With Oklahoma looming, West Virginia Football looks to avoid a potential trap game in Stillwater against Oklahoma State.
The game against Oklahoma in Morgantown next weekend has been circled on West Virginia’s calendars all year long, and it would be easy for them to be peeking toward it now that it is firmly in sight.
That would be bad news against an Oklahoma State team that, while in the midst of a disappointing and difficult season, is more than capable of slaying a Top 10 opponent. The Cowboys already took down Texas when the Longhorns were ranked No. 6, and then pushed Oklahoma to the absolute limit in Norman last week. A failed two-point conversion with just a minute remaining ultimately proved the difference in their one point defeat.
Oklahoma State has been Jekyll-and-Hyde all season long, at times looking like a legitimate Top 15 team, and at times looking like a Big 12 cellar dweller. Mike Gundy led his team to a 3-0 start that included a decisive win over Boise State, but followed that up by getting shellacked by Texas Tech at home. They bounced back against Kansas, and then lost a close decision to Iowa State before falling on their face in the Little Apple against Kansas State.
They bounced back by upsetting Texas in Stillwater, and then fell to Baylor on the road the very next week. The Cowboys obviously have the talent to compete with top teams, but woeful inconsistency have plagued the 2018 ‘Pokes.
Oklahoma’s close call against their rivals in Stillwater last week has to be fresh on Dana Holgorsen’s mind as they look to avoid a letdown before the big game next week. The Mountaineers can ill-afford a loss if they want to keep their Big 12 title hopes alive, with Iowa State lurking in the shadows looking to steal a bid away.
Will West Virginia handle their business, or will Oklahoma State earn their second Top 10 win of the season?
Here’s how you can watch Saturday afternoon’s Big 12 matchup between the Mountaineers and Cowboys:
Date: Saturday, November 17
Time: 3:30 p.m. ET
Location: Stillwater, OK
Venue: Boone Pickens Stadium
TV: ABC
Live Stream: WatchESPN | FuboTV
Keys to Victory
West Virginia is the only Big 12 team that ranks in the Top 25 in both scoring offense and defense; they’ve been the most well-rounded team in the conference all season long. They’ll look to lean on that balance in this game, hoping their defense can in the very least force Oklahoma State to be one-dimensional. The Mountaineers allow only 121 yards-per-game on the ground, and will hope to bottle up the Cowboys’ rushing attack. Oklahoma State QB Taylor Cornelius threw for over 500 yards last week against Oklahoma, but they also got a 100-yard rushing day from freshman Chuba Hubbard.
For Oklahoma State, a big part of their struggles has been a -4 in the turnover margin. They avoided turnovers when they upset Texas in October, and will need to do so again if they are going to take down West Virginia this weekend. Mountaineers QB Will Grier has a couple of games this season where he has thrown multiple interceptions, and the easiest path to an upset will be to pick off a couple of passes and then for the ‘Pokes offense to hang on to the football.
Betting Odds
Odds courtesy of oddsshark.com
Point Spread: West Virginia -4.5
Over/Under: 73
Prediction
These teams are evenly matched offensively, but the Mountaineers have been the much better team defensively, and that should prove to be the difference in this game barring a look ahead to next week’s game in Norman. Grier is still firmly in the Heisman race, and could book his ticket to New York with some big performances over the final few weeks of the regular season. This should be a close game, but look for more Grier heroics as he hits David Sills or Gary Jennings for a decisive fourth quarter touchdown.
Final Score: West Virginia 45, Oklahoma State 38