No. 12 Oklahoma State (8-1, 5-1) at No. 24 Texas (7-2, 6-0)
Saturday, Nov. 16, 3:30 PM EST, FOX
Line: Oklahoma State by 1
The race for the Big 12 title will get a little clearer after Saturday’s game between two of the top three teams. Both teams control their destiny — keep winning and a championship will be there at the end.
The Cowboys have a tough run, though, as they close with Baylor and Oklahoma. Texas gets Texas Tech and Baylor. There’s no question these are two of the conference’s most talented squads and this is a highly anticipated matchup.
The OSU-Texas game is just the start to a wild finish for the Big 12.
For Oklahoma State to win: The Cowboys’ defense is much better than in typical seasons. OSU is 20th nationally in scoring defense and nine in turnovers created. Texas coughed up the ball a lot last week against West Virginia and if Oklahoma State can create those types of turnovers it’s hard to imagine the Longhorns could overcome it again.
For Texas to win: The Longhorns have had problems on special teams. If UT can avoid any huge letdowns in this part of the game then it greatly improves its chances of pulling the upset at home.
Key Player, Oklahoma State: QB Clint Chelf has a strong arm and has led the Cowboys to some big wins the past few weeks. He is playing as well as any quarterback in the Big 12 and this is a prime opportunity for him to step up on the road and deliver.
Key Player, Texas: RB Malcolm Brown is now the go-to back after Johnathan Gray tore his Achilles last week at WVU. He has eight touchdowns and is averaging our yards a carry, but now he has to carry a bigger load of the carries.
Key Statistic: Texas is 23-4 all-time against Oklahoma State, but the Cowboys have won the past two games at Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium.
