Gambling Matchup Week 12 – OSU Cowboys vs ISU Cyclones
There’s an outside chance that the Iowa State Cyclones could make the Oklahoma State Cowboys sweat on Friday night in a contest that, unexpectedly, has national championship implications.
Venue/Stadium: Jack Trice Stadium
Time/Date: 8:05 p.m. Eastern, November 18
College Football Odds from Bodog
Moneyline:
Spread (ATS): Cowboys -26.5
Over/Under: 66
Last year, Iowa State went up against a Nebraska team that was powering its way to the Big 12 North Division championship.
The Cyclones were clearly inferior to the Cornhuskers, but in one game, coach Paul Rhoads got his ISU players to max out. The Cyclones played with more passion and energy, and they maneuvered the game into overtime, creating a tense and pressure-packed situation in which one or two plays were going to make the difference. Iowa State gave up a Nebraska touchdown and then scored a touchdown of its own. Instead of playing to extend the game, the Cyclones tried to win it on the spot with a 2-point conversion.
An Iowa State receiver was open on the play, but the pass was poor, and Nebraska walked away with a very tenuous 31-30 victory. Iowa State is clearly going to spill the tank and open the playbook in this contest, doing whatever it possibly can to confuse and out-think the Cowboys, who are undefeated and are marching toward a spot in the BCS National Championship Game, most likely against Louisiana State.
We’ll see if the Cyclones can possibly hold up for four quarters against the pressure that will be applied by Oklahoma State’s offense. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The great advantage OSU carries into each and every game is that it has a 28-year-old quarterback calling the shots, much as the 2000 Florida State Seminoles had 28-year-old quarterback Chris Weinke piloting them to the Orange Bowl – the BCS’s national championship game that season – against Oklahoma. Oklahoma State quarterback Brandon Weeden is very much following in Weinke’s footsteps. He gave professional baseball a try but failed. He decided to make a new career for himself as a college quarterback.
His maturity and experience give Oklahoma State an edge in each and every game; it’s hard to deny that a 28-year-old is likely to handle the weight of a big moment with more steadiness and composure than a 21-year-old player. Oklahoma State’s offense is the second-best offense in the United States, at least when defined by the most important statistic of all, points scored.
OSU averages 51.7 points per game, with only the Houston Cougars (54.7) averaging more. Iowa State might play well on offense, but let’s realize that a 35-point performance usually minimizes the margin of defeat against Oklahoma State.
To seriously threaten the Pokes, you need to score 49. Iowa State won’t get there, and that’s why the Cowboys are the smart pick in this contest.
Pick: Oklahoma State
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