OKLAHOMA STATE PASS OFFENSE vs TEXAS PASS DEFENSE
OSU quarterback Alan Bowman has a strong arm and is capable of throwing the ball all over the field. There’s some thought that he might have some lingering aftereffects of his previous injuries at Texas Tech. Bowman was tentative early on and would abandon the pocket under minimal pressure, but has gotten better as the year has gone on. If Texas can flush him out of the pocket, he’s usually inclined to throw it away. When protected, Bowman can stand in the pocket and make throws. Wide receiver Brennan Pressley is one of the smaller guys on the field every week (5-8, 175), but he’s quick with the ball in his hands. OSU will move him around a lot to get favorable matchups. Rashod Owens has stepped up this year and had a couple of huge games so he’s capable of getting hot. Jaden Bray had been out most of the season but has played the last couple of games in a limited capacity. He’s the home run hitter out of the group. The Texas pass defense had really struggled over the last month but really picked things up last week. Bowman actually ranks third in the Big 12 in passing yards per game, but he’s 12th in passing efficiency thanks to 11 INTs and just 10 TDs.
Edge – Texas *
OKLAHOMA STATE RUN OFFENSE vs TEXAS RUN DEFENSE
This will be the area that will determine if Oklahoma State has a chance to pull the upset. Ollie Gordon is the nation’s leading rusher and he’s been incredible after getting only 19 combined carries in OSU’s first three games. He’s been incredible over the last two months and has really developed vision and patience that’s as good as any back in the country. Last year, he was more of a one-cut, hit-the-hole-hard type of runner. This year, he’s seeing holes before they open up, has the patience to let things develop but can get upfield in a hurry and get tough yards when necessary. Gordon is deceptively fast, kind of a glider type of runner. He can run inside the tackles and pop things outside equally effective. He’s also a bigger guy at 6-1 who seems to get better as games go on. Texas ranks fourth nationally in rush defense. OSU’s weakness is that it really doesn’t have a second option behind Gordon. I expect Gordon will get his yards but Texas will obviously make it tougher than other teams he’s faced.
Edge – Oklahoma State *
OKLAHOMA STATE OFFENSIVE LINE vs TEXAS DEFENSIVE LINE
The offensive line has been a weakness for Oklahoma State in recent years. It started out that way early this year, but the team made some changes after the South Alabama game, simplifying the blocking schemes, going away from more zone read and it’s worked well since then. Dalton Cooper, a transfer out of Texas State, had the best PFF numbers for any LT in the country last year. OSU actually started him at right tackle this year but has since moved him over to left tackle and he’s been really good in his more natural spot. There really aren’t any big weaknesses up front for OSU. It’s not necessarily a dominant group, but it’s solid all around.
Edge – Texas **
TEXAS PASS OFFENSE vs OKLAHOMA STATE PASS DEFENSE
It’s not a great Oklahoma State pass defense, ranking 12th in the league in both passing yards given up, and pass efficiency defense. The secondary has given up some busts so that could be something Texas could exploit. OSU has lots of inexperience in the back end, but the mistakes still show up occasionally. Korie Black has been the main guy. Free safety Cameron Epps is a freshman who was forced in due to injury. He started slowly but playing better. Kendall Daniels at Rover has been the weak link, largely because his effort has been below average.
Edge – Texas ***
TEXAS RUN OFFENSE vs OKLAHOMA STATE RUN DEFENSE
OSU’s linebackers have played really well on the year. Middle linebacker Nick Martin leads the Big 12 in tackles by a wide margin. He was not highly recruited, is a bit undersized, but plays with reckless abandon. Strongside linebacker Xavier Benson has bounced around at different schools. He wasn’t great last year but has been really good this year. Collin Oliver switched from more pass of a pass rushing defensive end to more of a combo backer who can also play along the line. He’s logged 68 tackles and 6 sacks on the year. Texas is suddenly a team of running back by committee, but has been able to find a hot hand.
Edge – Texas *
TEXAS OFFENSIVE LINE vs OKLAHOMA STATE DEFENSIVE LINE
Collin Oliver, as mentioned above, is good against the run but is better when he’s able to pin his ears back and try to get to the quarterback. Oklahoma State doesn’t really have any superstars that really stand out. Nose tackle Justin Kirkland a transfer, is a stout guy (generously listed at 6-4) who does a great job of holding his ground and commanding double teams to free up the linebackers. Collin Clay also plays that spot and does it pretty well.
Edge – Texas **
SPECIAL TEAMS
OSU’s special teams have been decent for most of the year but Texas holds most of the edges. OSU hasn’t done a lot in return game, but has been fairly effective in coverage units. Alex Hale is very good at placekicker, on par with what Texas has in Bert Auburn.
Edge – Texas **
