10 Predictions

Photo Attribution: US Presswire

I did 40 last year when you could, you know, do 25 alone on W2B. Here are 10 to get you started with 10 more to come later in the week.

1. Josh Stewart will lead the team in receptions – Gundy’s already said it will be either Stewart or Randle and I just can’t bring myself to believe that an offense led by Todd Monken will allow a running back be its leading receiver.

2. Gilbert moves into a tie for 3rd in kick returns – He has four and trails 4th place Brandon Banks (K-State) and 3rd place Ashlan Davis (Tulsa) with five and six respectively. And he might get both in the first game.

3. Wes Lunt throws 30 TD – It’s only happened three times in OSU history but it’s also never not happened since OSU installed the air raid. The freshman record is 36 (Bradford).

4. OSU Leads the Big 12 in scoring offense for the third straight year – They led by a TD in 2010 and by three last year over the fightin’ Griffins. The margin, if it exists, won’t be nearly as comfortable but I think it still exists.

5. OSU starts 15+ guys on defense – Did you realize the Cowboys only started 13 different guys on defense last season? Unheard of, and won’t happen again.

6. Joe Randle goes 25+ TDs again – They’re going to ride him all season so barring the i-word I see him getting this. He put up a TD every eight carries (208 total) last year[1. National average was 1 TD per 22 carries!] so that might not happen again but he’ll also catch more than 43 balls for 2 TD out of the backfield. I see a 18-8 rush/receiving split. Something like that.

7. Year four of 10+ WR with double digit receptions – Air Force goes decades without one of these and OSU has had 10+ receivers with 10+ receptions each of the last three years. Put it in the books again for 2012.

8. Blake Jackson is your surprise player of the year – Was the most talked about guy coming in not named Lunt but wasn’t talked about at all in August. He’s going to change that come this weekend.

9. Offense averages 500+ yards a game…again – We take this for granted. I remember the days of “Nathan Simmons off-tackle for two” and “Nathan Simmons on an end around for no gain”!!

10. Wes Lunt breaks into the top seven passers in school history this year – That’s top seven all-time passers. And I don’t know if it’s crazier that he has a good chance to do it or that all it takes is 3,673 yards.