Oklahoma State took down a ranked Missouri team in the Liberty Bowl, downing their former Big 12 foes 38-33 in Memphis. The Cowboys learned what life after Justice Hill will look like, as the veteran running back sat out the bowl game to prepare for the NFL Draft. In his place, freshman Chuba Hubbard churned out 145 yards and a score on the ground and also caught three passes.
Mike Gundy and his staff will have to find a replacement for prolific quarterback Taylor Cornelius, who exhausted his eligibility with a four-touchdown performance in the Liberty Bowl. They will also have to deal with the losses of at least five senior starters on a defense that ranked 97th in points allowed and 112th in yards given up.
Still, the win over Missouri will linger in the minds of pollsters as they prepare to fill out their ballots this offseason. Given the wide-open nature of the Big 12 behind Oklahoma and Texas, the Cowboys look like they will emerge as the best of the rest and land somewhere in the low-to-mid 20s of the preseason AP Top 25.