Oklahoma State Football: 3 bold predictions vs. Oklahoma in Week 12
By John Scimeca
2. Oklahoma State’s secondary steps up
As mentioned before, the Cowboys’ defense has already paved the way for the team’s 5-1 record and No. 14 national ranking. Here’s how OSU will need to consistently stop OU in order to come away with a Bedlam win.
In their previous five Bedlam victories, the Sooners have averaged 48.0 points per game and have made Cowboys defenders look like they’re wearing lead-weighted cleats. The Playstation-esque crossing routes and wide open looks to OU receivers like Marquise “Hollywood” Brown and Rodney Anderson is enough to give any OSU fan nightmares.
In 2018, OU gained 702 total yards en route to a 48-47 victory. The year before, Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield threw for two yards shy of the 600-yard mark and five touchdowns in a 62-52 win.
The track meet mentality is about to change for this year’s meeting.
OSU is banged up after its Week 10 win against Kansas State: star wideout Tylan Wallace barely saw the field and its two best running backs, Chuba Hubbard and LD Brown, left with injuries.
On the other side of the ball, the Cowboys haven’t allowed 300 passing yards yet this year and have held their last 10 conference opponents below their scoring average. OSU has surrendered only 17.8 points per game thus far in the 2020 season.
This Cowboys defense isn’t like OSU squads of old. Behind two solid, experienced linebackers in Malcolm Rodriguez and Amen Ogbongbemiga, OSU has relied on its defense to start 2020 with four consecutive victories.