Oklahoma State Football: Is there any possibility of holding off West Virginia?

A very tough West Virginia Mountaineers squad is looking to stay alive in the College Football Playoff picture against Oklahoma State football in Week 12.

This is going to be a very interesting affair between Oklahoma State football and the one-loss West Virginia Mountaineers in Week 12. Oklahoma State football seems to only play well when it faces the absolute best teams in the Big 12 this fall. Just ask the Oklahoma Sooners, Texas Longhorns, and Iowa State Cyclones.

Head Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy is at his best when his team is filling an underdog role against a big-time opponent. That’s where the Oklahoma State Cowboys find themselves in Week 12 as the team prepares to host head coach Dana Holgorsen and West Virginia at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater on Nov. 17.

The issue for Oklahoma State is that it needs just one more victory to reach bowl eligibility. That would keep one of the longest bowl streaks in the nation alive in what has otherwise been a disappointing 2018 campaign for the Pokes. Holgorsen and the Mountaineers present a daunting challenge for the Pokes too.

For the second week in a row, Oklahoma State football has to contain one of the two best offenses in the Big 12. You could also argue that the Oklahoma Sooners and West Virginia have two of the three or five best offenses in the nation altogether. Oklahoma State’s defense isn’t usually built to contain that type of offensive explosiveness.

The defense for the Pokes did hold on nicely in its second half effort against Oklahoma in Bedlam last week. Holding Oklahoma’s offense in check is nearly an impossible task and this should give that side of the ball some type of confidence against the Mountaineers in Week 12.

Last year, Oklahoma State football downed West Virginia by the final score of 50-39. Yet, these are much different West Virginia and Oklahoma State teams coming into this 2018 meeting. Oklahoma State gets a defense in West Virginia that’s actually much stingier than Oklahoma’s.

Standout West Virginia linebacker David Long leads this defense that is allowing barely over one passing touchdown per game and less than 3.5 yards per carry this fall. Oklahoma State will have to come with the same type of offensive production as it did last week against Oklahoma to keep up with West Virginia here.

However, this game likely boils down to how Oklahoma State senior quarterback Taylor Cornelius is able to keep up with the Heisman contender Will Grier. Last week saw Cornelius post more than 500 passing yards and no interceptions, so he’s at the right pace to keep Oklahoma State in the game against Grier and the Mountaineers. This game just feels like one that Oklahoma State shouldn’t be able to win, though.