Troy Aikman

[CreekWater]

I have a hypothetical question.. I was watching football life Troy Aikman and he said he was originally going to commit to us but switched last minute after an OU visit.. Say he doesn’t take that visit comes to OSU, and Jimmy Johnson stays coaching at OSU until the end of the 1988 season.. Do we win a national championship?? Troy, Dykes, and Thurman and then Troy, Dykes and Sanders would be very tuff to beat.. I’m 30 so this is before my time and just wanted some thoughts from people that were around..

 

[coloradocowboy]

A kid named Gundy wasn't too bad. Scoring was not the problem. Defense was poor, we totally swallowed the olive in Lincoln and lost to OU with some of the worst officiating in my memory.

 

[CreekWater]

Just from the highlights I’ve seen, Gundy was a good college QB.. Aikman though might have been the 2nd best player in college football in 88 behind Sanders.. Who knows but switching Aikman in for Gundy might have helped overcome a couple bad defensive performances.. It’s irrelevant I know but it can make for an Interesting conversation

 

[Kramer]

I was a student at OSU back then. Our defense after 1985 was bad, 1988 it was beyond bad. At least Troy would have been in his offensive element in Stillwater. In Norman he was a Pro style QB trying to be a wishbone QB. It made no sense and was never going to work. But to answer your question, I don't think Troy over Mike would of made us closer to a mythical national championship.

 

[CreekWater]

Hearing how bad past defenses have been just make me appreciate this years D even more.. I would say 21,20,13, and 09 were our best defenses under Gundy..

 

[SLVRBK]

Switzer told Troy they would switch to a Pro-Style offense to get him to sign. Of course they kept the wishbone so Troy transferred to UCLA.

Would a future College and Pro Football Hall of Famer have been the difference between 10-2 and 12-0, I don’t know. I think we likely would have beaten OU but would Troy have made up the 21 point difference to NU?

 

[osupsycho]

This might be a case of be careful what you wish for. We have Aikman and maybe we don’t get Gundy and he never becomes our greatest head coach leading us to where we are now.

 

[coloradocowboy]

Switzer told Troy they would switch to a Pro-Style offense to get him to sign. Of course they kept the wishbone so Troy transferred to UCLA.

Would a future College and Pro Football Hall of Famer have been the difference between 10-2 and 12-0, I don’t know. I think we likely would have beaten OU but would Troy have made up the 21 point difference to NU?

No, Troy wouldn't have made up the 21 point spread. It was 35-0 in the first qtr. Seven of that was a Gundy pick 6, but the other 28 were missed tackles for huge gains.

 

[swamppoke]

Switzer told Troy they would switch to a Pro-Style offense to get him to sign. Of course they kept the wishbone so Troy transferred to UCLA.

Would a future College and Pro Football Hall of Famer have been the difference between 10-2 and 12-0, I don’t know. I think we likely would have beaten OU but would Troy have made up the 21 point difference to NU?

That's mostly right. Switzer did go plan to a Pro-Style offense - Switzer outbid Texas for the services of Marcus Dupree (a man among boys - I think his mom still lives in the trailer Switzer bought her) but Marcus quit and went back home, Switzer lost his Pro Type Tailback, and Troy broke his leg trying to be a wishbone QB.

 

[Poke Flyfisher]

Our defense wasn’t good enough back then to win the MNC. With Gundy at quarterback we were plenty good enough offensively to finish undefeated with those teams but we couldn’t stop anybody!

 

[Sandlot player]

Troy didn’t break his leg trying to be a wishbone QB. The game he snapped his leg against Miami and Troy was throwing the ball around the yard. Miami had Vinne Testaverde at QB. Airman got hurt and the back up was a freshman named Holloway. Switzer had to go back to the bone to fit Holloway skills. The rest is history as the goons beat Penn St. to win NC. Aikman decided to transfer to UCLA. Aikman grew up in So Cal until the 8th grade then moved to Henrietta OK.

 

[Sandlot player]

I stand corrected just went back and looked at highlights and Aikman was running the wishbone. He was throwing out of the wishbone attack. Hell, if hadn’t transferred out I’m not sure he would have been walk after 4 years of running that offense.

 

[OSUgradndad85]

I have a hypothetical question.. I was watching football life Troy Aikman and he said he was originally going to commit to us but switched last minute after an OU visit.. Say he doesn’t take that visit comes to OSU, and Jimmy Johnson stays coaching at OSU until the end of the 1988 season.. Do we win a national championship?? Troy, Dykes, and Thurman and then Troy, Dykes and Sanders would be very tuff to beat.. I’m 30 so this is before my time and just wanted some thoughts from people that were around..