College football: Biggest Achilles’ heel for every Top 25 team

College football 2018: Biggest Achilles’ heel for every Top 25 team

ATLANTA, GA - JANUARY 08: Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) celebrates and holds up the CFP Trophy after the College Football Playoff National Championship Game between the Alabama Crimson Tide and the Georgia Bulldogs on January 8, 2018 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA. (Photo by Robin Alam/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

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Photo by William Purnell/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images /

21. Oklahoma State

Achilles’ heel: Inexperience on offense

Perhaps the Oklahoma State Cowboys are just happy that Mike Gundy remains as the head coach heading into the 2018 season. After another successful season in Stillwater, he was a focus of the Tennessee Volunteers coaching search for quite some time but ultimately elected to stay where he’s at, much to the delight of Cowboys fans.

Also to the delight of fans in Stillwater is the return of running back Justice Hill. While it was the highly potent passing attack of Oklahoma State that most people were left talking about on offense, Hill had one of the better seasons at the position in the country, amassing 1,467 yards and 15 touchdowns on the ground. He’s again going to be a workhorse for this team and, more than likely, will start getting a little bit more buzz, and deservedly so.

However, the passing attack that was so heavily talked about last season could be an issue for the Cowboys this season. Not only are they now without Mason Rudolph as he made his way to the NFL, but James Washington, Marcell Ateman and Chris Lacy are all gone as well. For those keeping track at home, that 21 receiving touchdowns and nearly 3,000 yards receiving that is no longer at wideout in Stillwater.

Oklahoma State should be able to find more playmakers at wide receiver, but Rudolph’s replacement is much harder to come by. They have some players in Keondre Wudtee and Taylor Cornelius who have been with the team, but also have graduate transfer Dru Brown and incoming freshman Spencer Sanders in the mix. No matter who they go with though, they have little-to-no experience in this spot and big shoes to fill in the process.