2011-2012 Football Previews – Big 12 – Oklahoma St. Cowboys
Few teams made as big of a leap in 2010 as the Oklahoma State Cowboys. Mike Gundy’s team won 11 games and finished in the top 15 in the final poll of the season. Dana Holgorsen engineered an amazing season for the offense, but he has moved on to be the top dog at West Virginia.
Big 12 2011-2012 Football Previews: Oklahoma State Cowboys
Head Coach: Mike Gundy
2010 Record: 11-2
Oklahoma State Gambling Odds from BetOnline to win BCS: +3,000
OSU Team Page – Players Stats – Roster – 2011 Schedule –>
Can the Cowboys continue their offensive success without their offensive coordinator from 2010? The pieces to the puzzle are still there offensively, but the defense has far more question marks.
This is a program that has received a ton of financial support from T. Boone Pickens, and the expectations for the Cowboys are rising by the year. The facilities here are quickly becoming the best in the Big 12, and fans are expecting this team to move to the top of the standings soon. Could this be the year Oklahoma State becomes the top ranked team in the state of Oklahoma?
Team Strengths:
This is a team that is absolutely stacked at the skill positions on offense. Brandon Weeden is a 27-year-old senior who will be the signal caller for the Cowboys again this year. Weeden had a breakout season last year, and there is no reason to believe he won’t improve on that performance in 2011. At wide receiver, the Cowboys have Justin Blackmon, who will probably be the best receiver in the country. Blackmon is a speed demon who also happens to run absolutely terrific routes. Oklahoma State must replace running back Kendall Hunter, but the Cowboys seem to have the talent to do so. Expect freshman sensation Hershel Sims to be a star in his career at Oklahoma State.
All five of the Cowboys starting offensive linemen are back this year. This is a unit that had a lot of question marks surrounding it before 2010, but they performed very well. I expect them to continue to improve and be a real strength this season. Overall, this Oklahoma State offense should be extremely tough to spot in 2011.
Team Weaknesses:
As good as the offense will be, the defense is likely to have some real problems stopping the opposition. Only five starters return from a defense that allowed 26.4 points per game in 2010. Chief among the concerns for the Cowboys is their lack of returning talent on the defensive line. Only one starter from the defensive line returns, and this seems like a unit that will likely get picked on by Big 12 foes. [soliloquy id=”82219″]
The secondary is largely intact from a year ago, but it is hard to say whether that is a good thing or not. I expect Oklahoma State to be a little better than last year against the pass, but they’ll still get torched by the top quarterbacks in the league. This is a secondary that allowed 276 passing yards per contest in 2010.
Since the defensive line likely won’t be applying too much pressure to the opposing quarterback, the Cowboys secondary needs to be much better in coverage.
2011-2012 Oklahoma State Football Prediction: 10-3
It’s hard to imagine the Cowboys finishing with 11 wins once again this year based on the weakness of their defense, but they’ll probably come close.
I fully expect this offense to be one of the top three or four in the nation. The conference schedule isn’t easy, with visits to Texas A&M, Texas, and Missouri all in the first month and a half of the season.
The offense will be a juggernaut and the defense will give up points by the bunches against quality teams. This should be an exciting team to watch in 2011.
2011 Oklahoma State Football Schedule
Sept. 3 – Louisiana
Sept. 8 – Arizona
Sept. 17 – Tulsa
Sept. 24 – Texas A&M
Oct. 1 – Open
Oct. 8 – Kansas
Oct. 15 – Texas
Oct. 22 – Missouri
Oct. 29 – Baylor
Nov. 5 – Kansas State
Nov. 12 – Texas Tech
Nov. 18 – Iowa State
Nov. 26 – Open
Dec. 3 – Oklahoma
One reply on “2011 Oklahoma St. Cowboys Gambling Odds | Predictions”
Will OSU have more or less than 5 wins this year?