Oklahoma State Football – Big 12 preview: OSU vs. Texas Tech
By Zach Collums
Welcome to the Oklahoma State football’s Big 12 preview! For the next nine weeks, we will be looking at an Oklahoma State football conference game every week, from Texas Tech to Bedlam. Today, we will be previewing Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech.
Oklahoma State Cowboys vs. Texas Tech Raiders
Date: Thursday, September 25th
Time: 6:30 p.m. CST
Place: Boone Pickens Stadium
TV: ESPN
Oklahoma State’s Big 12 season opens at home with the Texas Tech Raiders. Coming into this game, Oklahoma State will have already been through a major proving ground in the game against the defending national champion, Florida State.
The team will either have found its voice or continue to be disorganized on account of a lack of experience by the time the Raiders roll into town.
Oklahoma State will be playing Texas Tech after a bye week. This bye week could mean two things. One, Oklahoma State goes either 3-0 or 2-1 in their first games and a bye week allows them to be well-rested for Tech. Two, Oklahoma State loses to Florida State but also loses to either Missouri State or UTSA and a bye week could be too long to sit out for a struggling OSU squad.
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Cincy on the Prowl
Texas Tech comes into this game with 53 percent of their passing (Baker Mayfield transfer to OU) and 50 percent of their receiving (top receivers Jace Amaro and Eric Ward were drafted) from the previous year. Tech would finish last year with a decent 8-5 record and bowl win to end the season.
What makes this game dangerous for the Cowboys is the coach for the Raiders, Kliff Kingsbury. Kingsbury lead the Raiders to 7-0 record before losing 5 straight games . He also has experience with getting the most of his team. Davis Webb is a formidable sophomore who come into this season and game with a year under his belt and a lot more knowledge of the game. However, with the loss of lead receiver Jace Amaro, a great target for any quarterback, no one knows how good the Tech offensive will really be.
By the time this game rolls around, we will have a good idea who will be the stars for the rest of the season for Oklahoma State. Florida State and the next two non-conference games will give us a good look at the offense and see if J.W. Walsh can really lead this team to a successful season.
We will also get a great look at the running backs, Desmond Roland, Tyreek Hill and Rennie Childs, along with the sophomore receivers Ra’Shaad Samples and Marcell Ateman.
Overall, both Oklahoma State and Texas Tech will have something to prove coming into their first conference game. Oklahoma State can show its maturity and toughness by beating a well-coached Tech team and the first win in conference will be a good boost for the Cowboys.
Way, Way Too Early Predictions:
Winner: Oklahoma State Score: 45-38
Player of the Game: Tyreek Hill. Hill will show once again that he is a threat to be reckoned with. After solid games in non-conference, Hill explodes for a 200+ rushing yards, 100+receiving yards game with 4 touchdowns.
Things to look for before the game: Kliff Kingsbury is a very creative coach. If he can come into this game on a 3-game winning streak, he might have just enough momentum to push his team over the hump against OSU. Look for Kingsbury to find some great players in the first three games and use them effectively. Also, several pieces in OSU’s offense are still unproven. Look for receivers like Marcell Ateman and athletes like Tyreek Hill to make an impact early and often.
Oklahoma State vs. Texas Tech: 2013 high lights.