of this started in March is Cowboys All-American running back and Heisman Trophy candidate Chuba Hubbard.
Hubbard reportedly was back in Stillwater late last week after spending an extended time in Baltimore with fellow Canadian and Oklahoma State linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga. The pair had been up there since spring break, which was the end of the semester on campus and the end of spring football. Hubbard and Ogbongbemiga were spending time with former Oklahoma State running back Justice Hill, who finished his rookie season with the Baltimore Ravens.
It is unclear whether Hubbard and Ogbongbemiga could get home to Canada. Hubbard is a Canadian citizen and Ogbongbemiga is a dual citizen of Nigeria (birth) and Canada. He also grew up for eight-years in the United States living in Houston.
The US-Canadian border is closed for nonessential travel between the two countries for an extended period now until May 18. The restrictions took effect on March 21, banning any nonessential travel between the two countries.
Hubbard and Ogbongbemiga reportedly were working out with Hill in Baltimore and hanging out.
Hubbard, who rushed for 2,094-yards and 21 touchdowns and averaged 6.4-yards per carry on a total of 328 carries, is considered a candidate for the Heisman Trophy next season. He was a unanimous All-American and recently was rated by ESPN as the third top returning running back in college football for 2020.
The two backs rated ahead of Hubbard were Travis Etienne of Clemson (1,614-yards and 19 touchdowns) and Najee Harris of Alabama (1,224-yards and 13 touchdowns).
Two amazing stats revealed in that list included that Hubbard had more yards after contact last season than the total-yards of all but 15 of the running backs in major college football. He also had 15 runs of 30-yards or more and that was four more than any running back in the college football bowl subdivision.
Hear from @Hubbard_RMN after @Gopokesvoice had the chance to catch up with him a few weeks ago!#okstate #GoPokes pic.twitter.com/3mt2n3iLnP
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) April 11, 2020
"Really all aspects of my game from catching the ball, pass pro and running to breaking tackles," Hubbard recently told Dave Hunziker of the things he is working on to improve his game for next season. "Learning the game of football and I'm trying to get my degree next December. I'm trying to better myself in a lot of ways."
Hopefully, it won't be long before Hubbard and some of his teammates can get back in the facilities in the West End Zone. It was reported on Friday that Oklahoma State will be gradually re-opening the campus beginning June 1 with buildings. Meanwhile, across Oklahoma gyms and workout facilities are re-opening some this week, after May 4.
Not Alone on Lists
In case you missed it, Tylan Wallace of Oklahoma State was listed by ESPN as the sixth-best returning wide receiver in college football for 2020.
Ja'Marr Chase of LSU, DeVonta Smith of Alabama, Rashod Bateman of Minnesota, Jalyn Waddle of Alabama, and Rondale Moore of Purdue were the five receivers listed ahead of Wallace, who is coming back from an ACL repair late in the 2019 season.
Kolby Harvell-Peel was listed as the third best safety returning to college football in 2020 and the amazing aspect of that list is that the two safeties rated ahead of Harvell-Peel are from the Big 12 and both from TCU in Trevon Moehrig and Ar'Darius Washington. We always thought they didn't play defense in the Big 12. So much for all that rhetoric.
ESPN uses a lot of analytics and targeting stats to justify their rankings. The raw numbers are that Harvell-Peel had 71 total tackles and 49 unassisted with 13 passes broken up and five interceptions. He also had two fumbles forced and one recovered. Moehrig is close with 62 total tackles and 43 unassisted. He had 11 passes broken up and four interceptions with two fumbles forced. Washington was significantly behind in tackles and had two break-ups but five interceptions.
"So You're Saying There's a Chance"
Remember the line from the movie Dumb and Dumber, that applies to Oklahoma State and the ESPN College Football Playoff analytics machine, the Allstate Playoff Predictor. That formula projects the chances of schools that could make the College Football Playoff and also their chances to win the CFP.
Oklahoma State is in there at No. 17 and that is the bottom, because after Oklahoma State and their one percent chance to make the playoff, every other FBS school has less than a one percent chance to make the playoff.
Below are the top schools from each conference, all of the Big 12 schools that are in the group of 17, and Notre Dame.
School | Conference | Chance to Make the CFP | Chance to Win the CFP |
|---|---|---|---|
Clemson | ACC | 81 | 36 |
Ohio State | Big Ten | 64 | 21 |
Alabama | SEC | 59 | 17 |
Oregon | Pac-12 | 22 | 2 |
Oklahoma | Big 12 | 15 | 2 |
Texas | Big 12 | 10 | 1 |
Notre Dame | Independent | 3 | less than 1 |
Oklahoma State | Big 12 | 1 | less than 1 |
It's great to be listed even if you are listed last, so at least there's a chance.
Always Thinking bout Football
There is no doubt that you have to be safe with the COVID-19 pandemic, but I have also said all along that all of these young men that play college football so badly want to get ready and want to play. When you are an athlete and you train to compete in your sport, that is a passion. Just like it is a passion for coaches to coach and, in my case, from broadcasters to broadcast.
I think this is what new grad transfer cornerback Christian Holmes meant with this tweet.
The marathon continues 🏁#GoPokes pic.twitter.com/RWGCjdprsI
— Christian Holmes (@sip_662) May 2, 2020
