A Look Back at 2019 Oklahoma State Football Predictions

Looking back at predictions is always … I don’t know if fun is the right word, maybe more interesting than anything else. I recently pulled up some of our predictions for the 2019 season (you can read them all here), and there were some great one (which we’ll get to) and some truly awful ones (ditto).

I’ll own the most awful one (see below) as we look back on what we thought would happen in the 2019 season. Here are the highlights (and lowlights).

Offensive MVP

Kyle Porter: I’ll go with the best football player on the team, Tylan Wallace.

Kyle Boone: My gut tells me Chuba, my heart tells me it’s whoever winds up winning the QB job. So I’ll go safe and pick Chuba — we know unquestionably he’s RB1 and should be an All-Conference performer if he stays healthy.

Kyle Cox: I’ve gotta go with Tylan Wallace. I expect another year full of big numbers and eye-popping plays, even now that he’s Public Enemy No. 1 for every opposing DC.

Marshall Scott: Chuba Hubbard — I think teams are going to key in on Tylan to a ridiculous extent, and with a veteran offensive line, I think Chuba will do some damage in 2019.

I was wrong (for the first of many times).

Defensive MVP

Porter: Tyler Lacy — This could go poorly, but here’s my thinking … Gundy could not have been more down on him last season, and yet he’s earned a starting gig this year. That means his talent must be off the charts. Or something.

Boone: Kolby Harvell-Peel. I’m buying all the stock. The flashes he had as a true freshman last season at safety — after signing with OSU as a linebacker — were just too great for me to go anywhere else here. I feel like he’ll be the anchor on a rock-solid safety unit.

Cox: A.J. Green is my pick.

Scott: Malcolm Rodriguez — His versatility has already moved him to linebacker, and he is the teams leading returner in tackling. I’m not sure everything he does will show on the stat sheet, but I think he will be vital to OSU’s defensive success this year.

I have brought much shame on my household. How about those Boone and Marshall Scott picks by the way?

Who Starts the Most Games at Quarterback?

Porter: Dru Brown. I think he’s going to start on Friday, and while I think Sanders will get snaps, Gundy doesn’t often pull a wholesale QB1 change. Last guy he did it on was Daxx, and Dru Brown ain’t Daxx.

Boone: *throws dart at wall* Dru Brown. Why not? He’s more experienced, more mature, less risk-averse, loves his family, understands. It’s the holy grail of every trait Gundy looks for in a quarterback.

Cox: Spencer Sanders will start 13 games.

Scott: Spencer Sanders — I’ll say Sanders starts nine games to Brown’s four.

More shame for me. Almost a heroic call by Marshall.

Yards and TDs for Chuba Hubbard

Porter: I’m tempted to say something silly, but I’ll go 1,300 yards, 13 TD.
Boone: 1,620 yards rushing, 17 touchdowns. 380 yards receiving, 3 touchdowns.
Cox: 1,500 yards and 15 touchdowns
Scott: 1,411 yards and 16 touchdowns

I remember making fun of Boone for those Chuba numbers. Turns out, they weren’t even close in the wrong direction.

Who is OSU’s Second-Leading Receiver?

Porter: I’ll say C.J. just because everyone else will say Stoner.

Boone: Dillon Stoner. He’s the second-leading returning receiver in terms of yards receiving and touchdowns scored last season. He should be in line for a huge workload as a possession receiver.

Cox: Dillon Stoner. With Tylan Wallace getting the plenty of double-coverage this season, I think Stoner will be able to get open A LOT and will can be a safety valve for whoever is taking snaps.

Scott: Dillon Stoner — With C.J. Moore, Jordan McCray and Patrick McKaufman sharing reps, I think Stoner could have a big year in the slot with defenses focusing elsewhere.

My takes are the best takes. 

Freshman of the Year

Porter: Excluding redshirts, I’ll go Trace Ford. Gundy said only six or so guys will play, and Ford earned an “or” alongside Mike Scott behind Brock Martin. I think he’s special. Gundy talks about him like he’s Jadeveon Clowney.

Boone: Tom Hutton. I’m totally cheating here because he’s 29-years-old. But he’s OSU’s starter to succeed Zach Sinor, and the Aussie-style punter has a rocket-launcher-of-a-leg. He’ll play a bigger role than any other true freshman on this team.

Cox: Thomas Harper was the talk of summer among young OSU defenders and I think he will get plenty of opportunity to show why in a suddenly deep OSU secondary.

Scott: Langston Anderson — This could be a long shot with how deep OSU is at receiver, but this is an on-brand pick for me so here it is.

Finally (!) a good one from me. 

Interceptions Leader

Porter: A.J. Green — Absolutely zero evidence of this, but it felt like he could have had about six last season.

Boone: Kolby Harvell-Peel. He’s a ball-hawk who will always be in the midst of the action in the secondary. He and Jarrick Bernard are going to combine for around seven interceptions this year.

Cox: A.J. Green is my pick. Bold prediction: Green equals his career total of five INTs as a senior.

Scott: A.J. Green — A.J.’s interception numbers took a step back last season, getting only one after having four as a sophomore, but he was right there. That’s shown with his pass breakups that increased from five to 11 over the past two seasons.

Unreal call here by Boone. I didn’t see it.

Surprise of the Year

Porter: Everybody thinks we’re in for a two-QB system for the duration. That ain’t true. I think he’s going to ride Brown as much as he can. Part of that is guesswork, a little of it is sourced. None of it exactly thrills me.

Boone: C.J. Moore makes a spirited run at WR2. He’s not starting the season as WR1 — at his position, that’s Jordan McCray — but his talent and playmaking potential is going to present too much upside for OSU coaches to keep him off the field. I would bet on him being a late-season riser.

Cox: Langston Anderson shouldn’t be a surprise with how much Marshall Scott has been singing his praises this offseason, but I think true freshman who can earn reps and produce in this receiving corps has to be a surprise. And I think L.A. does both.

Scott: OSU’s D-line is good — Given my Freshman of the Year pick, you’d think this would have to be Langston Anderson, but I’ll hedge my bets. After losing all they lost last year, the Cowboys have a lot of bodies to try to make up for it.

Marshall’s was — I guess — the closest to being true.

Big 12 Record and Placing

Porter: 6-3, fourth
Boone: 5-4, fourth
Cox:  5-4, fourth
Scott: 6-3, fourth

Final Record (Including Bowl)

Porter: 9-4, this is the most 9-4 feeling team of all time. Fun fact: OSU hasn’t had a 9-4 team this decade.
Boone: 9-4
Cox: 9-4
Scott: 10-3 — This seems high for a team that was 7-6 last year.

I was four points from totally redeeming myself!

What Bowl Will OSU Play In and Against Who?

Porter: Camping World against FSU. The Carson Cunningham Bowl

Boone: Camping World Bowl against Miami. Give me all the Tate Martell, turnover chain drama.

Cox: Texas Bowl against Auburn

Scott: The Alamo Bowl against Washington — It’s a rematch of the Cactus Bowl a few years ago. As much as I want to say Washington State for the Leach memes, the Cougars played in the bowl last season, so I don’t know if they’d be invited back so quickly.

Cox got pretty close here. Anyway, thank you guys for reading and following along, even if our predictions and picks are sometimes the worst.