One of the secrets of Bear Bryant's success is that he recognized the limits of how far his career could progress in a given situation.
He won at each of his first three head-coaching stops (Maryland, Kentucky and Texas A&M) despite situational difficulties, but Bryant knew that to achieve the type of national championship success he desired would require taking over a program of the caliber of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Bama gave him the recruiting edge and administrative backing he lacked at those previous schools, and that was a key to his winning six national championships with the Tide.
That same type of limitation recognition could be applied to the Oklahoma State Cowboys and their coach. As great a run as the Cowboys have had under head coach Mike Gundy, the blunt truth is that at first glance they still look to be far behind the Oklahoma Sooners in many areas.
Consider that since 2006, Oklahoma has ranked in the top 11 in the seasonal recruiting class rankings in all but one season, while Oklahoma State has ranked in the top 25 recruiting classes in only one season. In addition, a recent study showed that the Sooners are among the top 10 most valuable collegiate football programs, while the Cowboys did not even rank in the top 20.
That level of disparity is a big part of what caused Jimmy Johnson and Les Miles to leave Stillwater after achieving a certain level of success as Oklahoma State's head coach, but Gundy may have those two trumped in that he seems to have figured out a way around the Cowboys' situational limitations.
It all stems from getting the best bang for the buck out of recruiting.
A good way to illustrate this is by looking at the ESPN recruiting rankings for the starting 22 for both Oklahoma State and Oklahoma in their Dec. 3 battle (a game the Cowboys won 44-10):
The first thing to keep in mind about these rankings is that a player rated 80 or higher is usually considered a four-star prospect. Some players ranked 79 will get a four-star ranking, and anyone ranked 78 or lower will usually be considered a three-star player.
Let's start with the offensive lines. Four of the Sooners' linemen ranked as a 76 or higher, and the other (right tackle Lane Johnson) was a junior college transfer from 2009 who took over in Week 2 for an injured Daryl Williams (77 grade). That means every offensive line starter on the opening day roster for the Sooners had at least a 76 grade.
By contrast, the Cowboys had one lineman with a 72 grade, one with a 69 grade and two with a 40 grade. Add in a junior college transfer of their own, and it shows just how big the talent disparity looked on signing day.
But that disparity did not lead to decreased productivity. Oklahoma State's blockers had a sacks-allowed rate that was nearly equal to Oklahoma's (2 percent for the Cowboys, 1.9 percent for the Sooners).
The reason Oklahoma State was able to do this is that it came to the same realization about building offensive lines that many successful NFL teams have come to over the years, which is that quality coaching, good game planning and effective unit coordination can more than make up for a seeming lack of talent.
Gundy also looks to be of that mindset when it comes to wide receivers. Having a top-line talent or two is great, but good play calling can get top-line productivity out of run-of-the-mill talents.
The evidence for this can be found in the yards per attempt (YPA) totals of the Oklahoma State wideouts in 2011.
Justin Blackmon is one of the most highly touted pass catchers in college football, but the truth of the matter is that he actually saw a fairly significant productivity drop-off from last year.
In 2010 contests against teams from BCS conferences, Blackmon gained 1,242 receiving/penalty yards on 103 targets, or 12.1 YPA.
In 2011 contests against teams from BCS conferences, Blackmon has gained 1,156 yards on 133 targets, or 8.7 YPA.
That decline should have dramatically reduced quarterback Brandon Weeden's numbers, but it did not, because the Gundy system was superb at getting productivity out of the other Cowboys pass-catchers. This was evidenced by the fact that Isaiah Anderson, Hubert Anyiam, Colton Chelf, Josh Cooper, Michael Harrison, Tracy Moore and Josh Stewart (all of the other Cowboys wide receivers with double-digit reception totals) tallied a composite YPA of 8.7.
It isn't as if Gundy's system is all predicated on having Weeden behind center, either, as his teams ranked in the top 16 in passer rating in 2007 and '08.
That system is a significant part of why the Cowboys were able to top the Sooners in nearly every offensive passing category despite not coming close to equaling Oklahoma in the wide receiver recruiting grades.
Gundy also seems to understand an old Bill Walsh adage that says offensive talent issues can be worked around with coaching, but defensive prowess pretty much comes down to how many talented players one has.
That mindset means that recruiting is much more important on the defensive side of the ball, and Gundy has had success in that area.
Consider that the Cowboys had five potential four-star-caliber players (those rated 79 or higher) on their starting defense, while Oklahoma fielded only four such players. That means they more than matched the Sooners on top-level talent, which is by far the most important area on defense.
As dangerous as Gundy's teams have been with less talented recruits, one can only imagine how good they could be now that the talent level on this team is starting to increase and Oklahoma State has experienced some success.
In 2008 and 2009, the Cowboys were able to sign a total of seven players rated 78 or higher. In the past two recruiting classes, the Cowboys signed 18 players rated 78 or higher and they already have seven more signed for the 2012 class.
That alone might be enough, but if the Cowboys can land even a few of the nine 78-rated or higher recruits who are currently considering Oklahoma State (including Barry Sanders Jr., the son of the Heisman Trophy-winning former Oklahoma State running back), Gundy might no longer have to deal with a relative lack of talent.
And that means the state of Oklahoma should have two teams in the national championship conversation for many seasons to come.
KC Joyner, aka the Football Scientist, is a regular contributor to ESPN Insider. He also can be found on Twitter @kcjoynertfs and at his website. He is the author of an annual fantasy football draft guide, which is available, and "Blindsided: Why the Left Tackle is Overrated and Other Contrarian Football Thoughts."