Oklahoma States climb to near the top of the college football rankings last season surprised many experts.The Cowboys wont sneak up on anyone this year. Quarterback Mason Rudolph returns to lead a program that went to the Sugar Bowl last season and was ranked as high as No. 4 nationally.Coach Mike Gundy is proud of what he has accomplished at his alma mater, and he doesnt think its success should shock anyone at this point. The Cowboys have 10 straight winning seasons and 10 consecutive bowl appearances. The media picked them to finish third in the Big 12 this season.We all know that theres a lot of things that we do that are good, but if we dont win, Im not standing up here for 12 years, so it doesnt make a difference, he said. Weve been able to perform on the field more quickly than ever in the history of this program consistently.If the Cowboys take another step forward this season, Rudolphs arm likely will be the main reason. He passed for 3,770 yards and 21 touchdowns last season to post one of the best campaigns in school history.Rudolph wont have J.W. Walsh to step in for him in red zone situations this season. Walsh had 13 rushing and 13 passing touchdowns last season. Gundy wouldnt mind having another dual-threat quarterback to play Walshs role, but he feels Rudolph is capable of producing.Hes a good throwing quarterback inside the five yard line, Gundy said. Hes been pretty accurate. Well lean more toward those plays than trying to draw up something new.Here are some things to watch for from the Cowboys this season:BARRY J. SANDERS: The son of Oklahoma States 1988 Heisman winner is a graduate transfer from Stanford, and he will have one season of eligibility. He ran for 315 yards and four touchdowns last season as a backup to Heisman finalist Christian McCaffrey.He draws a lot of attention, and hes been tremendous in the way hes handled it, Gundy said. He has to live day in and day out, especially here. I watched the players that are on our team, and theyve taken him in and they appreciate him. Hes humble and he understands his background and embraces it and does a good job with it.Sanders will wear number 26 instead of his dads 21.RUNNING GAME STRUGGLES: The Cowboys lit up the scoreboard last season, but at times, the lack of a running game hurt them when they needed to control the clock. The leading rusher last season, Chris Carson, had just 557 yards, and the team averaged just 3.6 yards per carry last season.JAMES WASHINGTON: The speedy receiver hauled in 53 passes for 1,087 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. He should still have opportunities because the Cowboys boast plenty of other threats who cannot be left open.DEFENSE: As explosive as Oklahoma States offense was last season, its defense was one of the nations worst. The Cowboys allowed 30.5 points and 439 yards per game a year ago, and that was with star defensive end Emmanuel Ogbah on the roster. Now, with Ogbah gone, Oklahoma State will need to find a way to slow opponents so the offense isnt under constant pressure.KEY GAMES: A home game against Pittsburgh offers the top challenge during the non-conference slate. The Cowboys play at Baylor and host Texas. They close at TCU and at Oklahoma. Without a true marquee opponent on the non-conference schedule, Oklahoma States margin for error will be slim in conference play.SEASON OPENER: Sept. 3 vs. Southeastern Louisiana.PREDICTION: 9-3 regular season, third in Big 12.---Follow Cliff Brunt on Twitter (at)CliffBruntAP . Nike Air Force 1 Cheap China . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Nike Air Force 1 For Sale Cheap . The players spoke Jan. 13 during a Major League Baseball Players Association conference call after Rodriguez sued the union and Major League Baseball to overturn an arbitrators decision suspending him for the 2014 season and post-season. http://www.cheapairforce1.net/ . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. Nike Air Force 1 Cheap Outlet . Houston won 3-0 to advance to face New York in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Last in the game, Di Vaio and Romero got into a shoving match with several Houston players. Romero appeared to elbow and kick Houston defender Kofi Sarkodie. Cheap Nike Air Force 1 Wholesale . Thats not a comment on the suspension that banished the Portland Winterhawks general manager and coach from his Western Hockey League teams bench for most of the 2012-13 season.It seems like only yesterday, but it was on this day a year ago that Canadas Womens Soccer Team created history, beating France to win a bronze medal at the London Olympics. Diana Mathesons late winner was a moment never to be forgotten, and the performance of the team throughout the Olympics lifted the players to a whole new level of recognition across the country. It was fantastic to see how our Womens soccer team was able to bring the nation together and having the honour of calling that moment in Canadian soccer history was such a privilege and one of the most special moments in my broadcasting career. The country got swept up in soccer fever because of the spirited way in which those players represented our nation and there was a great sense of pride in what they managed to achieve. It was an amazing story after the controversial, heartbreaking way they lost to the United States a few days earlier and the players deserved immense credit for the way they responded. Of course, the match that still sticks out above all others was the heartbreaking semifinal defeat to the United States. It was a match for the ages. A brave, spirited performance from underdogs, denied a famous win in controversial circumstances at one of world soccers most iconic venues. It was one of the most enthralling games you are ever likely to see. A 4-3 defeat to the No. 1 ranked team in the world is certainly no disgrace, but the manner in which the game was lost left the Canadians feeling cheated. Unfortunately, at the time, all the talk about the referees decisions overshadowed an incredible individual display from Christine Sinclair. We shouldnt have been surprised. Sinclair is world class and proved it once again last summer. She is one of the greatest soccer players the womens game has ever seen. She is tthe ultimate professional and a total team player.dddddddddddd It was great to see her receive so many accolades and awards following her performances at the Olympics. A bronze medal was a big success for this team, but now full focus is being placed on building towards Womens World Cup in 2015 to ensure that Canada is able to perform well on home soil. Canada coach John Herdman transformed the team in the space of a year but now has another massive job ahead. After finishing the Womens World Cup in 2011 in last place and without a win, Herdman inherited a despondent bunch of players. In a 12 month period he worked just as much on improving the mental aptitude of his squad as any other aspect of their game. Now he has to deal with expectations created by the Olympics success while reinventing a squad that has lost, and will continue to lose, some key veteran players. Herdman was a guest analyst with us in studio for TSNs recent coverage of the UEFA Womens EUROs in Sweden. Hes engaging, intelligent and without a doubt the right person to be leading this team to the World Cup. Canada is lucky to have him - but hes under no illusion as to the task that is facing him and his squad of players. Replicating the success of the London Olympics will arguably be a harder task than winning bronze in the first place. The next step in Canadas preparation for 2015 comes in October when the squad gets back together for a friendly against South Korea in Edmonton, but there isnt a moment that goes by when Herdman isnt plotting a way forward, as he aims to once again captivate the country with his teams performances in two years time. As Herdman told me recently, Canada will not enter 2015 as the highest quality squad in the World Cup, but he will make sure they are the best prepared. ' ' '