Oklahoma State Football: Early game-by-game predictions for 2017

Andrew Miller

STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 12: Defensive tackle Vincent Taylor

Oklahoma State football has a real chance to have a special season in 2017. Let’s take it game by game and make some predictions.

The Oklahoma State football program has more hype entering the 2017 season than they have seen since they had their best season in school history in 2011, nearly making an appearance in a BCS Title Game. Quarterback Mason Rudolph and wide receiver James Washington return to lead possibly the best offense in the nation.

However, if the defense can catch up this could be a really special season for head coach Mike Gundy and the entire Oklahoma State fan base. With less the 2017 college football season approaching kick off, it’s time to start looking at individual predictions and season previews for each team.

Oklahoma State’s 2017 schedule isn’t the toughest schedule they’ve ever had, so the opportunity is there for a Big 12 Championship and College Football Playoff run. They have key out of conference matchups against a solid Tulsa Golden Hurricane team and the Pittsburgh Panthers out of the ACC.

Furthermore, the Cowboys get Big 12 foes Oklahoma, Baylor, Kansas State and TCU at home. The key road games are against Texas, West Virginia, and Texas Tech. However, you can never discount a road game against Iowa State as a Cowboy football fan.

In this article, we take a look at the game-by-game breakdown of the Oklahoma State season and the projected result of each matchup. The most important factors taken into account in this breakdown includes results from the past five years, overall talent, momentum at that part of the season, and toughness of the road or home matchup.

The Tulsa Golden Hurricane has a tall task to replace quarterback Dane Evans after leading them to a 10 win season in 2016. Tulsa still boasts a talented offense led by running back D’Angelo Brewer and wide receivers Brodrick Umbalance and Keenon Johnson.

Oklahoma State has not struggled with non-conference opponents in recent seasons, especially those from Group of Five conferences. We’ll see how ready Mason Rudolph, James Washington, and Justice Hill, and Co. are on the Cowboy roster. A Thursday night kickoff in Stillwater should be an exciting start to the season for Cowboy football fans at Boone Pickens Stadium.

Rudolph and redshirt freshman Tulsa quarterback Luke Skipper trade off touchdowns on the first two drives of the game. Yet, the Cowboys start to pull away after the initial drives for each team in the first quarter. Hill rushes for one touchdown and Rudolph throws for another. Oklahoma State ends the first quarterback on a 14-3 run and leads 21-10.

Brewer rushes for a Tulsa touchdown and freshman Cowboy running back Chuba Hubbard also rushes for his first career touchdown. The game is still at an 11-point lead for Oklahoma State at halftime.

The second half is a runaway for the Cowboys, as Rudolph throws for 200 yards and two touchdowns and freshman Keondre Wudtee adds another touchdown in the third and fourth quarters alone. Washington hauls in 12 passes for 120 yards and two touchdowns. Jalen McCleskey catches another seven passes for 90 yards and one touchdown.

Tulsa adds two more field goals but stalls out for most of the second half. Oklahoma State comes out of the gates strong to kick off 2017 with a huge 49-23 while also getting their younger players some quality playing time.

Final Score: Oklahoma State 49, Tulsa 23 (1-0)

After a convincing week one victory over Tulsa, Oklahoma State turns their attention to another Group of Five conference opponent. The South Alabama Jaguars are yet another underrated team that achieved a bowl berth in 2016. Oklahoma State cannot afford to get caught looking ahead to the Pitt game the following week. However, Keondre Wudtee and Chuba Hubbard both got quality playing time in week one which gave Cowboy fans a glimpse into the future.

South Alabama gets out to an early 10-3 behind a Dallas Davis touchdown in the first quarter. Oklahoma State takes a while to wake up but Justice Hill proves his worth in the second quarter with 50 rushing yards, including a 12 yard touchdown. Mason Rudolph adds another touchdown before the half to give the Cowboys a 17-10 lead heading into the locker room.

Hill ends up getting over the 100 yard mark for the second straight week. Rudolph also shows off his arm and the deep threat ability of the Oklahoma State offense with a 60 yard touchdown pass to LSU transfer receiver Tyron Johnson for his first touchdown of the season. James Washington reals in his third receiving touchdown of the season on an short fade route that gives the Cowboys a 31-10 lead at the end of the third quarter.

Rudolph throws for 290 yards and three touchdowns in this game. He now has more than 600 yards and eight touchdowns in the first two games of the 2017 campaign. Hill also continues his hot streak from the end of the 2016 season.

Final Score: Oklahoma State 31, South Alabama 16 (2-0)

Pittsburgh is the toughest test for Oklahoma State yet. However, Pitt did lose two of the biggest offensive weapons in quarterback Nathan Peterman and running back James Conner. Wide receiver Quadree Henderson and running back Qadree Ollison are two of the biggest threats that Oklahoma State has to stop.

Oklahoma State topped Pitt in 2016 by the score of 45-38. Mason Rudolph leads a high-octane Cowboy offense to a fast start against Pitt with two first quarter touchdowns. Oklahoma State also adds two fields goals to claim a 20-3 lead. However, Pitt makes a spirited comeback in the second quarter, led by USC transfer quarterback Max Browne.

Pitt scores 10 straight points, narrowing the Cowboy lead to just one possession. Justice Hill can’t seem to find any running room. Junior running back Jeff Carr actually has more rushing yards at the half but Oklahoma State only compiles 38 total yards on the ground. They carry a 23-16 lead into halftime.

Both teams trade scores in the second half and the game turns into a real shootout. Browne shows why he was once considered a five-star recruit and hailed to be a future star with the USC Trojans. Oklahoma State leads 37-30 at the end of the third quarter.

The fourth quarter looks like it might come down to the wire. Carr breaks through with a rushing touchdown and finishes the game with 60 yards, surpassing Hill’s 48 on an off day. Rudolph does manage four touchdowns but also throws two interceptions that lets Pitt hang around.

Final Score: Oklahoma State 51, Pittsburgh 36 (3-0)

The first Big 12 game of the season is a challenging one. TCU enters with a perfect record and revenge on their mind, after losing two straight games by a combined 46 points. Quarterback Kenny Hill is off to another great start in 2017 with 14 total touchdowns, including a marquee six touchdown performance in a win over the Arkansas Razorbacks.

A surprising defensive battle causes a low scoring game between Oklahoma State and TCU. Even though both Hill and Mason Rudolph got off to strong starts to the 2017 season, they struggle to put up any points. The first half ends in a 6-6 deadlock.

Oklahoma State wide receiver Marcell Ateman takes his time to shine and runs with it. He catches eight passes for 110 yards and two touchdowns in the second half. TCU manages to keep up for the entire second half. Frogs running back Kyle Hicks finds some running room in the fourth quarter and finishes the game with 90 rushing yards and one touchdown.

Rudolph has his worst stat line of the season against the Frogs but still does good enough to stay among the Big 12 passing leaders and stay in the thick of the Heisman race. Hill only manages one passing touchdown where TCU added a two-point conversion.

Final Score: Oklahoma State 27, TCU 21 (4-0, 1-0 Big 12)

Texas Tech seems to have another high-powered offense again under first-year starting quarterback Nic Shimonek. Yet, head coach Kliff Kingsbury still does not have any answers on defense. His job status is hanging in the balance and he needs a big victory. A win over the Cowboys at this point in the season would do just that for Kingsbury.

Wide recievers Keke Coutee, Dylan Cantrell, and Cameron Batson have combined for more than 500 yards receiving in the first three games. However, Texas Tech enters their first Big 12 game of 2017 with a 1-2 record. Houston and Arizona State both defeated the Red Raiders by a combined 12 point margin.

Many fans are excited to watch the quarterback battle between Shimonek and Mason Rudolph. Shimonek seems to be one of the most promising quarterbacks in the Big 12. Rudolph gets the upper hand early with two total touchdowns in the first quarter.

Justice Hill has himself a good recovery game after two poor performances against TCU and Pitt. Hill compiles 148 rushing yards and two touchdowns.

James Washington, once again, demolishes the Texas Tech secondary. He leads Oklahoma State in receiving yards with 221 and two touchdowns in what is his best performance of the season up to this point. Tyron Johnson and Jalen McCleskey also post good stat lines with at least 50 receiving yards and one touchdown for each player.

Oklahoma State notches six touchdowns on offense and one on defense. It’s another high-scoring affair in Lubbock between the Cowboys and the Red Raiders.

Final Score: Oklahoma State 56, Texas Tech 44 (5-0, 2-0 Big 12)

The Baylor Bears have been the surprise of the Big 12 in 2017. They enter this matchup with Oklahoma State with a 4-1 (1-1 Big 12) record, including an upset victory of the Kansas State Wildcats. Oklahoma State has to come out with their best performance to pull out a victory against Baylor. The Cowboys have lost four of the last five against Baylor.

Sophomore Baylor quarterback Zach Smith has 19 passing touchdowns through the first five games. Running back Terence Williams had a great start to the 2017 campaign as well and gives Baylor a big early boost in this game with two first half rushing touchdowns.

Oklahoma State Record: 6-0 (3-0 Big 12)

Under first year head coach Tom Herman, the Texas Longhorns get off to another slow start. Encouraging signs have shown in the form of a more consistent Shane Buechele and a healthy Chris Warren III. A consistent foundation does seem to start getting formed for Texas. Yet, Oklahoma State still enters this game as a heavy favorite.

The Cowboys have finally cracked the top five in the AP Poll, just shy of the first release of the College Football Playoff rankings. There’s still a lot on the line for Oklahoma State as the Longhorns are never an easy out. This time around is no different.

Buechele and Mason Rudolph both throw for three touchdowns. However, Buechele ends up taking better care of the football than Rudolph, who throws two interceptions in one game for the second time in 2017. However, a two touchdown performance from Justice Hill and Jeff Carr gives Oklahoma State the edge they seem to need.

Warren III seems to find every hole in the Oklahoma State front seven. Hill and Carr match Warren III’s touchdown total as well. All looks to be equal between the Pokes and Horns. Both defenses struggle to get off the field and not give up points on a consistent basis.

This is another classic Oklahoma State vs. Texas battle that seems to come down right to the wire. It comes down to special teams once again.

Final Score: Oklahoma State 41, Texas 38 (7-0, 4-0 Big 12)

West Virginia has never been an easy opponent for Oklahoma State. The Mountaineers derailed any hope the Cowboys had for a National Championship run in 2013 with an upset victory at Mountaineer Field. Yet, Oklahoma State has won two straight against West Virginia and things look to finally be trending in the right direction for the Cowboys against the Mountaineers.

Former Oklahoma State offensive coordinator and current WVU head coach Dana Holgorsen got the Mountaineers to a 10 win season for the first time in his tenure in Morgantown in 2016. West Virginia is on course for another successful season, maybe not 10 wins though. They have a 5-2 record and are bouncing in and out of the AP Top 25 rankings. A win over a top five team in Oklahoma State would establish them as a legitimate top 25 team.

Florida transfer quarterback Will Grier struggles against the Oklahoma State defense. He fairs no better than former West Virginia quarterback Skyler Howard did in two previous seasons against the Cowboy secondary. Safety Ramon Richards and Clemson transfer cornerback Adrian Baker each get one interception. A late fumble recovery from cornerback Madre Harper gives Oklahoma State the edge in the turnover battle.

Mason Rudolph has the best game he’s ever had against West Virginia as he throws for 375 yards and four touchdowns. James Washington hauls in 11 catches for 135 yards and one touchdown. Marcell Ateman adds another 80 yards and two touchdowns, showing the value of his size in the red zone.

Justice Hill has an average game, posting 88 rushing yards and zero scores. However, it’s enough to get the job done in a big victory against the Mountaineers.

Final Score: Oklahoma State 34, West Virginia 14 (8-0, 5-0 Big 12)

Big 12 Football — (Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images)

The biggest game on Oklahoma State’s 2017 schedule is finally here. Oklahoma comes in ranked no. 5 while Oklahoma State is ranked No. 3. Both teams are in prime position to take the Big 12 and claim a berth in the College Football Playoff. A rematch of Oklahoma and Oklahoma State in the Big 12 Championship Game looks very possible but it’s time to focus on the first matchup between these two teams.

This is the single biggest matchup in terms of national significance on the Big 12 slate so far this season. Baker Mayfield and Mason Rudolph take to the national spotlight and neither disappoints. Both quarterbacks are in the thick of the Heisman race while also looking to lead their respective teams to the Playoff.

Sooners’ running back Rodney Anderson gets off to a strong start against the Oklahoma State front seven, grabbing the Sooners a 14-10 lead at the end of the first quarter. Things seem to be going as usual in this Bedlam game. Mayfield adds another two touchdowns through the air and Rudolph adds one. Oklahoma carries a 28-17 lead into halftime.

This game looks drastically similar to the 2016 Bedlam outcome where the Sooners claimed a 38-20 victory over the Cowboys. Yet, Oklahoma State turns the tide of their Bedlam fortunes in the second with three total touchdowns from Rudolph. Oklahoma State has a 38-31 lead halfway through the fourth quarter.

Mayfield ties up the game with five minutes left on the clock and leaves the game in the hands of Rudolph and the Cowboy offense. Justice Hill scores the game winning touchdown with less than two minutes left. Mayfield comes up short on the final drive of the game and Oklahoma State beats the Sooners for the first time since 2014.

Final Score: Oklahoma State 45, Oklahoma 38 (9-0, 6-0 Big 12)

Oklahoma State finally cracks the top two in the College Football Playoff rankings. A huge victory over the Oklahoma Sooners puts the Cowboys on the map as a true National Championship contender. But the Iowa State Cyclones stand in the way of Oklahoma State notching their 10th win of the 2017 campaign.

Mason Rudolph’s Heisman campaign looks as strong as ever as he is now over 3,500 passing yards on the season. A 500-yard passing performance against the Sooners shows how good Rudolph can actually be. He continues that with another strong performance against the Cyclones.

Justice Hill has his best game of the season, running all over the Iowa State defense. The Cowboys tally more than 600 total yards on offense. Madre Harper grabs his second interception of the season helping the Cowboys dominate the Cylcones.

Rudolph throws for 430 yards and five total touchdowns while Hill runs for 157 yards and adds another two touchdowns on the ground. Oklahoma State’s special teams also shows out with three field goals.

Kansas State, the only thing really standing in the way of Oklahoma State and the Big 12 Championship Game and an undefeated regular season. Even though the Cowboys have a two game winning streak against the Wildcats, both came by very narrow margins.

Jesse Ertz has had an up and down season but the Kansas State defense has been phenomenal in 2017. Mason Rudolph hasn’t quite seen any defense as prepared for the Oklahoma State offensive attack as the Wildcats. Rudolph’s hot streak of 10 total touchdowns and over 800 passing yards over the last two games looks to be in jeopardy.

Kansas State ends up getting themselves into an uncharacteristically high-scoring affair. Oklahoma State takes a narrow 33-28 lead into halftime after four touchdowns from each team in the first half.

The game did slow down in the second half. Rudolph has to put the Cowboy offense on his back and carry them to victory if Oklahoma State wants to stay undefeated. Rudolph’s Heisman campaign comes to a climax in this game. He had a huge game against K-State in 2016 and has another huge one in 2017.

Ertz stays with Rudolph throughout the entire game as both quarterbacks end up with more than four total touchdowns. The Oklahoma State defense is not as strong as the weak before against Iowa State. This one comes right down to the wire.

Final Score: Oklahoma State 50, Kansas State 48 (11-0, 8-0 Big 12)

Oklahoma State is undefeated and ranked behind only the also undefeated USC Trojans. USC quarterback Sam Darnold and Mason Rudolph are the two favorites in the Heisman race and this game against the Kansas Jayhawks is one more chance to boost Rudolph’s stat line.

Kansas is vastly improved in 2017 from their 2016 team but there’s still a lot of progress needed to be made under head coach David Beaty. The Jayhawks are not bowl eligible but do have three wins this season. Quarterback Peyton Bender actually presents a formidable opponent for Oklahoma State.

Bender throws for 250 yards and three total touchdowns to give the Jayhawks a decent offensive outing. However, Rudolph blows Bender’s stat line out of the water with 560 passing yards and five total touchdowns, taking advantage of the soft Jayhawk secondary.

Justice Hill adds another rushing touchdown and freshman running back Chuba Hubbard gets his third rushing touchdown of the season. Fellow running back Jeff Carr is the third Cowboy rusher to add a touchdown on the ground. Oklahoma State notches its 12th win of the 2017 season and finishes the regular season undefeated.

Final Score: Oklahoma State 56, Kansas 31 (12-0, 9-0 Big 12)

Oklahoma State has their second matchup of the season with the Oklahoma Sooners. Bedlam decides the Big 12 title winner for the third consecutive season. Even though the Cowboys defeated the Sooners by a narrow margin earlier in the season, this game looks as even as it gets.

Oklahoma enters with two losses but ranked no. 6 in the country. The Cowboys finally notch the no. 1 ranking after USC comes close to losing three times in a row against UCLA, Colorado, and and Arizona, three unranked teams.

Baker Mayfield has as much of a chip on his shoulder as any game he’s played in his career. He pushes Oklahoma to the point of getting a third straight Big 12 Title. Mason Rudolph’s Heisman campaign hangs on his performance in the Big 12 Championship Game.

Rudolph and Mayfield trade blows for the first three quarters, each throwing for a little over 200 yards and two touchdowns. Rodney Anderson and Justice Hill also notch one touchdown, each, on the ground. The Cowboys miss two costly field goals that puts Oklahoma State three points down late in the fourth quarter.

There’s yet another chance for Rudolph to prove himself on the final drive of the game to show he is clutch enough to be considered the Heisman winner. He came up big the first time in this situation against Oklahoma but is not so fortunate this time around.

No. 1: USC Trojans
No. 2: Alabama Crimson Tide
No. 3: Oklahoma State Cowboys
No. 4: Florida State Seminoles

Even with the loss to Oklahoma in the Big 12 Championship Game, the Oklahoma State Cowboys still get the chance to face the Alabama Crimson Tide in the College Football Playoff Semifinal. Oklahoma State has a very similar outcome to their season in 2017 that the Ohio State Buckeyes had in 2016.

It’s a tremendous accomplishment for the Cowboys to get this far even with the loss in the Big 12 Championship Game. They still claimed the Big 12 Regular Season Title for the first time since 2011. Mason Rudolph comes up short to Sam Darnold in the Heisman voting but finishes second, the highest any Oklahoma State player finished in the race since Barry Sanders won the trophy in 1988.

Alabama is thoroughly more prepared for this game than Oklahoma State. Sophomore Tide quarterback Jalen Hurts rips apart the Cowboy defense on his way to a 414 yard and four total touchdown performance. Rudolph cannot keep up and throws for only 278 yards and three touchdowns.

The Crimson Tide handle Oklahoma State on both sides of the ball as Rudolph throws three interceptions, matching his touchdown total. Minkah Fitzpatrick snags two picks and Tony Brown gets one. One of Fitzpatrick’s interceptions is returned for a touchdown. Alabama head coach Nick Saban makes an appearance in his third straight National Championship.

Next: Ranking the top 50 players in college football in 2017

However, Alabama falls short against Deondre Francois and the Florida State Seminoles in the College Football Playoff National Championship. But Oklahoma State has a lot to be proud of, finishing with their highest win total since the coveted 2011 season.

Final Score: Alabama 45, Oklahoma State 24 (12-2)

Andrew Miller

Andrew Miller is the Site Editor for FanSided's Rink Royalty, where he covers the Los Angeles Kings, and a contributor at Audiophix covering hip-hop and music. His work has also appeared at SB Nation, Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, USA Today, and Sports Illustrated, where he has covered the NHL, NFL, NBA, MLB, college football, college basketball, and the music industry. He graduated from Oklahoma State University in 2016 with a degree in Sports Media.