Intriguing Game- (NCAA Edition)
(11) Oklahoma State Cowboys at (22) West Virginia Mountaineers
Oklahoma State: They didn’t look all that impressive to me last week when they faced Texas, but they still found a way to push through and win the game and scored only 13 points. Let’s remember that this is one of the most prolific offenses in the nation that averages 43 points a game. Just a few months ago, they were considered to be the best team in the Big-12, then, the loss came against TCU came at home and since then, their chances of being considered a playoff team are hanging by a thread. Mason Rudolph is as pure of a passer as they come. He leads the nation in passing yards per game with 378.6 per contest and he makes each and every throw. Although where they made be from a statistical standpoint is low, their defense can put the clamps down and take over when they need too and we saw that last week in Austin against the Longhorns. We already know about my admiration for receiver James Washington. We’re talking about a guy that feels he’s the best player on the field and he’s shown that he can be a trusted target for Mason Rudolph down the field. October for this team will end with a bang. This is the first of two humongous games for Mike Gundy and his Cowboys. Bedlam next weekend on November 4th and this Saturday, they’ll be facing a West Virginia team fighting for everything just as they are.
West Virginia: I’ve seen a few of their games this year and in each one that I watched, I’ve been impressed with them as a team. Will Grier has taken full advantage of his second chance with this program and has put together a really special season. He leads the FBS with 26 touchdown passes, he’s thrown only five interceptions and has also set a school-record with seven-straight 300 yard passing games. When I watched those few games that I briefly discussed at the top, one guy definitely stood out to me and that’s star wide receiver, David Sills and his story to this point is remarkable. He was a big-time quarterback prospect in the seventh grade and now, he’s become one of the five best wide receivers in the country. He’s six-foot-three, he’s your prototypical wide receiver that stretches the field and in 50/50 balls, he’s always going to come down with it. He’s able to do his work on the outside on the perimeter, but I’ve always enjoyed watching those bigger receivers work in the slot because they have that size and speed advantage. They also run the ball very well with Justin Crawford. If they want to move up in the division, they’ll need to play better with Oklahoma State in town on Saturday morning.
Oklahoma State Player To Watch: Marcell Ateman– We know about James Washington by now. He’s clearly been the number one receiver on this team for years. Let’s meet the number two guy on the depth chart. Marcell is six-foot-four, 215 pounds and another reliable target for Rudolph. James was limited to only 32 yards receiving on four yards and Marcell stepped up when he needed too. Let’s see what he can do in this one.
West Virginia Player To Watch: Justin Crawford– In his last two games, he’s struggled to get anything going. He’s only totaled 77 yards combined in his last two games and the team escaped upset bids against Texas Tech and Baylor. When he gets his touches, I believe they’re a scarier offense than what you see when they pass the ball.
Final Analysis: We can call this “Elimination Saturday” and a sneak preview of what I like to call “Statement November”, a very crucial point of the season where teams will make that final push to become a playoff team. These are two quarterbacks that love to light up the scoreboard and believe me, we’ll see a lot of that on Saturday. The winner of this one will move up in the standings and division while the loser will be in quite the hole.
Prediction: Oklahoma State 45 West Virginia 35
