Oklahoma State's Season Rests on the Shoulders of Spencer Sanders
While it may not have been the season Oklahoma State had hoped for in 2020, it still put together a solid campaign under head coach Mike Gundy. They finished 8-3 in the shortened season, capped off by a bowl game win against Miami. They were also ranked No. 20 in the country on the final AP Poll of the season.
Despite losing star players Tylan Wallace and Chuba Hubbard, Mike Gundy and Cowboys fans expect another solid season in 2021. Oddsmakers aren’t quite sure if they agree.
WynnBET has the projected regular season win total for Oklahoma State set at 7.5 for 2021, and with the college football world returning to a normal 12-game schedule, even an eight win season would be a step back from last year.
The success of the Cowboys comes down to the play of Spencer Sanders. In what I’d consider a statistical anomaly, Sanders threw for the exact same amount of completions and attempts in 2020 as he did in 2019, completing 155 passes on 247 attempts for a completion percentage of 62.8%.
Last year, Sanders also managed to put up 628 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, proving that he is one of the best dual threat quarterbacks in the Big 12.
If he wants to take another step forward in 2021, he’ll need to limit his turnovers. He threw 11 interceptions in 2019, and eight in 2020.
Receivers Tay Martin and Brennan Presley are expected to be the top targets for Sanders this season, but losing star running back Chubba Hubbard to the NFL Draft will certainly hurt their running game. Dezmon Jackson and LD Brown will attempt to fill the shoes of the school’s second leading rusher of all time, behind only the great Barry Sanders.
The Oklahoma State defense should be a strength of theirs in 2021, as eight of their 11 starters from 2020 will be returning for another season. They allowed only 379.1 yards per game, which ranked a respectable 44th in the country. They also led the entire nation in third down defense, allowing their opponents to convert for a first down on only 26.67% of third down opportunities.
The Cowboys are listed fourth on the odds list at WynnBET to win the Big 12 at +1200. Oklahoma is the overwhelming favorite at -112 to continue their dominance of the conference. Iowa State (+325) and Texas (+600) are also ahead of Oklahoma State.
The Cowboys start their season off on September 4th against out-of-conference opponent Missouri State.
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