Oklahoma State football looks to end 2018 season on high note vs. TCU

Oklahoma State football, fresh off a defeat of No. 9 West Virginia, aims to end the the 2018 regular season on a high note with a victory against TCU.

For many Oklahoma State fans, the 2018 season has been a tough one to figure.

We knew there would be a transition entering this fall with a new starting quarterback and with several key replacements on the defensive side of the ball. Through this season’s first 11 games, though, the Cowboys (6-5, 3-5) have managed to overachieve, disappoint, surprise, and salvage respectability.

An unranked start to the year quickly changed after a rousing 44-21 home win against No. 17 Boise State. A Big 12 slide followed, ‘low’-lighted by a 31-12 loss to hapless K-State. Throw two wins against then-Top Ten teams (Texas and West Virginia) plus a one-point loss in Bedlam, and you’ve got quite a strange season to ponder.

This regular-season finale Saturday against TCU will go a long way in determining how many positives the Cowboys can take away from 2018. At this point, a winning record feels a whole lot different than potentially entering a bowl game with a 6-6 mark.

The Horned Frogs (5-6, 3-5) have severely underperformed in 2018. This season began with some calling this team Top 15 material, worthy to challenge the Sooners for Big 12 supremacy again after last year’s loss in the Big 12 title game.

An early loss with national attention to Ohio State was later followed by three-game losing streak, punctuated with a 27-26 setback to Big 12 bottom-feeder Kansas. A hapless offense has hampered the Frogs, one that scores only 24.1 points per game, good for 96th-best in Division I FBS. The season starter, Shawn Robinson, underwent a season-ending shoulder surgery last month and has been sorely missed.

TCU suffered a barrage of injuries in last week’s win over Baylor. The first two running backs on the depth chart and the second-string quarterback left the game early, leaving third-string field general Grayson Muehlstein to help eke out a 16-9 win.

Look for OSU’s vaunted passing attack to set the tone in this game. Senior quarterback Taylor Cornelius, despite criticism from some fans, ranks fourth in the nation in passing (3,461 yards).

Here’s how you can watch Saturday’s Oklahoma State vs. TCU game:

Date: Saturday, Nov. 24
Time: 8:00 p.m. ET
Location: Fort Worth, Tex.
Venue: Amon G. Carter Stadium
TV: FOX
Live Stream: FOX Sports Go or FuboTV

Keys to Victory

OSU secondary vs. TCU passing offense. Muehlstein entered last week’s game against Baylor with one career completion, but he got his feet against the Bears. The fifth-year senior completed 11-of-15 passes for 137 yards and a touchdown in the 16-9 win, TCU’s fourth in a row against the Bears. On the other side of the ball, look to see if OSU backup running back Chuba Hubbard can repeat his 134-yard performance, a career high, from last week.

Betting Odds

Courtesy of OddsShark

Line: Oklahoma State (-4.5)
Over/Under: N/A

Prediction

TCU star wide receiver Jalen Reagor will top 1,000 receiving yards (he’s currently at 970) and will record a touchdown catch for the seventh straight contest, but ‘Corn Dog’ and the Cowboys will make enough plays down the stretch with their own star wide receiver, Tylan Wallace. The sophomore and Fort Worth native is third in the nation in receiving yards (1,344) and will look to continue his connection with Cornelius, especially if starting running back Justice Hill remains out with a rib injury.

Final Score: Oklahoma State 34, TCU 27