Vegas Line Moves KU’s Direction, OSU No Longer Favored on Saturday

You’re familiar with the saying that, ‘Vegas knows,’ right? Well it would seem that in the case of OSU-Kansas slated for Saturday afternoon, Vegas knows . . . something.

OSU opened as a narrow favorite over Kansas earlier in the week — the line was anywhere from OSU -2 to OSU -3.5 — but it has curiously swung to a dead pick ’em at Caesars Sportsbook, a not-insignificant surge in momentum on the KU side that would seemingly suggest that something is up.

Clearly there’s a lot happening here. On the Kansas side, starting QB Jalon Daniels, who has not played Oct. 8, returned to practice this week and could be in line to see the field as KU takes on OSU. That’s one major thing.

The other thing, on the OSU side, is health questions surrounding its own starting QB. Spencer Sanders has been battling maladies for most of the last month but left the Kansas State game with an apparent shoulder injury to add insult to (literal) injury. Speculation around Stillwater this week has been absolutely unhinged surrounding that situation, but it wouldn’t surprise if Gunnar Gundy — he of Michael Gundy’s production, who has not made a college start — runs out on the field for Saturday’s game.

That might make more sense as to the line shift.

Mike Gundy earlier in the week, as he does, played things close to the vest about OSU’s injury situation overall, but he at least discussed the potential scenario in which OSU has to go without Sanders.

“The comfort level is never going to be the same as a guy who has played three or four years,” said Gundy. “I think it would be unfair to stand here and say my comfort level with either of the two quarterbacks we would use would be the same with [Sanders]. It’s not. They’re inexperienced, they’re learning on the run. … We would learn on the run somewhat. Do I think we could function? Sure we can. Do I think we would function the way we do with Spencer? No …”

But who knows? Either way, OSU is in a must-win situation after getting shellacked Saturday vs. K-State and finds itself in a situation where a trip to face Kansas is no longer the auto win it once was.