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Tramel: Oklahoma State football has a solid history with backup quarterbacks

Winning with a backup quarterback is not easy. But Oklahoma State does it perhaps better than any other Big 12 football program.

Shane Illingworth quarterbacked OSU to a 27-13 victory over West Virginia last Saturday. He was not the first Cowboy backup QB to deliver.

OSU has made a habit of winning with backup quarterbacks. In the last decade, the Cowboys are 7-4 in Big 12 games with a backup QB.

During that span, only Texas, at 4-1, also has a winning record with a backup quarterback in Big 12 games. I designated backups as quarterbacks who were forced into action due to non-performance issues (such as injury, suspension, etc.