Playing out the schedule: Part I

The first of a four part series.

I’ve blown through all the “Glenn Spencer loves love and thinks our defense will be better than it was even though most people don’t think it could be any worse” stories I can possibly blow through.

We need to look ahead to the season.

Instead of going game by game I wanted to break the year into thirds and look at how I think each third is going to play out. I was talking to Amilian on the podcast (back tomorrow!) about how silly it is that we look at predicting OSU games in a vacuum[1. It’s actually silly that we try to predict them at all.] when the actual season is played through injuries and mental fatigue. Those things matter over the course of four months and they matter even more when you’re looking at chunks of games (that season-ending stretch against Texas, Baylor, and OU is not good).

Anyway, let’s get to the first quarter of the season.

Game: Mississippi State in Houston
Date: Saturday, August 31

I just can’t see OSU losing this game if they take care of the ball. Mississippi State only scored 35+ four times last year and two of those instances came against Middle Tennessee and Jackson State.[1. The other two were Arkansas and Tennessee so maybe that’s why Gundy didn’t leave?] Now this is a different story if Chelf throws a duck for six the other way on one of the first two drives but if that doesn’t happen then neither will a MSU win.

Prediction: OSU by two TDs
Record: 1-0

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Game: at UTSA
Date: Saturday, September

You don’t think there will be a lot of “OMG Gundy is facing his old offensive coordinator this week!!” stories for this game, do you? UTSA isn’t bad, especially for a program in year two of D1 football (I don’t do FBS/FCS) but OSU should win this game by 30.

Prediction: OSU by a lot more than in the first game
Record: 2-0

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Game: Lamar at Home
Date: Saturday, September 14

Herschel Sims’ homecom….oh Herschel Sims is at Abilene Christian, ok then. Lamar lost to Louisiana and Hawaii last year by a combined score of 94-2. Really, two. They did beat Langston though!

This was voted the easiest game of 2013 by those who participated in OKC Dave’s survey — as it should have been. The interesting thing will be to see what OSU gets its home opener unanswered points streak to. 84 and counting as we speak…

Prediction: OSU by whatever Yurcich wants
Record: 3-0

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The great thing if you’re OSU is that this isn’t a tedious stretch of games. You get a decent-to-kinda-tough Mississippi State but then you get two gimmes before conference play.

You can read the full 2013 football preview here.