Game Preview: No. 20 Oklahoma State vs BYU
After a scare in Houston last week, Oklahoma State returns home to face BYU for the final game of the season. The Cowboys sit firmly in second place in the Big 12 standings, and if they win on Saturday, they will be taking a trip to Arlington for a chance to take home the Big 12 title. It would be the second appearance in three seasons for the Pokes. This will be the first time a Mike Gundy-coached team will face BYU, as the last matchup between the two schools was back in 1976.
There is some uncertainty on who will be starting at quarterback for BYU. It has been Kedon Slovis for most of the year, but he went down with an arm injury a few weeks ago. Retzlaff seems to have opened up the run game quite a bit for the Cougars, but Slovis has several years of starting experience. There is a quarterback battle taking place in Provo this week, and the winner will get the start against the Pokes on Saturday. Mitch Harper of KSL Sports has a great article about it, which you can read by clicking here.
Game Information
Time: 2:30 p.m. Central Time
Channel: ABC
Spread: Oklahoma State -16.5
Over/Under: 56.5
Key Players: Ollie Gordon, Nick Martin | Jakob Robinson, Tyler Batty
Question Marks for Oklahoma State
Can The Front Seven Play Discipline in the Run Game?
BYU gashed Oklahoma last week on the ground and it nearly won them the game. The Cougars used a heavy dose of RPO to keep Oklahoma's linebackers guessing, and it led to some massive holes. The Cowboys are going to have to play disciplined football on defense or it could be a long day. Nick Martin will have plenty of opportunities to make plays on Saturday so long as he doesn't get sucked into any of the trickery that BYU will utilize.
Will Oklahoma State Sleepwalk Into This Game?
Coming off of two consecutive road games, the Cowboys are finally coming home for the first time since Bedlam against an inferior opponent. BYU is fighting to be bowl-eligible, and Oklahoma State is looking to make its way to Arlington. Both teams have a lot on the line. With it being the final game of the regular season at home, I expect Oklahoma State to come out firing on all cylinders, but this is college football and anything can happen. This could be a trap game for the Pokes, and it will be interesting to see how they look.
My Prediction:
The uncertainty around the quarterback position for BYU bodes well for Oklahoma State. It limits the amount of snaps either player can get in practice. The concern for the Pokes is that they will have to gameplan for both players. Once again the fate of this game lies on the defense. BYU has one of the worst defenses in the Big 12, especially against the run. Ollie Gordon should have a field day against that defense. I am picking Oklahoma State to win big.
My prediction: Oklahoma State 44-20 BYU
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