Oklahoma State vs. Missouri

The 10-2 Oklahoma State Cowboys meet the 11-2 Missouri Tigers in the Cotton Bowl. Missouri was the surprise of the SEC this season as they opened the season at 7-0. They got some title talk, but they lost a tough one at home in overtime to South Carolina by 3 points. The Gamecocks remained a one loss team until getting drubbed by Auburn 59-42 in the SEC title game. Over the past few seasons, Oklahoma State has garnered a reputation of big offense and no defense, but that has changed this year. The Cowboys can still get up and down the field, but their defense has improved dramatically. Oklahoma State held six teams to 17 points or less on the season, which included Baylor - a team that averaged over 50 points per game. I think that when the dust settles the D will be the deciding factor in this contest. The Tigers' defense was exposed by Auburn who put up 677 yards against them, providing a blueprint. When it comes time to get that one extra stop in a close game, I'm prone to think that Oklahoma State is more capable of getting it. The Cowboys are 38-18 ATS on field turf in their last 56, and have covered six of their last seven coming in. Under Mike Gundy, the Cowboys are 50-22 ATS as a favorite and 24-13 ATS vs. good passing teams like Missouri (teams averaging 250+ passing yards per game). Take Oklahoma State.