Mike Gundy frees the nipple, so you know it's going to be a long week for the Ducks

An inveterate storyteller in the Mike Leach tradition, Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy gave his Monday press conference this morning and digressed into a story about an icy, long-ago November game against Nebraska, complete with an unwelcome visual aid.

"You know the movie 'Christmas Story,' you ever watch that?" Gundy said to the media, scratching his ear to tug at his memory. "Where the kid goes out..." Gundy pantomined Ralphie stuffed in 10 layers of clothes, waddling like a penguin dreading a snowball fight.

"Well that's how I came out."

"When we broke the huddle Nebraska's defensive line had their shirts up like this."

And Gundy, 58 years old with a grandad bod, proceeded to lift up his shirt to demonstrate the bare-midriff look of Cornhusker football in the blueblood years.

While a long way from his glory years of executing the naked bootleg, Gundy still understands the value of misdirection. His 1-0 team just lost their starting quarterback to a broken foot and his stud freshman linebacker nearly spent Saturday in the slammer on a shoplifting beef. Gundy has jokes. He needs them.

About the Ducks he said, "Oregon is playing really well. I think they're well coached. They're spending a lot of money and they've put a lot into that organization and you can see; they're a good football team."

Though T. Boone Pickens has put a lot of money into his Cowboys, Gundy's point about the Ducks is well taken. The 247Sports Composite index ranks the Webfoots as the fifth-most talented team in college football between recruiting and the Transfer Portal, so talented that No. 1 transfer running back Makhi Hughes barely played in their 59-13 win over FCS Montana State.

The Ducks outgained the Big Sky Champions, 506-244, scoring nine times in nine possessions with a kneel-down at the end. They proved hard to defend, with 253 yards passing and 253 yards rushing, 7.9 yards per play.

OSU will try to counter with an improved defense. Altogether Gundy and his staff brought in a staggering 41 transfers and two new coordinators. NFL vet Todd Grantham took over the defense.

In the opener against UT Martin that unit stonewalled the Skyhawks, giving up a lone touchdown in the first quarter while limiting them to 225 yards, 4.09 yards per play. Linebackers Bryan McCoy Jr. and Brandon Rawls combined for 25 tackles.

Another linebacker, 6-3, 255 freshman Wendell Gregory, dazzled in the opener with three sacks, but on Saturday night he was arrested on shoplifting charges, posted bond and was released. Gundy says he'll travel with the team for the game this weekend, Oklahoma State at Oregon at Autzen Stadium at 12:30 p.m. PT, televised on CBS and Paramount.

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