PFB Picks: Cowboys Look to Avoid Trap Game at West Virginia

The Cowboys will try to make it four in a row on Saturday when they visit the 4-6 Mountaineers in Morgantown. Up for grabs is a chance to move to 8-3 before a Senior night Bedlam showdown against OU.

Ahead of the Cowboys’ final road game, PFB staffers laid out our predictions for the OSU-West Virginia.

Final Score

Kyle Porter: Oklahoma State 31 | West Virginia 20 — OSU has scored between 26-35 points in all seven of its Big 12 games. That’s remarkable. I’ll split the difference and round up and say the defense keeps rolling (?).

Kyle Boone: Oklahoma State 31 | West Virginia 24 — 11 a.m. kick be damned, Morgantown still gives me the nervies. I think OSU pulls out a win — but it winds up being way closer than what anyone expects.

Kyle Cox: Oklahoma State 28 | West Virginia 10 — I think the the Cowboys come out as focused they did against KU and put the home team down early, despite the QB change. Gundy will continue to pound the rock and the defense takes the frustration of a couple garbage time scores by KU out on WVU.

Marshall Scott: Oklahoma State 35 | West Virginia 24 — Dru Brown has thrown only 18 passes this season, and three have been touchdowns. So, I think the Cowboys’ offense will be fine. West Virginia has a new quarterback without a ton of film, so that could give OSU’s defense a few hiccups, but the Pokes are just better than West Virginia.

Steven Mandeville: Oklahoma State 31 | West Virginia 17 — The Sanders -> Brown swap will play well this week as West Virginia’s front seven would be more equipped to slow down a Sanders/Hubbard ground-centric attack than a Dru Brown-led offense requiring more from the arm. It’s a game at halftime until Brown gets comfortable and moves it to a three score-game until mop duty.

MVP

Porter: Chuba gonna carry it 44 times on Saturday. If he hits his per-carry average, that’d be around 300. Need it.

Boone: Dru Brown. The offense will go as he goes, and if he’s able to make his reads, eliminate mistakes and play within himself, OSU should come out with a W.

Cox: Kolby Harvell-Peel. For the sake of variety, I’ll go with someone not named Chuba. KHP has been one of the most disruptive defenders in the country this year and one of OSU’s best players. Here’s to a couple of more big plays from the stingy sophomore.

Scott: Dru Brown — I don’t think Brown will have some herculean game or anything, but I think how well he plays will be the big talking point coming out of the game.

Mandeville: MVP is Choobs Hubbard – He stays in Heisman contention with 150 yards and two scores, keeping OSU in the game in the first half then gobbling up yards after Dru Brown gives him some breathing room after some deep balls connect.

First Pick

Which Cowboy grabs the first interception against WVU? (OSU has three each in the last three games)

Porter: Nobody picked KHP? I’ll pick KHP, who’s about to be a 1TAA.

Boone: Amen Ogbongbemiga. Feels like an Ogbongbemiga game. He’s always in the right place at the right time, and eventually one of those pigskins are going to drop right into his basket.

Cox: A.J. Green. Full disclosure: I cheated and saw Steve-O’s pick first. But, Green got his first two career interceptions the last time the Cowboys played in Morgantown. He hasn’t been quite the ballhawk we thought he would be following that game (just four picks in the last three years since), but I will go with the storybook near-end to his OSU career.

Scott: Jarrick Bernard — Teams don’t throw at OSU’s corners unless they’re burnt. Teams will start to throw less in Kolby Harvell-Peel’s direction, so I’ll over analyze this and say Bernard.

Mandeville: AJ Green with the first pick. He’s been starved since the pick-6 against McNeese and the man is due as teams will start to throw away from the middle of the field.