Stanford Preview

Photo Attribution: Icon SMI

Teams: #3 Oklahoma State 11-1 (8-1) vs. #4 Stanford 11-1 (8-1)
Time: 7:30 PM CST
TV: ESPN
On the call: Sean McDonough, Matt Millen, and Heather Cox

Kickoff: Not the biggest game in school history, no that would have been this baby right here, but the most meaningful exhibition game OSU has ever played by far. If we have to live in a world where successful seasons are measured by BCS wins (and I loathe that we do) then OSU has a chance to take the next step towards becoming one of the preeminent programs of this decade. It will take 100 years for them to erase the histories of OU and Texas but a modern day juggernaut capable of winning the Big 12 in any given year? Sure, just prove you belong with the big boys tonight and you’ll get that #2 (and possibly #1) next to your name in two weeks.

For entertainment purposes:
Spread: Cowboys -4
Over/Under: 74

You guys know how much I love the over but it’s hard for me to justify taking any over between two teams that haven’t played in a month. I think OSU will cover up the -4 (as you can see by my prediction below) and I’ll go over (because I always go over) but I wouldn’t bet it.

A few stats you should know:

• Brandon Weeden and Andrew Luck are a combined 53-9 as starters for their schools. (h/t Bill Haisten)
• Mike Gundy is 6-1 agains Pac-12 teams with his only loss coming against Oregon. (courtesy of ESPN)
• Brandon Weeden has a chance to go 5-0 against Todd McShay’s top five QBs: Luck, Griffin, Landry, Tannehill, and Foles.
• If Florida loses today they will have combined with Texas for 27 wins over the last two seasons. Oklahoma State (if they beat Stanford) will have 23 on its own during that same time span.

What I’m excited about: This has all the trappings to be the best, most competitive, most viscerally entertaining game of all the BCS bowls. I’ll be nervous to watch for sure (because OSU could be dueling North Carolina AT&T in the loser’s bracket of the NCAA equestrian championships and I’d be nervous), but I’ll be more excited and thrilled that OSU, our OSU, is competing for a title usually reserved for the big dogs of college football: Fiesta Bowl champions.

OSU will win if: It can stop the run. In Stanford’s last two losses (this year to Oregon and last year to Oregon) they’ve been held to 129 and 177 rushing yards respectively. If OSU can hold them under two hundy and not turn the ball over deep in its own territory then they should send Big Hands Andy (as Quade calls him) off to the NFL draft on a sour note.

How worried I am (out of 10):

(it’s just an exhibition, right?)

Uniform prediction:

All black errrrrrrrything:

Gun to my head: OSU 48-38 – Stanford isn’t a fraud like Virginia Tech but they also haven’t proven they can beat a fast, explosive team like Oklahoma State. If Stanford wins 48-38 I also wouldn’t be surprised, but I think OSU is a little bit more fired up to be there than the Trees are since it’s their first BCS experience.

Give me your predictions below!