PFB Picks: Predicting Oklahoma State’s Week 6 Game Against UCF

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The bye week felt like a bye month, but the Cowboys are back in action this weekend.

Oklahoma State plays UCF at 11 a.m. Saturday in Boone Pickens Stadium. Here’s how we see the game playing out.

What We’re Predicting

Uniforms: These are already out, but we made our predictions before they dropped. You get a point for the helmet color, the decal, the jersey color and the pants color.

Receiving Yards Leader: Simple enough, predict the Cowboy with the most receiving yards and get a point.

Turnover: Predict a player who either intercepts a pass or recovers a fumble and get two points.

TD Parlay: You can name as many players who you think will score a touchdown (passing TDs don’t count), and you get two points for each player you name. However if you name a guy who doesn’t score a touchdown, you get no points in this section.

Score: Three points are up for grabs here: one for guessing the correct winner, one for being on the right side of the spread (OSU -9.5) and one to whichever one of us gets closest to the actual score.

Marshall Scott

Uniform: Black (Cursive)-Orange-Orange

Receiving Yards Leader: Justin Bowick

I made this prediction on The Reload before it was announced that Wyatt Young was questionable. It looks like Young is going to play, but with how nuclear he went in Morgantown, I’d expect Young will have a few more eyeballs on him Saturday and the pendulum flips back to Bowick.

Turnover: Quinton Hammonds

Hammonds has been making the media rounds this week, which is probably why he’s top of mind for me. He’s played every defensive snap of the Cowboys’ three games against FBS competition to this point, so he feels due in some ways. He also made a gnarly one-handed INT at North Texas last season that has lived rent free in my head since I saw it.

TD Parlay: Caleb Hawkins, Drew Mestemaker, Justin Bowick

We make a joke on The Reload that Caleb Hawkins feels like a free space given he led the country in total TDs last season. Then give me Mestemaker to run another in, and I’m all in on Justin Bowick for this game, it seems.

Score: Oklahoma State 38, UCF 17

This is the third time this season I’ve predicted OSU to score 38 points. I wanted to keep the Pokes’ run of 40-point games going, but I think the Knights will try to limit possessions somewhat. It won’t be enough to overcome the Pokes’ offensive firepower.

Kyle Cox

Uniform: Black (Cursive)-Black-Orange

Receiving Yards Leader: Wyatt Young

Young has had 100-yard outings in OSU’s two biggest games thus far this season. Despite him showing up on the injury report this week, I don’t expect that type of output to change.

Turnover: Mo Horn

Horn made some big hits in the quick pass game against Murray State, and UCF hasn’t been pushing the ball down the field much with its backup quarterback. So, maybe with that positioning he grabs a pick this weekend.

TD Parlay: Caleb Hawkins, Wyatt Young

This feels like keeping the ball in the fairway.

Score: Oklahoma State 42, UCF 24

The Knights are banged up, and the Cowboys are hot, coming off a bye and playing at home. So long as OSU is on its game, the Pokes should take care of business here.

Tyler Waldrep

Uniform: Black (Brand)-Orange-Black

Receiving Yards Leader: Justin Bowick

Despite Wyatt Young’s big night two weeks ago, Bowick still leads the team in targets. He was the focal point of the passing game early in Morgantown before Young took over. I’m willing to chase that more consistent volume.

Turnover: LaDainian Fields

I was surprised to see Fields leads OSU defenders in targets thrown his way. Some of that is just he’s out there more than most Cowboys, but still it is a huge change from last season when opponents ignored his area of the field. If one of these guys is going to get one, I think he’s the safest bet given his talent and aggressive play on balls thrown his way.

TD Parlay: Justin Bowick, Caleb Hawkins, Wyatt Young

Bowick becomes an even bigger focal point in the red zone, and Hawkins is way overdue for a touchdown. UCF’s defense has been surprisingly stout this fall, but I expect a big game from Drew Mestemaker. Terrence Lewis or Miles Coleman could easily score this time, but even I wouldn’t overlook Young in two categories after his last outing.

Score: Oklahoma State 41, UCF 17

I do worry some that OSU might come out sleepy for a morning game as a heavy favorite. This UCF team gave Houston a lot of trouble just last week.

Scoreboard

Nathan Gilsleider got every point possible in the West Virginia predictions in what was an all-time predictions performance, so he’s ran out to a bit of a lead. But four of the five predictors nailed their TD parlay against WVU, so numbers are trending up across the board. You can hear Nathan’s and Justin’s picks on The Reload.

1. Nathan Gilsleider — 27
2. Kyle Cox — 23
3. Marshall Scott — 20
4. Justin Southwell — 19
5. Tyler Waldrep — 18