The No. 9 Oklahoma Sooners (7-1, 4-1 Big 12) travel to Stillwater to take on the No. 22 Oklahoma State Cowboys (6-2, 4-1 Big 12) in what will be the last Bedlam game, at least for the foreseeable future.
The Sooners are coming off their first loss of the season that came at the hands of the Kansas Jayhawks. The Cowboys are riding a four-game winning streak and defeated the Cincinnati Bearcats on homecoming night.
What to watch for
Will Oklahoma’s defense be able to stop Ollie Gordon?
The obvious matchup that everyone will be looking at will be OU’s defense vs Gordon. He leads the nation in rushing yards and has run for more than 100 yards in five consecutive games.
It will be interesting to see if the Sooner defense can stop the Cowboy rushing attack and force Alan Bowman to throw the ball. If OU can force OSU into third-and-longs all night, the Cowboys could be in trouble. If Gordon can chew up yards all night while burning the clock, OSU could prevent Oklahoma’s offense from getting into any rhythm.
Can Dillon Gabriel get going?
OU’s offense could not seem to get going in any way against Kansas. I know the weather was rainy and not ideal, but the Sooners did not take a deep shot at all until the final drive of the game.
Offensive coordinator Jeff Lebby is going to have to come in with a good game plan to get Gabriel some confidence early. The Sooners should have the edge throwing the ball against a defense that has allowed 17 touchdowns in the air.
Will Danny Stutsman and Tawee Walker play?
After being injured last week against Kansas, it’s looking like Stutsman and Walker will both be game-time decisions. Luckily for Oklahoma, it looks like cornerback Gentry Williams will be available for Bedlam after missing last week. All three are key pieces for the Sooners.
Predictions
Tanner Johnson: 31-21 OU
Addam Francisco: 35-24 OU
A.J. Bussey: 28-17 OSU
Jonathan Goudeau: 31-27 OSU
