2016 Football Preview – Big 12 – Oklahoma State Cowboys
Looking for 2016 Oklahoma State Cowboys predictions? You might not have noticed but the Oklahoma Cowboys have won 10 or more games in 4 of the last 6 season. I am not saying this is an elite program but those numbers speak for themselves – these guys win a lot more than you realize.
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Oklahoma State Cowboys
2015/16 Record: 10-3
Coach: Mike Gundy
Odds to win Big 12: +500
Odds to win National Championship: +5000
Win Total: 8.5
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Oklahoma State Cowboys Handicapping
This season, in a B12 where Baylor is falling, TCU is overhauling and Texas is “Texasing” they just might be a good sleeper play. It’s not just what those teams are doing though that makes them a threat to their instate rivals in Norman.
Baker Mayfield may be getting all the pub but many are sold on Mason Rudolph being the far better pro prospect.
That might not mean much this season but it shows that OSU has elite players with with which to compete against Oklahoma and everybody else.
In the end the B12, perhaps in its last year without a true title game might come down to the Bedlam Game in Norman to close the season.
Oklahoma State has a tough B12 slate but I still see them as a viable sleeper.
2016 Oklahoma State Cowboys Predictions: Team Strengths
Last year the Cowboys scored nearly 40ppg.
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That in of itself is pretty good and this season the offense could be even better with Rudolph entering his second season as starter and supported by nine other returning starters.
Additionally, every single projected starter is a junior or senior so it wouldn’t surprise to see this team average another touchdown on offense this season.
Adding to that RB Barry Sanders Jr. has come to his dad’s alma mater after being underused at Stanford.
He didn’t quite fit the mold in Palo Alto – they prefer more power – but in Stillwater they will put his elusiveness on display as much as possible.
The talent on defense is there but they need more production if they are going to be a fearsome unit instead of a bunch of guys running around.
2016 Oklahoma State Cowboys Predictions: Team Weaknesses
On the defensive side of the ball there is continuity thanks to 6 starters returning but that group underperformed last season and that was with an NFL calibre edge rusher in Emmanuel Ogbah at defensive end.
When OSU has been strong on defense of late it has been due to an aggressive, opportunistic style that forces turnovers.
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Those tend to thrive in cycles and after giving up 30ppg to opponents last season they need things to swing back in the other direction.
It is certainly a nice problem to have all of your starters returning on the offensive line but this group was not very good last year.
They averaged less than 4 yards per carry on the ground and put Rudolph’s mobility to the test more than Gundy would have liked.
2016 Oklahoma State Cowboys Predictions: 10-2
I think I might be a little more bullish on Oklahoma State than most – though they are consensus a Top 20 team. They should have a fantastic offense this season and I am optimistic that they can improve on defense enough to be taken seriously.
When you first look at their schedule a couple of things jump out.
The first is what looks like a murderous road slate in the B12 and the other is a light nonconference schedule that features only home games, all winnable (Pitt and Central Michigan + an FCS foe).
The road schedule in the league is Baylor, TCU and OU (Kansas and Kansas State should be gimmes).
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Other than the Sooners you can make easy cases that they are catching those other programs in down situations making what might have been two surefire losses very winnable contests, especially if my prediction of this being an elite offense come to fruition.
They are a great sleeper play for the conference title and a nice win total play too. I think they win at least 10 and could be undefeated heading into Bedlam if everything breaks right.
2016 Oklahoma State Cowboys Football Schedule
- 9/3/16 3:30 PM ET SELA
- 9/10/16 12:00 PM ET CMU
- 9/17/16 3:30 PM ET PITT
- 9/24/16 TBD @BAY
- 10/1/16 TBD TEX
- 10/8/16 TBD ISU
- 10/22/16 TBD @KU
- 10/29/16 TBD WVU
- 11/5/16 TBD @KSU
- 11/12/16 TBD TTU
- 11/19/16 TBD @TCU
- 12/3/16 TBD @OKLA
What do you think about our 2016 Oklahoma State Cowboys predictions? Please leave us a comment below telling us how you think they’ll do in 2016!
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