Way Too Early Look at OSU’s 2018 Football Schedule: Part 2

While we are knee deep in college basketball, and just days away from the baseball season taking its first swing, there’s no reason we can’t look ahead to what the Oklahoma State football team will face in its 2018 season.

We already dove into the first half of OSU’s 2018 schedule. Let’s wrap it up with the final six games of the season.

at Kansas State

From here on out, things are tough. Before the bye, OSU heads to Manhattan, Kansas to face the fighting Bill Snyders in what feels like his 100th year at the helm. We could speculate that this is his last season …. but who knows.

Kansas State in Manhattan is dangerous. This place and Ames always scare the crap out of me, no matter how good or bad the team is*. They just seem to always play OSU close. That’s why I’ve got this tabbed as OSU’s first loss of the season. There’s no telling just how good this Kansas State team will be… as usual.

USA Today – No. 20
Yahoo – NR
ESPN – NR
Bleacher Report – NR
Athlon – No. 24
Sporting News – NR
SBNation – NR

They’re preseason ranked by a couple of media outlets. My guess is they start off the year okay, lose a couple, and still find a way to finish with, at worst, 7-8 wins.

*Gundy is 2-3 in Manhattan, Kansas with average score of those wins being eight points.

Texas

After the bye week, the Cowboys welcome the Longhorns to Stillwater. You won’t be too surprised to know that lots of people have Texas ranked.

USA Today – NR
Yahoo – No. 25
ESPN – No. 24
Bleacher Report – No. 25
Athlon – No. 17
Sporting News – No. 22
SBNation – No. 20

No. 17! Seriously. Look, Texas is going to have a good defense again. If you don’t remember, after giving up 51 to Maryland in the season opener last year, Texas didn’t allow another team to hit 30, with the exception of Kansas State… but that took two overtimes.

But do they deserve to be ranked? Not until they actually win nine games in a season and prove they have a quarterback. Neither Buechele or Ehlinger were great last season. However, either could take a leap and make Texas a legitimate team again, especially with how good the defense will likely be.

Fun Fact: Oklahoma State has won three straight games against Texas for the first time ever. Not super surprising since OSU has eight wins total in the series.

Fun(?) Fact 2: OSU would be better off if this game was in Austin. Since 2009, OSU is 5-0 in Austin, but 1-3 in Stillwater.

Also, Texas just signed the No. 3 recruiting class in the country.

at Baylor

The first team in awhile that no one has ranked early. Not surprisingly either. Baylor was bad last season, and has a long way to go before they’re not.

The biggest thing for the Bears this coming year, is finding a quarterback. Anu Solomon has run out of eligibility and Zach Smith has transferred to Tulsa. They’ll have incoming 4-star Gerry Bohanon and sophomore Charlie Brewer, who started the final four games of the Bears’ season. Brewer was named the Big 12 co-freshman of the year by the Big 12 coaches after putting up 1,562 yards, 11 touchdowns, and four interceptions.

I’d expect the Bears to win more than one game next season, but they’re still a couple seasons away from being Big 12 contenders again.

Fun Fact: There are no fun facts about Baylor. They’re Baylor.

at Oklahoma

OSU’s second straight road game, and third in their last four. The Sooners are projected to finish pretty high next season, coming off their CFP appearance.

USA Today – No. 7
Yahoo – No. 8
ESPN – No. 4
Bleacher Report – No. 9
Athlon – No. 6
Sporting News – No. 5
SBNation – No. 6

Look, OU is still going to be good. But if you think last season’s team is winning 12 games and nearly making the National Title game without Baker Mayfield, you’re crazy.

Will they be the favorites to win the Big 12? Yes and at this point they’ve done enough to deserve to be. Should they be a pre-season top 10 team? Eh.

Will I pick OSU to beat them in Norman? Ha. no.

Fun Fact: It’s OU. I’ve got nothing.

West Virginia

The Mountaineers are likely to be the trendiest pick to challenge the Sooners for the Big 12 title next season. Dynamic-duo quarterback Will Grier and receiver David Sills will return next year. Despite that, not everyone is set on where, or if, West Virginia should be ranked heading into the off-season.

USA Today – NR
Yahoo – No. 19
ESPN – No. 10
Bleacher Report – No. 14
Athlon – No. 21
Sporting News – NR
SBNation – No. 19

That probably has something to do with the fact that the Mountaineers finished the season 7-6 and losers of their last three games of the season. Granted, Grier missed the final two games, and was knocked out of the loss to Texas after breaking his finger.

Grier will be the best returning Big 12 quarterback next season — though one of only a few — but I’m still not taking WVU seriously as a Big 12 title contender. The closest they’ve gotten since joining the league was a 10-3 season in 2016.

Gundy’s record against his former OC Holgerson since WVU joined the league? 4-2, with one of those losses coming in 2014. Who didn’t OSU lose to that season (OU!).

The Mountaineers should be a talented team that heads to its sixth-straight bowl game, and should make for a good game in Stillwater. But Big 12 title contenders?

Fun Fact: Sorry, I’m running out of fun facts.

at TCU

Last but not least, the Cowboys head to Ft. Worth to face a TCU team who will also be replacing their starting quarterback, with one that will surely be better.

USA Today – No. 22
Yahoo – NR
ESPN – No. 16
Bleacher Report – No. 23
Athlon – NR
Sporting News – No. 18
SBNation – No. 23

I expect the Horned Frogs to be the other trendy pick to challenge OU for the Big 12 title, and for good reason; they’re going to have one of the two best defenses in the league, and whoever takes over at quarterback (likely Shawn Robinson) will probably be at least as good as Kenny Hill. On the flip side, TCU loses five offensive lineman from last season, which is usually not a sign of success for an upcoming season (unless you’re ‘Bama and nothing matters.)

Despite OSU being 4-2 against TCU since they joined the Big 12, it’s hard to predict this game due to the many unknowns about both teams this far out. However I will go on the record predicting another good one between the Frogs and the Pokes.