Texas A&M Football: Can Aggies stop Chuba Hubbard, Oklahoma State?

The Texas Bowl missed an opportunity to revive the Lone Star Showdown. They still got a great matchup between Texas A&M football and Oklahoma State.

One of the biggest casualties of conference realignment have been some traditional rivalry games that used to be played between former rivals but no longer feature on the calendar. The only time such showdowns become possible is in the postseason. Texas A&M nearly had one of those moments, had the Texas Bowl opted to pair the Aggies with Texas rather than Oklahoma State as their Big 12 selection.

When such an opportunity arises, and then gets squandered, it feels myopic in a way. The chance to see a revived rivalry on a postseason stage offers instant storylines to captivates both ardent fans of one of the teams as well as fans of other programs and the sport in general. Instead, the game reverted to its niche position on the calendar ahead of the big games on the last Saturday of 2019.

That, of course, is no fault of Oklahoma State. The Cowboys come into the game with a better record than the Aggies (and the Longhorns, for that matter). Even though the Lone Star Showdown would have made for appointment television, the Pokes also offer an intriguing matchup in their first trip to Houston for a postseason contest since the old Houston Bowl in 2002.

This is also the last time Oklahoma State and Texas A&M squared off since the Aggies left the Big 12. Mike Gundy’s Cowboys won that contest 30-29 in College Station. Can Texas A&M repay the favor on neutral turf at NRG Stadium in Houston?

Here’s how you can watch Friday’s Texas Bowl showdown between Texas  A&M and Oklahoma State:

Date: Friday, Dec. 27
Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
Location: Houston, Texas
Venue: NRG Stadium
TV: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN

Keys to Victory

Oklahoma State’s offense is fueled by running back Chuba Hubbard. The redshirt sophomore led the nation in rushing, averaging 161 yards per game. He currently sits third in rushing touchdowns, two behind Western Michigan’s Levante Bellamy (who plays in the December 30 First Responder Bowl) and SMU’s Xavier Jones. Needing only 64 more yards to reach the 2000-yard mark for the season, Hubbard marks the key to success or failure for both teams.

For Oklahoma State, the offensive line needs to open holes for their feature back. Hubbard needs to hit triple digits and break that 2000-yard threshold to set up the Pokes for victory. His ability to loosen up the defense helps everything else open up for Spencer Sanders and the passing game.

For Texas A&M, stopping Hubbard is paramount. The Aggies gave up fewer than 130 yards per game on the ground over the course of the season to rate as a top-30 unit in that regard. Getting into the backfield and holding up Hubbard behind the line is necessary to prevent the back from reaching the second level and doing major damage.

Between the two quarterbacks that will start for the contestants, Kellen Mond has far more pressure guiding Texas A&M than Spencer Sanders faces for Oklahoma State. The Cowboys secondary cannot allow Mond to get into a rhythm if they hope to head back to Stillwater victorious for their ninth win of the year.

Betting Odds

Odds courtesy of The Action Network

Point Spread: Texas A&M -5.5
Over/under: 54

Prediction

The oddsmakers really do seem to love Texas A&M, with the books spotting Oklahoma State as many as seven points. Consensus has the Cowboys around a 5.5-point underdog, which still seems heavy given the fortunes of these two teams in 2019.

The Aggies are a better team defensively. Oklahoma State is a better offensive group. We will see strengths against strengths for what should be great viewing for everyone that tunes into the ESPN special in prime time on the last Friday of the year.

Look for Hubbard to get his engine going as he softens up the Aggies defense. The Cowboys will prove that they were a great choice to represent the Big 12 against Jimbo Fisher’s crew.

Final Score: Oklahoma State 36, Texas A&M 28