Oklahoma State Football: 2017 season preview, predictions
By Tim Kaiser
2017 Oklahoma State schedule and predictions
| WEEK | DATE | OPPONENT | LOCATION |
| 1 | Aug. 31 | vs. Tulsa | Stillwater, OK |
| 2 | Sept. 8 | at South Alabama | Mobile, AL |
| 3 | Sept. 16 | at Pittsburgh | Pittsburgh, PA |
| 4 | Sept. 23 | vs. TCU | Stillwater, OK |
| 5 | Sept. 30 | at Texas Tech | Lubbock, TX |
| 6 | Oct. 7 | BYE WEEK | |
| 7 | Oct. 14 | vs. Baylor | Stillwater, OK |
| 8 | Oct. 21 | at Texas | Austin, TX |
| 9 | Oct. 28 | at West Virginia | Morgantown, WV |
| 10 | Nov. 4 | vs. Oklahoma | Stillwater, OK |
| 11 | Nov. 11 | at Iowa State | Ames, IA |
| 12 | Nov. 18 | vs. Kansas State | Stillwater, OK |
| 13 | Nov. 25 | vs. Kansas | Stillwater, OK |
Oklahoma State is going to put that old adage “defense wins championships” to the test this year. They unquestionably have a College Football Playoff worthy offense. The combination of Mason Rudolph, Justice Hill and James Washington is unmatched. The question is can they score enough to make up for a defense with holes where you can’t really afford to have them in the Big 12?
The Big 12 Media took Oklahoma to win the Big 12 for their third straight year. The Sooners received 19 first-place votes to the Cowboys’ 12. Kansas State was picked third and got a first-place vote as well.
Bovada set Oklahoma State’s win total for the year at nine. ESPN’s FPI is a little more down on the Cowboys, projecting their record at 7.9-4.4.
Prediction: 11-1 (8-1 Big 12)
This should be the year of Mike Gundy. The Man with the Mullet has the weapons to have a repeat of 2011.
He has to be overjoyed Bob Stoops finally left Norman. Stoops demolished the Cowboys to the tune of a 10-2 record in Gundy’s 12 years as head coach. The last two losses were de facto Big 12 Championship Games.
If Gundy, a man who is now almost 50, continues to be frustrated by the Sooners — now led by the youngest coach in FBS — Pokes fans are going to lose their minds.
Shootouts are unpredictable enough that the Cowboys will drop at least a game. The stretch to watch is Weeks 8-10. Having to go to Texas and Morgantown in back-to-back weeks before Bedlam is not great. The West Virginia game is a classic letdown spot. Florida transfer Will Grier has the ability to pick on the corners if they haven’t found their footing.
Next: NFL Mock Draft 2018: Way-too-early edition
Bedlam loses just a touch of its luster because it is highly likely that they will meet again in the Big 12 Championship Game at Jerry World a month later. The rivalry game was moved up in the schedule for probably this exact reason. This is not a bad thing if you like high-scoring football because Oklahoma State will be trying to outgun Heisman Finalist Baker Mayfield, and we might get to see it twice.