PFB Picks: Predictions for Oklahoma State’s Week 5 Game against Kansas State

On the road again.

After a loss to conference favorite Utah to start Big 12 play, Oklahoma State now heads to the Little Apple to play Kansas State, which was picked to finish second in the league. This has been a game worth highlighting since before the season even kicked off, but now it’s monumental for these two teams. After both suffering losses last week, the loser of this one is on the outside looking in in terms of Big 12 contention. The Cowboys and Wildcats kick off at 11 a.m. Saturday on ESPN.

Here’s how the PFB staff sees this one playing out.

Marshall Scott

Score: Kansas State 24, Oklahoma State 21

Game MVP: DJ Giddens

Uniform: White (Patriot Pete)-White (Black)-White

Thoughts: After getting blown out against BYU and having a tight shave against Tulane, I’m not sure how good K-State is this season, but with that said, I think this is a bad matchup for the Pokes given the Wildcats’ ability to run the ball. K-State ranks third in the Big 12 in rushing, averaging 240.3 yards a game. Meanwhile, the Pokes rank last in the league in rush defense. Outside of two big runs, OSU was better in that aspect against Utah, but I’m not sure I can count on this OSU offense to score consistent points. Then because of that matchup in the run game while K-State has the ball, I can’t pick the Pokes.

Kyle Cox

Score: Kansas State 28, Oklahoma State 24

Game MVP: Ollie Gordon

Uniform: Orange (Brand)-White-Orange

Thoughts: So, I’m going to continue picking Ollie as MVP because at some point I’m going to be right. I would love that prediction to coalesce into a Cowboy win, but I think the Wildcats are too good. Their loss to BYU is a bit more explainable, and somewhat more random, than the offensive ineptitude we’ve see from the Pokes. Yes, quarterback Alan Bowman could swing back the other way, following his recent trend. And yes, the O-Line could finally figure out how to make some holes, but the things K-State does well are the things the Cowboys haven’t so far. I’m afraid asking the team we saw last week to win in Manhattan is a tall order.

Dekota Gregory

Score: Oklahoma State 27, Kansas State 24

Game MVP: Ollie Gordon

Uniform: White (Cursive Cowboys)-White (Black)-White

Thoughts: It seems like most keep forgetting how much talent K-State lost from last year’s team. And that drubbing the Wildcats endured last week apparently wasn’t a reminder for the Vegas experts, who have K-State as a 5-point favorite as of writing. I predict to see an OSU offense more like we saw in the fourth quarter last week, not the first three. Ollie Gordon also has to explode at some point, even in spite of the poor blocking he’s getting. The defense has also been solid for the Pokes, despite the bad rap, giving up 20.75 points a game through four weeks.