The Oklahoma State Cowboys had a clear shot at playing for the National Championship, but tonight they lost to the Iowa State Cyclones in overtime, 37-31.

The game was played in the aftermath of a tragic plane crash that claimed the lives of women’s basketball coach Kurt Budke and assistant Miranda Serna. This tragedy came shortly after Oklahoma State commemorated the 10-year anniversary of the deaths of 10 men affiliated with its men’s basketball team.

In this somber setting, Oklahoma State took a lead but then blew it in the fourth quarter. The Cyclones stormed back and tied the game, but OSU had a chance to win it late in the fourth quarter with a field goal. On television it looked liked the field goal might be good as the ball sailed above the upright but it was called no good.

In overtime, Iowa state stormed out with a quick touchdown, but then Oklahoma State matched them. The the Cowboys got the ball again, but this time Brandon Weeden hit star receiver Justin Blackmon in what seemed like a perfect spot with a pass, but it bounced off of Blackmon’s hands and was intercepted by Iowa State. The Cyclones then quickly took advantage, scored a touchdown, and ended OSU’s great run.

Again, Oklahoma State showed serious holes on defense. I don’t know what’s happened to the Big 12 over the past 10 years, but the league looks like a flag football league at times. You don’t see tough, physical defense, so maybe Oklahoma State wasn’t the team to take on mighty LSU. Brandon Weeden threw three interceptions and didn’t play very well thus hurting his chances for the Heisman Trophy.

The result is BCS chaos. For those of us who think the current system is a joke, the upcoming discussions about which one-loss team “deserves” to play LSU if LSU wins out will be annoying as hell. At the same time, this scenario provides further ammunition for all of us who want the system to change.

We’ll have to listen to countless debates over whether Alabama deserves to pay in the title game, pitting two SEC teams in the final game. While this will get the most discussion, it’s also not likely if Oregon wins out just because most people would hate to see an all-SEC title game.

After losing to Nebraska last Saturday, No. 20 Oklahoma State could have used a stress-free week as they prepare to face Kansas State this weekend.

So much for that.

Justin Blackmon, the Cowboys’ leading receiver, was arrested for driving under the influence in Texas early Tuesday morning after attending the New York-Dallas NFL game Monday night. Of course, that’s not the only problem though. The other issue is that he isn’t 21 yet.

From ESPN.com:

Blackmon, who is not 21 years old, and three friends were returning to Oklahoma after attending the Dallas Cowboys game in Arlington, Texas, when they were pulled over for going 92 mph in a 60 mph zone, the newspaper reported. Former Oklahoma State wide receiver Dez Bryant plays for Dallas.

“There were field sobriety tests given on the side of the road,” Dustin Bartram, the public information officer for the Carrollton Police Department, said, according to the Tulsa World. “The officer determined that there was a detectable amount [of alcohol] on [Blackmon].”

In Texas, if authorities deem that a minor has been drinking any alcohol and driving, that person is considered to be driving under the influence.

Blackmon posted a $375 bond and was released at 8:06 a.m. CT, according to the newspaper. The passengers in the car were not arrested.

No word on whether or not Blackmon will face K-State this Saturday but chances are he won’t. How could head coach Mike Riley allow one of his under-aged players drove home drunk on a school night? Blackmon is having a monster year (62 receptions, 1,112 yards, 14 TDs) for Riley, but the head coach will certainly be criticized if he didn’t discipline the sophomore wideout.

More to come.

Without quarterback Zac Robinson (concussion), No. 12 Oklahoma State was almost victims of the first big upset of Week 12.

The Cowboys needed a fourth quarter touchdown reception by Justin Blackmon from Brandon Weeden and two big defensive stops to beat Colorado, 31-28 on Thursday night.

Turnovers almost doomed OK State. They lost three fumbles on the night (two on muffed punts) and junior quarterback Alex Cate was also intercepted to give the Buffalos scoring opportunities the entire night.

Cate struggled to make an impact while starting in place of the injured Robinson. In fact, he didn’t complete a pass and finished 0-for-9 with the one interception. The sophomore Weeden had to come in and rescue the sputtering Cowboy offense, which he successfully did by completing 10-of-15 passes for 168 yards and two touchdowns.

Of course, OK State’s offense got plenty of production out of senior running back Keith Toston, who compiled 170 yards with one touchdown on 30 carries. On the night, the Cowboys rushed for 232 yards and held Colorado to just 13 yards on the ground.

With this win, Oklahoma State keeps its slim hopes alive in the Big 12 South. The Cowboys would need to beat Oklahoma next week and have Texas (6-0) lose both its remaining games in order to leapfrog the Longhorns in the standings. But chances are Texas won’t slip up against a struggling Kansas, which has lost five in a row and whose head coach is facing allegations of player abuse.