The Oklahoma State Cowboys ride into Norman to face the Oklahoma Sooners to decide who will sit a top the BIG-12 Conference. The game is scheduled for Saturday, December 3rd and will be televised on the FOX Network. As of Tuesday, the Sooners are -11.5 point favorites and the contest’s total sits at 78.
The BIG-12 has finally decided to add a conference championship game to the schedule beginning in 2017. Unofficially, the conference will host a winner-take-all title game this Saturday in Norman.
#10 Oklahoma State (9-2):
The Cowboys’ head coach Mike Gundy is proving why he may be one of the most underrated coaches in college football. Instead of giving-up after being robbed by horrible officiating in the Central Michigan match-up, Oklahoma State has successfully rebounded and find themselves playing for the BIG-12 title.
Oklahoma State sports one of the nation’s higher-octane offenses, ranking 16th in the country averaging 500 yards per game. Quietly, quarterback Mason Rudolph is having a superb season, completing over 250 balls for 3,591 yards with 25 touchdown passes and only four interceptions. Although he is a pocket-passer, Rudolph has also scrambled for five scores when inside the red zone.
The Cowboys may pass the ball more than they run it, but when it comes to putting points on the board the running game has done its fair share. Three tail backs have totaled 19 touchdowns for the Cowboys. Running back Justice Hill leads this trio with 943 yards and seven scores.
Mason Rudolph has been helped by a terrific receiving corps, namely wide receivers James Washington and Jalen McCleskey. This year, the wide outs have collected 127 catches for over 1,900 yards and 16 scores. Jhajuan Seales and Chris Lacy have also pitched-in with six touchdowns and another 961 yards.
The Cowboys have struggled throughout their 2016 on the defensive side of the football. Coming into this game, the front seven is ranked 81st in the nation, surrendering 192 yards per game. The Oklahoma State secondary is even worse, yielding 248 yards a contest which places them at 88th in the country.
#8 Oklahoma (9-2):
On September 24th, the Sooners were 1-2, and in shock after a complete beat-down at the hands of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Since then, their offense has lit-up the scoreboard and spurred the Sooners to eight straight victories.
Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield has been on a tear for two months now. He has teamed-up with Dede Westbrook to form college football’s most lethal pitch-and-catch duo. Coming into this game, the Sooners now sit 3rd in the nation in total offense, racking-up 550 yards a contest. Throughout the 2016 season, Mayfield has amassed 3,381 yards with 35 touchdowns and eight picks.
Believe it or not, the Sooners are a balanced offense that run the ball quite effectively against opposing schools. Running backs Joe Mixon and Samaje Perine have toted the rock 300 times for over 1,800 yards and 17 trips to the back of the end zone. Baker Mayfield is also a threat with his feet, scoring six times in 2016.
Wide receiver Dede Westbrook has been amazing throughout his 2016 campaign. The stellar pass catcher is making a fair claim that he is the best wide out in the FBS. This season, Westbrook has nabbed 70 passes out of the air for well over 1,300 yards and has 15 scores to show for his work. Running back Joe Mixon is second on the team, catching 30 balls for 430 yards and another four trips to pay-dirt.
Like the Cowboys, the Sooners have struggled on the defensive side of the ball. They have shown some improvement, holding the Baylor and West Virginia quarterbacks to below a 50% completion rate the last two weeks.
Still, their secondary gives way to 287 yards per contest which ranks them at a lousy 122nd in the country. The front seven is better, ranking 49th in the nation allowing 155 yards a match.
Trends and Notes:
The Cowboys are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
The Sooners are 11-4 ATS in their last 15 conference games.
The Over is 11-3 in the Cowboys last 14 conference games.
The Over is 5-1-1 in the Sooners last 7 games following a bye week.
The Road team is 4-0 ATS in their last 4 meetings.
Game Prediction:
The Oklahoma State Cowboys feel they still have a lot to prove. Yes, they have two losses this season, but one of them was an officiating blunder against Central Michigan to open the season.
The Oklahoma Sooners have truly recovered from their tumultuous start and have been one of the hottest teams in the nation since. Quarterback Baker Mayfield and Dede Westbrook may be the best pitch-and-catch combo in America.
There should be plenty of points in this BIG-12 title game, as the Cowboys should find plenty of offense against the nation’s 122nd ranked secondary. Quarterback Mason Rudolph is just the guy to expose that glaring weakness. Likewise, Oklahoma should also find plenty of points against the Cowboy’s suspect secondary. The Sooner’s one-two pass-catch punch should do plenty of damage.
Odds-gurus are thinking the same thing, setting this game’s total at 78 points. The problem with that is this is a rivalry game and the BIG-12 title is on the line. Fortunately for the Sooners, they get this game at home and I suspect that’s why they are favored by the 11.5.
If this game was played at Oklahoma State, the line would be much closer. Once again, think dog in a conference duel for all the marbles. Take the Cowboys and their passing attack to keep up with the Sooners and cover the 11.5.
