It is officially Week 1 of college football! We started the season last week with a brutal loss to a top ten team. But what is college football without a major loss in the first week of the season?
Hopefully a brutal loss does not happen to the Oklahoma State Cowboys. They face off this week against FCS Champs, who went undefeated last season to claim their second straight championship in the division.
Oklahoma State comes off a season of ups and downs. They went 7-2 in the Big 12 and won the Texas Bowl against Texas A&M.
Oklahoma State vs. South Dakota State History
The two teams have never played each other during their history. But the Cowboys hold a home record of 23-3 since 2020, only behind Alabama and Clemson. South Dakota will have a tough matchup in a sold out Boone Pickens Stadium when they travel to Stillwater for the Saturday afternoon game.
South Dakota State is one of the best teams in the Missouri Valley Football conference. They have won 29 straight games and their quarterback is the reigning Walter Payton Award winner for best offensive player in Division I football. The Jackrabbits have a lot to prove coming to Stillwater as an undefeated team.
Key Players for Oklahoma State
Of course, the biggest player for the Cowboys is running back Ollie Gordon. While the preseason accolades have been poured upon him, Gordon expects to be the same player he was a year ago at the height of the season. Head coach Mike Gundy has already said they will limit Gordon’s touches throughout the season to 20 per game, but he still looks to be the go-to guy in the offense.
On the defensive side, linebacker Nick Martin will step up in a major way. After a breakout season in 2023, Martin looks to raise his NFL stock. Like his offensive counterpart in Gordon, Martin has also stacked up some preseason awards and watch lists, including Butkus award and the Lombardi award watch lists. He will look to build on his 82 solo tackles and six sacks from 2023, cementing himself as one of the best defensive guys in the Big 12 in 2024.
Key Players for South Dakota State
The guy slinging the ball for the Jackrabbits not only won the Walter Payton Award a year ago, but he has led the team to two back-to-back championships. Mark Gronowski led his team to an undefeated season a year ago. The Jackrabbits have not lost a game since September of 2022. And most of it is on the arm of Gronowski, who threw for more than 3,000 yards, 29 touchdowns and five interceptions.
The defense for South Dakota State is led by linebacker Adam Bock. He is touted as one of the best linebackers in the FCS. In the 2023 season, Bock logged 46 total tackles, with 23 of them being solo tackles. He hopes to disrupt this high flying offense and has the chance to make a name for himself in this game.
Oklahoma State’s Blueprint for Victory
While South Dakota State is a formidable opponent, Oklahoma State has to stick to the offensive plan that catapulted them into the spotlight a year ago. Keep the ball in Gordon’s hands. Let him take over the offense and formulate those touches for him.
In addition, quarterback Alan Bowman has to protect the ball. He will need to target his All-American wide receivers in Brennan Presley and Rashod Owens. Bowman will need to be safe with the ball, because if he has the turnover probably he did a year ago, the South Dakota State offense could take over and give the Cowboys a run for their money.
It will be a tough battle, but the Cowboys will overcome at home and riding the hot hand of Ollie Gordon. Cowboys win the game 27-21.
Erika Brown
Erika Brown is a fantasy football writer for The League Winners. A journalism graduate from Oklahoma State University, she enjoys watching OkState football games and writing about college football.