It’s pure bedlam in the Sooners State when the (9) Oklahoma Sooners charge into Stillwater to get down with the (10) Oklahoma State Cowboys this weekend. The inner-state rivalry game is set to go off on Saturday, November 4th at 4 p.m. EST. The Big-12 Conference match-up can be watched on Fox Sports 1 for your afternoon football enjoyment. Odds gurus originally placed the Sooners as a field goal favorite on Monday. Since then, the betting public has pushed it completely in the other direction. Now the Cowboys are a slight -2.5 point home favorite. Also, the contests total has been placed at a lofty 76 points.
The Oklahoma Sooners won their third straight game last week when they toppled Texas Tech 49-27 in Norman. This game against the Cowboys could give the Sooners their eighth win of the season. Oklahoma hasn’t lost a game on the road since 2014 and is tied with Oklahoma State at 4-1 in the conference.
The Oklahoma State Cowboys look to defend their home turf after winning a wild game against West Virginia 50-39. In that game, the Cowboys high-powered offense lit up the Mountaineers for all four quarters. For this game, Oklahoma State will hope to do the exact same thing against a very suspect Sooner defense.
Against one another, Oklahoma has a commanding 78-18-7 advantage in the all-time series. They also have won the last two, including a 38-20 home triumph on December 3, 2016. In the last ten years, the Sooners have won eight of the games that these two have played against each other.
(9) Oklahoma Sooners (7-1)
The Oklahoma Sooners have appeared to round the corner after that stunning defeat at home to the Iowa State. Maybe the wake-up call was just what the doctor ordered. Either way, they have reeled off three straight wins and have kept their playoff hopes alive. Thank goodness the offense is putting up plenty of points because their defense keeps letting teams score.
Quarterback and Heisman candidate Baker Mayfield is one of the elite signal-callers in all of the Division I football. The experienced senior is having himself a year that most quarterbacks can only dream of. Coming into this home game, Mayfield has thrown for 2,628 yards with 23 touchdown tosses and only three picks. He is eighth in the league in passing yards and he leads the country’s second-ranked offense.
The Sooners will gauge their opponents via the ground attack as well as the pass. Three running backs pitch in to keep the offense balanced and put Baker Mayfield on third and shorts for most of the day. The threesome has combined for just over 195 carries for almost 1,264 yards and eight touchdowns. Mayfield also can run with the rock, scrambling for another 190 yards and four more scores.
There is plenty of talent at the wideout position for rookie head coach Lincoln Riley to find plays for. Five wide receivers all see a lot of action and all five produce about equally. As a group, the five have brought in 154 passes for almost 2,300 yards and 17 touchdowns. Mark Andrews leads this bunch with 36 catches and 599 yards.
Defensively, the Sooners are as about an average of a squad as it gets in college football. Their front seven sits 43rd in the nation, allowing 142 yards a game. The back half is worse, giving up 239 yards through the air (87th). In all, the whole defense yields 25 points to opposing offenses which places them at 59th in the FBS. It’s safe to say that the secondary will be tested early and often in this match-up against the Cowboys.
(10) Oklahoma State Cowboys (7-1)
The Oklahoma State Cowboys’ aspirations of playing for a national title are still alive because of their win against West Virginia. So far, their only loss is at the hands of a solid TCU team that was ranked fourth in the country. The Cowboys are finding ways to win with one of the FBS’s most potent offenses. They hope to replicate their performance last year against the Sooners and lay another 40 plus points up on the board.
Quarterback Mason Rudolph has been one of the best players under-center in Division I football. He has been consistent from week to week with only one weak game against the Horned Frogs on his resume’. The captain threw for only 216 yards but connected with three touchdowns and only one pick. Overall, he has completed 66 percent of his throws for 2,866 yards with 22 (T3rd) touchdowns and only five interceptions.
Running back Justice Hill has turned on the jets in his last five games. Before the Mountaineer game, he had eclipsed the century mark four times in a row. the production has provided balance to the Cowboys’ offense. Last week, Hill touched the ball only 12 times out of the backfield and had two touchdowns. Teammate J.D. King got most of the work, toting the rock for 142 yards on 36 carries and another score.
Pass-catchers James Washington, Marcell Ateman, and Jalen McCleskey are the best trio of wideouts in college football. Combined, they have over 2,200 yards receiving yards and 17 touchdowns. Washington is a beast, catching a team-high 45 passes for 1,005 yards and eight touchdowns. Ateman is close, with another 34 grabs for well over 668 yards and four more scores.
Basically, Oklahoma State’s defense has been hit or miss all season long. Against strong teams, they seem to struggle and force their offense to outscore their opponents. Fortunately, they had just enough to hold off West Virginia. In all, the Cowboys are ranked 79th against the pass and 26th against the run. They also are surrendering 24 points to opposing offenses.
Prediction
One thing is clear, Las Vegas is expecting these two clubs to go up and down the filed on each other for all four quarters this Saturday. I can fully understand why. Two of college football’s best quarterbacks will be on display with a lot on the line. The winner of this game will have the inside track to the Big-12 title game and a shot at the college football playoffs. This one should be a classic and the over 76 is there for the taking. I can foresee a 24-17 halftime score here and I don’t expect either team to separate by much.
As for the spread, well your on your own with that one. We’ll see where the line shakes out by kick-off but it looks like it going to be a field goal difference one way or the other. Personally, I’m not touching this but instead, I’m going to root for two of the nation’s best passers to let it rip. #moneytreesgrow @EriktheHun
To place a bet on this Big-12 shoot-out or to lay down some hard earned cash on another event, go to BetDSI Sportsbook and get started.
Trends
The Sooners are 2-5 ATS in their last 7 road games.
The Sooners are 1-4 ATS in their last 5 conference games.
The Over is 23-11-1 in the Sooners last 35 conference games.
The Cowboys are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after allowing less than 100 yards rushing in their previous game.
The Over is 14-6 in the Cowboys last 20 conference games.
Road team is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 meetings.
