Burning Questions Ahead of Oklahoma State's Season Opener
Oklahoma State has been one of the most intriguing teams throughout the offseason and will get a chance to prove itself on Saturday.
OSU will host South Dakota State with an afternoon kickoff in Boone Pickens Stadium. While OSU will be playing an FCS team, the back-to-back FCS national champions on a 29-game winning streak will feel much more like an FBS matchup.
Burning questions for OSU’s season opener:
Ollie Gordon: Heisman contender or pretender?
After winning the Doak Walker Award after seeing limited touches in the first three games last year, Gordon’s hopes for any award will not be determined in game one. However, his performance could shape a narrative around him going into September.
No one will truly bat an eye if Gordon gets anywhere around 120-150 yards, where he hovered for much of 2023. If Gordon fails to get to 100 yards or surpasses the 200-yard mark, he could make or break his Heisman hype to begin the season.
Are the Cowboys among the elite in college football?
Favored to win by a touchdown and a field goal, OSU is expected to take care of business but not in a flashy way. Albeit an FCS team, the Jackrabbits will pose one of the most difficult battles for the Cowboys this season.
OSU likely enters next week unranked with a loss and will see little movement with a win. However, if OSU can make a statement and have a dominant win against South Dakota State, the Cowboys could make their claim as one of the best in college football. With so much returning talent on both sides, a big OSU win could result in lots of national attention going forward.
Where do Kendal Daniels and Collin Oliver fit defensively?
Much of the talk about Bryan Nardo’s unit this offseason centered around Oliver playing more along the line of scrimmage. As a talented pass rusher and overall star defensively, it seemed that he would revert back to the edge after playing at linebacker last season.
When the first depth chart came out, Oliver was still listed as a linebacker. He was also alongside Daniels, who has played at safety throughout his career. OSU coach Mike Gundy has said the versatility of those guys and others makes it easy to rotate players effectively everywhere on the field. While Oliver’s and Daniels’ effectiveness seems like a given, their positioning will be something worth watching on Saturday.
How reliable will the Cowboys be on special teams?
Logan Ward will take over as OSU’s kicker after Alex Hale’s departure, which has the potential to go a few different directions. Typically sporting a reliable kicker, Mike Gundy’s team will need to be able to lean on Ward in big moments. As Sean Snyder takes over as OSU’s punters and kickers coach, he could help smoothen any rough patches the Cowboys have in the transition.
With Hudson Kaak and Wes Pahl likely splitting time at punter again this season, OSU at least has some continuity in the kicking game.
READ MORE: How to Watch Oklahoma State vs. South Dakota State: Kickoff Time, Streaming and Odds
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IVAN WHITE
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.