Three lingering questions after Bedlam

NORMAN — Bedlam left a lot of twisted emotions for Oklahoma State following the 48-47 loss to No. 6 Oklahoma on Saturday at Owen Field.

The Cowboys had one of their best overall performances of the season, yet came up just short with some missed opportunities in the closest Bedlam game since the teams tied at 15 in 1992.

Let’s examine a few questions that linger in the Bedlam aftermath:

How well did the defense actually play?

If you’re only looking at numbers, the answer is easy: 702 yards worth of bad. The Sooners scored 48 points, rushed for 353 yards and threw for 349, averaging 9.1 per play.

But the numbers aren’t an exact representation of reality. The defense handled one of the nation’s most efficient offenses better than most have. OSU allowed six touchdowns on 13 legitimate possessions, forcing three punts, two red-zone field goals and a turnover on downs. OU converted only three of 10 third-down opportunities.

Heisman Trophy candidate Kyler Murray was mostly contained when he tried to run, and OSU sacked him three times. The secondary gave up some big throws, but overall, had one of its better games.

The defense is taking baby steps in improving talent and learning Jim Knowles’ defense. Bedlam was more a step forward than a step back.

Should a “Bedlam hangover” be expected?

It’s possible after such a tough loss, but the more concerning trend would be OSU’s overall inconsistency.

The Cowboys were sharp in beating Boise State, then went cold against Texas Tech the following week.

The offense was strong against a tough Iowa State defense, then flopped at Kansas State the next time out. They ran Texas out of Boone Pickens Stadium, then collapsed at Baylor a week later.

Regardless of their postBedlam emotions, the Cowboys need to steady their trajectory.

Is it time for Tylan Wallace’s name to start appearing in the same sentence as “Biletnikoff Award”?

Wallace isn’t a clear-cut winner like James Washington was for OSU last year, but the voters for the award are going to have to take a long look at him as a potential finalist, based on some of these numbers:

•1,282 receiving yards, third nationally behind Andy Isabella of UMass (1,479) and Antoine Wesley of Texas Tech (1,347). It’s already the ninth-best single season in OSU history, and could make a push toward the top five.

•18.9 yards per catch, 20th nationally, and he’s done it on 68 receptions. No one ahead of him has more than 45 catches, and no one in the top 40 nationally has more than 55 catches.

•Nine receiving touchdowns, tied for ninth nationally. He has two 200-yard games and five more 100-yard games. He’s had at least 82 yards in every game except the season opener against Missouri State.