No. 10 Oklahoma State Cowboys (1-0 SU, 1-0 ATS) vs. South Alabama Jaguars (0-1 SU, 1-0 ATS)
College Football Week 2
Date/Time: Friday September 8th, 2017. 8:00PM (EST)
Where: Ladd-Peebles Stadium Mobile, A.L.
TV: ESPN2
by Jay, NCAA Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: OSU -26.5/USA +26.5
Over/Under Total: TBA
Friday night lights returns to the college gridiron this week when the 10th ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys take their first road trip of the season to play the South Alabama Jaguars. The Cowboys looked very impressive in last weeks 59-24 season opening win over Tulsa and there is already hype building around a potential Big 12 Title run. Oklahoma State looks to keep the momentum rolling as big favorites on the road this Friday night against the Jaguars of South Alabama whom are coming off the heels of a 47-27 loss to Ole Miss in Oxford.
Despite the 20 point defeat, South Alabama played pretty well last week. They battled back from a 10-0 deficit in the first quarter to tie the game before halftime. They stood toe to toe with the Rebels but eventually Ole Miss Quarterback Shea Patterson took over by hitting 28 of 35 passing for 429 yards and 4 touchdowns. In defense of South Alabama, I believe Patterson is the best pure passing quarterback in the SEC and he will be known nationally before long. However, the bad news is that South Alabama will have to face another high caliber quarterback this Friday in Oklahoma States Mason Rudolph.
Rudolph was also very impressive in the victory over Tulsa completing 20 of 24 passing for 303 yards and 3 touchdowns. In reality, the entire Oklahoma State offense was firing on all cylinders. WR James Washington is among the best receivers in the Big 12 and posted a 6 catch, 145 yards, and 2 touchdown performance. Meanwhile, running backs Justice Hill along with freshmen J.D King and LaDarren Brown ran wild combining for 26 carries totaling 312 yards with 3 touchdowns. Obviously Hill is still the lead back but it was nice to see explosiveness from the young backups who will likely continue to get touches as the year progresses.
One notable observation that was obvious last week from Oklahoma State outside of the sheer talent at the skill positions was the team speed. The Cowboys looked fast and was able to get their guys in open space. Ironically, this is the same formula Ole Miss used last week to post 27 points in the 3rd quarter as they pulled away. Therefore, I have concerns that the Jaguars can play strong for 4 quarters to keep this thing respectable especially when you consider how many different weapons that Oklahoma State has in their arsenal. Still, the Jaguars could surprise some people and possibly cover the spread with another solid offensive outing.
Oklahoma States defense has been a question mark for the majority of the Mike Gundy era in Stillwater. Last week Tulsa was able to run the football successfully by compiling 244 yards on the ground. South Alabama is pretty solid on both the defensive and offensive line. Running backs Xavier Johnson and Tra Minter are capable runners especially against a subpar rush defense from Oklahoma State. Therefore, if South Alabama can sustain some offense and perhaps get a few big plays from quarterback Cole Gavin then they could make this game more interesting than people expect. I dont believe that South Alabamas defense can hold up for 4 quarters against this dynami Oklahoma State offense and I am sure the Cowboys may have a few big plays in-store. However, South Alabama can be successful enough from the offensive side of the football to make this game interesting in terms of the spread. If they can get some help with a few big plays of their own in the passing game from quarterback Cole Garvin, then a cover is within reach.
Jay’s Pick to Cover the Point Spread: South Alabama will have to do a lot of things right to stay competitive in this game and they will need to make big plays. I question if they will be able to come up with the big plays and even if they do; will it be enough? Oklahoma State is electric on the offensive side of the football and they have the ability to post a big number in this game. Add to the fact, they are 7-2 ATS in their last 9 games. I like Oklahoma State -26.5
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