Game Preview: No. 23 Oklahoma State vs Houston
Coming off of a crushing 45-3 loss to UCF, Oklahoma State looks to rebound on the road at Houston. The Pokes currently sit at number two in the Big 12 standings, and there are some tricky rules that determine who will be going to the championship game. You can read more about Oklahoma State's path to the Big 12 Championship game in Arlington here. This will be the 21st matchup between the two teams.
Game Information
Time: 3:00 p.m. Central Time
Channel: ESPN2
Spread: Oklahoma State -7.0
Over/Under: 59.5
Question Marks for Oklahoma State
Can The Cowboys Rebound?
After a demoralizing loss like the one that the Cowboys received in Orlando on Saturday, I am curious to see how Oklahoma State responds. Will they come out swinging and looking for blood? Will they crumble and take another loss similarly to how the season started? Time will tell. Mike Gundy needs to have the team locked in this week, or it could get ugly.
Can Ollie Gordon Get to 100 Percent?
In back-to-back weeks, Ollie Gordon has had to come off of the field during the game due to an injury. Although they seemed minor and ultimately were not enough to keep him out of the game, they seemed to affect his play, especially in the UCF game. Gordon would end the game with only 25 yards on 12 carries with a long of five yards and a fumble.
Yes, this is partially due to the fact that Oklahoma State had to throw the ball so much due to being down early, but even when Gordon received opportunities he couldn't quite capitalize. We'll see if he can get back to normal this week.
My Prediction:
This is a tough game to predict. Depending on what team shows up, this could be a good, old-fashioned beatdown, or it could end up as a crushing defeat. The Pokes are no strangers to adversity this season, which is exactly why I am picking them to bounce back. The defense should play much better this week, and the offense will limit turnovers. It will be close for much of the game, but the Cowboys will pull away late.
My prediction: Oklahoma State 28-17 Houston
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