Free Pick: Kansas State at Oklahoma State 9/25/21

This is a game that will tell us a lot about these two undefeated teams. The Wildcats have beaten Stanford and Nevada for two of their wins and the Cowboys are coming off a road win at Boise State last Saturday. These two teams usually play great games in Stillwater and this one shapes up as another one. The winner gets an early leg up for the Big12 Championship and the loser is behind the 8-ball. Let’s break it down.

Scouting the Wildcats: Starting quarterback, Skylar Thompson was injured in Game 2 and Will Howard was good in the 35-17 win over Nevada last week in Manhattan. He threw for 123 yards and a touchdown and added another 56 yards rushing and two touchdowns. Kansas State is a run oriented offense and are led by running back, Deuce Vaughn who is a threat to break a long run every time he touches the ball. He has 371 yards rushing and 5 touchdowns through 3 games. The Wildcats have capable receivers in Phillip Brooks and Malik Knowles. On defense, they have held opponents to only 55 yards per game rushing. Linebackers, Cody Fletcher and Daniel Green have been outstanding and have combined for 38 tackles on the young season. They have played well against the pass and their stats are very good. Oklahoma State will be a challenge that it looks like they can handle.

Scouting the Cowboys: Oklahoma State has been dynamic the last few years on offense with a wide-open passing attack, a running game that complimented the passing, and great wide receivers. This year they are struggling compared to the teams of the past. In last week’s win at Boise State quarterback, Spencer Sanders only threw 13 passes completing 6 for 82 yards. He added 52 more yards on 15 carries. The Cowboys are running the ball more than they ever have and Jaylen Warren is the leading rusher with 223 yards and 2 touchdowns. They don’t have the pro-type receiver that they have enjoyed the past few years. They are hoping that Braydon Johnson, Tay Martin, or Brennan Presley will step up and become the go-to guy. The defense has been outstanding and have carried the Cowboys so far. Linebackers, Malcolm Rodriguez and Devin Harper have been all over the field and have combined for 55 tackles. The secondary has been solid and the defensive line has controlled the opponents running game.

There is very little to choose between these two teams. They are very similar on offense and both quarterbacks are almost the same player. Vaughn might be a little more explosive at running back but there is very little difference in the running backs. This should be an old fashioned slugfest and a low scoring game. Oklahoma State is a 6 point favorite.

DUDES WHO BET SPORTS: Kansas State +6