OSU OL Joe Michalski Ready For Challenge in Season Opener
Oklahoma State enters 2024 with high expectations, and it will get an early test.
After a 10-win campaign in 2023, the Cowboys enter this season as one of the favorites in the Big 12. Although OSU begins conference play with matchups against the top two teams in the preseason poll, it will need to be on high alert well before any Big 12 opponents pop up on the schedule.
On Aug. 31, OSU will open its season in Boone Pickens Stadium with a 1 p.m. kickoff. While playing in the extreme heat in the middle of the afternoon is already a significant challenge for game one, it will also play the best team in the FCS.
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The Cowboys are set to host South Dakota State, which has won 29 straight games and back-to-back FCS National Championships. SDSU’s most recent loss came in its last battle with an FBS team, falling 7-3 to Iowa to open the 2022 campaign, infamously giving up two safeties.
OSU’s experience should help it overcome the tough season-opening opponent. OSU’s experience along the offensive line should be a key factor to the Cowboys’ offensive success, with the group led by Joe Michalski.
"They just don't make a lot of mistakes,” Michalski said. “They're really good at what they do. They know their job. They're high effort, there's no lazy guys on that team and they're just really good at knowing their assignment. That's what they're good at and that's how they beat people. They don't make mistakes, they wait for other people to make mistakes."
Unforced errors hurt the Cowboys throughout the early parts of the 2023 season, narrowly defeating FCS opponent Central Arkansas to open. OSU has much more continuity and certainty entering next season, but the team is far from perfect and will need to ensure it does not take the Jackrabbits lightly.
READ MORE: Oklahoma State HC Mike Gundy Not Concerned About Early Kickoffs
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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.