The Schedulers Present Oklahoma State with a Challenge
Oklahoma State has never had an easy schedule playing in the Big 12 South. They always had to face Texas, Texas A&M, Texas Tech and Oklahoma. The Big 12 South does not exist anymore with the departure of Nebraska and Colorado leaving the conference with ten teams, but the Cowboys easily have the most difficult schedule of any team in the conference.
How is that possible now that every team plays every other team? It comes down to who you get to play at home and who you get to play on the road. The Cowboys have arguably the second most talented team in the conference behind only in-state rivals Oklahoma. But can they finish second in the conference? If they do, they will certainly have earned it.
First off, the Cowboys have five road games and four home games in conference play. That is not helpful, but those road games are against Texas A&M, Texas, Missouri, Texas Tech and Iowa State. The first four teams on that list are ranked third through sixth in conference on The Madness Top 104 countdown. Those games are all winnable, but they are all tough road games too. The home games are against Kansas, Baylor and Kansas State. Those teams the Cowboys should have little trouble beating whether it be at home or on the road.
The final home game is against Oklahoma. While the Cowboys have kept it close against Oklahoma at the friendly confines of Boone Pickens Stadium, they have not beaten the Sooners in their last eight tries. That game would likely be a loss either way. Thus, getting Texas at home and losing to Oklahoma on the road would be much better for the Cowboys chances.
Yet, this is a very good team. If the Cowboys can manage to navigate their way through that tough schedule with one loss heading into the showdown with Oklahoma, they should be playing for a Big 12 title on December 3rd and maybe ruin Oklahoma’s shot at a national championship in the process.
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