The next chapter in the battle of Oklahoma
The no. 13 ranked Oklahoma Sooners will be travelling across state to battle their rival and number nine ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys for the right to go to the Big 12 Conference championship game. The game will be taking place on Saturday 27 November
at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
The Sooners’ season so far
The Oklahoma Sooners' season started with a six-game winning streak, acquiring victories over Utah State, Florida State, Air Force, Cincinnati, Texas and Iowa State.
They fell the following week for their first loss of the season to formerly no. 11 ranked Missouri, 36-27. The Sooners rebounded with a victory over Colorado, but fell the following week to Texas A&M, 33-19.
Oklahoma has won their previous two games to end their miniscule losing streak, with victories over Texas Tech and Baylor, scoring 45 and 53 points respectively in both wins.
Coming into this weekend’s battle, the Sooners need a victory over the Cowboys to reach the Big 12 title game, but Sooners' coach Bob Stoops does not seemed bothered by it.
"We've actually been in this situation nine of the last 11 years, so our guys need to embrace it and that's what we've been doing around here," Stoops said according to espn.go.com. "Hopefully we can do it again."
Oklahoma State’s season so far
The Cowboys have had a stellar year, considering they were picked to finish dead last in the Big 12 prior to the season beginning.
They opened up just like the Sooners did, reeling off six straight victories over opponents Washington State, Troy, Tulsa, Texas A&M, University of Louisiana-Lafayette and Texas Tech.
The streak came to a halt when the Cowboys were defeated by the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 51-41 on 23 October.
That was their only loss of the season to speak of, however, as the Cowboys picked up their play over their previous four weeks with wins against Kansas State, Baylor, Texas and Kansas.
What the game means
Not to be forgotten, this is one of the biggest rivalries in college football and could prove to be one of the games of the year. The winner of this game will be the Big 12 south division’s representative in the conference’s championship game.
"I like to think that we're the underdogs because I like being the underdogs and I like to do things that people didn't think we could do. Beating OU is definitely one of those things," cornerback Andrew McGee said Monday, according to espn. "I like to
think that we are, even though we have the better record and we're on top of the Big 12 South. I still like that David and Goliath type of feeling."
Oklahoma would play the role of Goliath because they have won 80 out of the 104 games played between these two schools.
"I look at it as even, but if I had to say, I believe being the underdog is all right because we understand that Oklahoma State is the younger brother of OU," said safety Markelle Martin. "So, there's always that one time you feel that if you can get your
older brother, you can get that one fight, that's all you need to gain respect, to gain the confidence that you need."
Confidence will go a long way in this game and it will depend on how each defence handles the other’s offence.
The Sooners are fourth in passing and 76th in rushing while the Cowboys are second in passing and 29th in rushing. Both defences rank in the middle of pack in total defence, so it will be a matter of which offence makes the first mistake.
Prediction
Which ever team has the most turnovers at the end will be victorious.
Oklahoma State 38 – Oklahoma 35
Tags: