Baylor Week 5 Opponent Preview: Oklahoma State Cowboys
When the ball kicks off at 2:30 p.m. on Saturday, it will mark the third time in 364 days at the Baylor Bears and the Oklahoma State Cowboys will square off on the football field. If either of the two 2021 matchups proves anything, the 2022 version will be yet another thriller.
The Cowboys come in looking for revenge after the Bears cost them a shot at the College Football Playoff and the Big 12 title by stopping them at the goal line at AT&T Stadium last December 21-16 win that crowned the Bears the conference champions.
Having seen the Jairon McVea highlight for almost 10 months now and having prepared for two weeks, this is a game Cowboys fans have been waiting for all summer long. Coming in at 3-0 and ranked No. 9 in the country, the Pokes are actually three-point underdogs to the 3-1, No. 16 Bears.
While it is only Week 5, the Bears are already battle tested, having played against a top-20 BYU team on the road and taking down a good Iowa State Cyclones team in Ames last week. The Cowboys, on the other hand, are opening their conference schedule this week and can only boast wins over Central Michigan, Arizona State, and Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Here is how the Pokes stand coming into this massive game Saturday.
Oklahoma State Cowboys
2022 Record: 3-0 (Big 12 opener)
Head coach: Mike Gundy
Gundy enters his 18th season at his alma mater and is coming off one of the most successful seasons in the program's history, where the Cowboys won a program-record 12 games and a Fiesta Bowl victory over Notre Dame. He is fresh off celebrating his 150th victory in charge.
Offensive Scheme: Pro
Defensive Scheme: 4-2-5
Returning starters on offense: 7
Quarterback Spencer Sanders returns and brings 35 career starts with him. While Gundy and Pokes fans seemed to have put their trust in him, that's about the most outstanding statistic on his football card. What makes Sanders shine is his running ability to keep defenses guessing, which has led to a an average of just under 52 points a game this season.
That said, if Sanders is forced to pass all day, this Bears defense could eat him alive. The worst part about that for Cowboys fans? Baylor is much stronger against the run than the pass.
Projected offensive starters:
QB Spencer Sanders
RB Dominic Richardson
WR Bryson Gray
WR Braydon Johnson
WR Brennan Presley
WR John Paul Richardson
LT Caleb Etienne
LG Taylor Miterko
C Preston Wilson
RG Hunter Woodard
RT Jake Springfield
Returning starters on defense: 5
Ever wonder why those Baylor-Oklahoma State matchups were both so tight last year? Well, they were basically the same team. They had a conservative, run-first offensive style and both had suffocating defenses.
The Cowboys had one of the most dominant defenses in the entire country in 2021, with the fifth-best rushing defense and total defense in the nation, and were fourth-best in the country on third down. This is NOT the same Cowboys' defense. So far this year, they ranked 103 nationally in total defense, allowing over 265 yards a game. If the Bears offense plays as they did against Iowa State, it could be a long day for this Cowboys unit.
Projected defensive starters:
DE Tyler Lacy
DE Brock Martin
DT Sione Asi
DT Brenden Evers
LB Xavier Benson
LB Mason Cobb
CB Korrie Black
CB Jabbar Muhammad
S Sean Flanagan
S Jason Taylor II
S Thomas Harper
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You can follow Cameron Stuart on Twitter @RealCamStuart
Covering Baylor for Inside The Bears and the Locked on Baylor podcast. You can follow me for more Baylor content at @realcamstuart on Twitter. Originally from Rockland, Massachusetts and a Baylor alum, so I might mix the occasional bias and/or Boston sports tweet in there every once in a while.