40 Predictions for 2011 Part IV

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This post is the last in a 4-part series on my 40 predictions for this year’s team.

31. OSU will not fall out of the top 10 all year – I have them losing, but I have them losing later in the year (at Mizzou) when they’ll be firmly entrenched within the top 5 and a loss on the road in the lions den that is Columbia won’t bump them out of the top 10.

32. Justin Gilbert leads the country in kick return TDs – Eric Page of Toledo took this with 3 last year. I mean if Justin Gilbert doesn’t have 3 kick return TDs in him I need to start reevaluating some things in my life. Crap, he might do that before conference starts.

33. Quinn Sharp will kick at least one game-winner as time expires – Just a gut feeling here. He has the biggest leg OSU has ever had and I want to see Clint Chelf come flying across my screen one more time this year…

34. Brandon Weeden will become OSU’s all-time leading passer – He has 4,533 yards. Zac has 8,317 yards. Weeden threw for 4,277 last year. You do the math. Just kidding, I’ll do it for you. He needs 492 fewer than last year to get it.

35. Jeremy Smith will lead the conference in rushing TDs – What, you have a better candidate? If the Big 12 had a “breakout player of the year” award or a “wow he’s still a sophomore, it feels like he’s been there forever but he finally had an incredible year” award then I’d bet the house on Smith.

36. Josh Stewart will be OSU’s 3rd leading receiver in yards – This was a much easier pick after Harrison fell by the wayside on Tuesday. I think Weeden’s going to fall in love with the dude JW Walsh’s dad once said was “the best high school player in the state of Texas.”

37. Justin Blackmon will break his game high of 207 receiving yards from last year – We’ve established that I don’t think he’ll have quite the year he had last year but that doesn’t mean he won’t have two or three just absolutely dialed in games.

38. OSU will have another double digit turnover margin season – It won’t be because this D is opportunistic and seems to create turnovers at exactly the right time (though they are and they do). It will be because they’ll protect the ball so well on offense. They had 14 picks and 8 fumbles lost last year. I think that fumbles number goes up (not to like a Keith Toston level, but marginally) but the INT number falls. Is 20 total TOs just a crazy number, or no?

39. This team will not lose at home – It’s been the road that has treated the Cowboys well in the past few seasons but a silly home schedule coupled with (I know we say it every year but it’s really the truth this year!) the biggest game in school history against OU on December 3rd in Stillwater equals 0 Ls in BPS.

40. This team will be playing on January 9th for the national title – Duh.

That concludes our 40 preseason predictions. Be sure to check out the predictions page I’ve put together to update throughout the year. I’ve also included my Big 12 finish, Heisman finish, and OSU record on that page. You can see it here and I’ll also post a link to the navigation bar above.