Six Storylines to Track as Oklahoma State Readies for Bedlam

Bedlam is Saturday, and both OU and OSU enter the pivotal rivalry game with opposing momentum. OSU is coming off a stunning loss to Baylor, OU is coming off an escape job win over Texas Tech and a QB named Jett Duffey.

While the stakes are different for both squads – Big 12 title contention for OU, and bowl eligibility for OSU – the pressure to perform in the state’s biggest game is all the same. Below are six key storylines we’re tracking ahead of the game.

1. Taylor Cornelius consistency

When Taylor Cornelius completes 60 percent or more of his passes this season, OSU is 4-0. When he hits on fewer than 60 percent of his pass attempts, OSU is 1-4. It’s not as simple as saying the team goes as Cornelius goes, but there’s pretty clearly a correlation between his play and the ultimate outcome in games this season. If Cornelius can take care of the ball and hit his targets at an average rate, OSU will have a shot.

2. Justice game

Justice Hill’s best showing of last season – and arguably of his career – came on Nov. 4, 2017, when OU marched into Stillwater and Hill proceeded to march down its defense’s throats at will. He finished with 30 carries for 228 yards rushing against the Sooners last year, and his typically ferocious run style was upped a notch higher than usual. Pretty clear he plays on a different level against OU. Can he do it again this year and put a struggling OSU team on his back?

3. Can OSU’s defense hold up?

OSU’s defense put simply has been atrocious this season. It entered Saturday’s game against Baylor ranked No. 90 nationally allowing 2.5 points per drive, and let the Baylor Bears hang 2.9 per in that category. That is … not good. Against an OU team that boasts the No. 2 overall offense in the country averaging 8.8 yards per play (!) and 563.2 yards of offense per contest, can OSU at least prevent the flood gates from bursting to give its offense a fighting chance? There is real, not sarcastic concern that Kyler Murray, like Baker Mayfield last season, could thrust himself into Heisman frontrunner status with a lights out showing against a lackluster Cowboy defense.

4. How will Mike Gundy and the coaching staff attack this game?

Mike Gundy gets a bad rap, somewhat undeservedly, as a conservative coach who doesn’t like to take risks. That ain’t true! Or at least it hasn’t been this season. Gundy’s been eager to go for it often this season in big spots, like converting twice on fourth down against Texas and scoring on both attempts, and against Baylor this past weekend when OSU tried and failed to ice the game late on fourth-and-3. He also went for it two times prior to that against the Bears.

Will Gundy continue that aggressive coaching as he and his team enter Norman as double-digit underdogs? The obvious assumption is, what’s there to lose? But more importantly: Does OSU have a trick or two up its sleeve? We know there’s a fake punt in the playbook that OSU almost used against Texas. And we also know Dru Brown and Spencer Sanders are viable change-of-pace options at QB if OSU’s offense stagnates. Will Gundy be willing to use all his bullets to try and take down the in-state rival that’s owned him since he took over as head coach?

5. How will OSU disrupt Kyler Murray?

Texas Tech pulled out the worst game of Kyler Murray all season this past weekend, forcing him into errant throws that resulted in a 57.1 percent completion rate and two interceptions – all without successfully pressuring him. On the evening, Tech logged only one sack, one TFL and one QB hurry. It was downfield coverage and tricky schemes that got into Murray’s head. That’s not OSU’s game typically, however.

Will OSU try to follow in Tech’s gameplan to spice up its secondary coverage, though? Or will OSU stick to its guns up front and go all-out trying to get Murray down on the ground early and often with Calvin Bundage, Jordan Brailford and the pass-rush monsters? The Cowboys need to apply pressure but also not allow Murray to make easy throws with one-on-one coverage; he’s shown he can pick apart defenses with the skill talent surrounding him. Jim Knowles, once again, has his work cut out for him.

6. Discipline … gaffes .. fixed?

OSU is one of the most penalized teams in all of college football, and after a 12-penalty, 133-yard outing against Baylor, it’s safe to say those struggles are far from fixed. 12 for 133 should be Justice’s run-to-final-output numbers, not penalty yards.

From careless facemask penalties to pass interference calls in ways that have gotten downright creative, OSU needs to limit them to, at minimal, half of that. OSU isn’t good enough to stay in a game with OU if it remains as inconsistent and undisciplined. It may not be good enough to stay in the game with OU even if it is.