Oklahoma State Opens As Steep Favorite Over Tulsa
The Oklahoma State Cowboys are 2-0 through the first two weeks of college football. After the 39-31, two-overtime victory against Arkansas, it's easy to see the glaring difference between this season and last.
Last year, when the Cowboys saw a big deficit and offensive struggles early, they took a brutal loss to South Alabama. This year, they came back and defeated an SEC program in a gritty win.
So, ahead of the program's Week 3 battle against Tulsa, Oklahoma State opened as a steep favorite. ESPN BET has the Cowboys as a 20-point favorite over the Golden Hurricane.
Hosting Tulsa, it seems Oklahoma State is set to pick up their third victory, which would see them close out non-conference play with a 3-0 record. Currently ranked No. 13 in the nation, the Cowboys could find themselves into the top 12 in the AP poll with a victory.
Given the updated 12-team College Football Playoff format, Oklahoma State would be in a prime position to continue paving the way into the playoff conversation with a win. The top twelve teams make the playoffs, though the four highest-ranked conference champions get a bye, with the fifth-highest-ranked conference championship getting an at-large bid.
With the Big Ten and SEC dominating the rankings typically, teams from those conferences will fill most of the at-large bids. The Big 12 champion will make the playoffs, and if that team isn't the Cowboys, they'll need an incredible regular season to build a playoff resume.
Dominating a team like Tulsa is great for their resume, and Oklahoma State being such a large favorite ahead of the contest bodes well for their chances of adding to their resume.
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KADE KIMBLE
Kade is a strategic communications student at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where he also minors in Sports Management. He has been covering the Oklahoma City Thunder with InsidetheThunder.com since the 2022 season after having followed the team since its early days.