T. Boone Pickens almost saw his alma mater get to the College Football Playoff last season after a 10-0 start. The No. 21 Oklahoma State Cowboys rose to No. 4 in the polls, but then lost their last two regular season games to Baylor and Oklahoma and instead had to settle for a New Year’s Six Bowl. Hopes are high in Stillwater again this season despite a brutal road schedule, but before conference play starts, the Cowboys have to get through non-conference play unscathed. In Week 2 college football, they will host the team they opened the season with last year, the Central Michigan Chippewas.
This matchup in Week 2 of the regular season will take place on Saturday, September 10, 2016,at 12 p.m. ET at Boone Pickens Stadium on FS1.
College Football Odds at BookMaker.eu
Oklahoma State +20.5
Central Michigan -20.5
Odds Analysis
Oklahoma State opened as a 19-point favorite and got some initial love from bettors to push the number up to what it is now. The Cowboys only won by 11 in last season’s meeting though so the Chips could be a live dog.
Player to Watch
The Cowboys have had some great receivers lately. Adarius Bowman, Dez Bryant, and Justin Blackmon all starred in Mike Gundy’s offense and James Washington Jr. is the next in that long list of talented stars. Washington was a Second-Team all-conference selection in 2015 and emerged as one of the best big play threats in the country, averaging 20.5 yards per reception. His speed is a game changer and will be something the Chippewas have to contain.
Last season, Central Michigan did a fantastic job shutting Washington down, holding him to his worst game in the regular season. This time around, don’t be surprised if he gets at least 80 yards and a touchdown against a CMU defense that just can’t match up with his speed.
Last Meeting
One of the more interesting traveling arrangements last season was Oklahoma State’s decision to head to Mount Pleasant for a game. The Cowboys seemed to struggle with the environment and were outgained through three quarters by the Chippewas only to pull away in the end. The 24 points the Cowboys scored was the second lowest amount they scored during the regular season and Okie State knows it needs to do better than that offensively.
Central Michigan kept it close last time by taking the air out of the ball and winning the time of possession battle. The Chips limited the damage that the Cowboys’ offense could do by limiting their possessions and that almost worked last time. Oklahoma State will likely adjust its strategy to try to hold the ball more this time.
Free ATS Pick
There was a lot of fanfare surrounding Barry Sanders Jr. when he announced that he was transferring to the school that his father became a star at almost 30 seasons ago. However, it doesn’t appear that Sanders is going to be the go-to back and will instead have to make plays on special teams. He isn’t as elusive as his father was, but is a more than capable return man at the collegiate level and could break one here. That could very well be the difference between Oklahoma State covering this game or not.
Mason Rudolph and Oklahoma State’s receivers were held in check last season, but that won’t be the case this time around. That group looked extremely rusty in their first game of the season in 2015 and it’s very unlikely they look as unprepared as they did then. Rudolph is going to play more like he did in Big 12 play here and should have a big day. The Cowboys defense is going to give up some points themselves, but not enough for the Cowboys to not cover the spread.
College Football Odds: Cowboys 48, Chippewas 24
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