Texas at Oklahoma State

This is a match-up that Oklahoma State has had circled for a long time. Last year they went to Texas and were hammered 36-10. The tide has turned however! Oklahoma State has one of the most balanced offenses in the NCAA. Zac Robinson has passed for over 1,500 yards with 13 TDs to just six INTs. He has completed TDs to seven different recievers, but his favorite target has been Adarius Bowman who has caught 50 balls for 802 yards. He's well on his way to an All-American season. Robinson is more than an arm and a leader. He is a duel threat that has churned out 415 yards on just 68 carries (6.1 per carry). That puts him just third on this team. Dantell Savage has carried 124 times for 746 years (6.0 ypc) and Kendall Hunter has toted 76 times for 573 yards (7.5 ypc). This trio has pounded defenses for 1,734 yards, on 6.5 ypc. The offense is good and ranks 10th in the NCAA. The defense has had some moments, and they have had some problems. They gave up over 700 yards to Texas Tech and over 500 yards to Kansas State. What was similar about those two games? They won them both! This is one of the very few teams in the country that can overcome 700 yards allowed and win! Texas was supposed to be built to win it all, or be in the hunt to win it all come January. That hasn't happened. The problems start with QB Colt McCoy. McCoy has put up some impressive numbers but with 15 TD passes and 13 INTs, you can see the problem. Signs were evident all the way back to week one when Texas struggled against a futile Arkansas State team at home 21-13. They struggled against a decent Central Florida team and trailed in the 4th Quarter. If not for an INT returned for a TD, they end up on the short side of the scoreboard. They were beaten by 20 at home by Kansas State. They then trailed a Nebraska team that had been blownout three straight weeks, including a game vs. Oklahoma State. They were down 17-6 midway through the third in that game. Texas has seen special teams breakdowns, defensive breakdowns, and Colt McCoy imploding during games. They now face another problem. They are going to be missing at least one defensive line player, and maybe two as Roy Miller and Thomas Marshall are both battling injuries. We have watched as this Texas team has struggled at home vs. much lesser competition, and have not come close to being tested on the road. Their road conference wins have come to Baylor and Iowa State teams that combine for four total wins. Texas is just 1-5 ATS in their last six conference road games. This is a hungry Oklahoma State team, and they have been beaten into the ground by Texas for a longtime. They finally have a team that can beat them. They have had two weeks to prepare for this game. OSU is 4-0 at Boone Pickens Stadium, outscoring opponents 41-8. They have lost nine straight to Texas, but that will come to an end in this one.