Oklahoma State vs. Oregon State Prediction, Game Preview

It’s the first ever meeting between the two teams, and it joins Florida vs. Miami and Georgia Tech vs. Clemson as the one of the three Power Five vs. Power Five matchups before the first major college football Saturday.

Coming off a rough first season under Jonathan Smith, this is Oregon State’s chance to make a big statement on a national scale as the last game on a Good Friday night of games. With a winnable trip to Hawaii to follow, and Cal Poly after that, an upset over the Cowboys should lead the way to a huge start.

Oklahoma State gets McNeese State and Tulsa after this. Win, and 3-0 is a mortal lock before kicking off the Big 12 season at Texas.

Why Oklahoma State Will Win

The offensive line has to take over right away.

The Cowboy defensive front is a concern – more on that in a moment – but the offensive side is going to be a positive on an O full of talent and upside. The receiving corps is special, the running backs amazing, and the quarterback situation will play itself out between Spencer Sanders and Dru Brown – both will likely play.

The one big advantage will be the ground game that should be able to pound away with Chuba Hubbard and LD Brown should be a steadying force on the road. The Cowboys should be able to move the ball however they want to.

Why Oregon State Will Win

The Beavers’ big early concern – the offensive line – catches a big break against an Oklahoma State defensive front that’s going to need a little bit to figure it all out.

The Cowboys struggled way too much defensively last season, and now the entire defensive front has to be replaced. They’re relating on transfers to fill in the gaps, and they won’t be totally miserable, but considering the linebacking corps isn’t going to be a rock, Oregon State needs to blast through the Cowboy defensive front and get the ground game going.

But this game isn’t going to be about the defenses. This should be a fun shootout, and Oregon State is equipped to keep up with a dangerous receiving corps, a great 1-2 rushing punch in Jermar Jefferson and Artavis Pierce in the backfield, and with more explosion expected.

What’s Going To Happen

Both teams are going to score in bunches. Oregon State will get the offense going to keep up, but Oklahoma State will pull away with a few big pass plays after the ground attack rumbles early on. Expect a whole lot of points.