Oklahoma State Preview – 41 Days Until Kansas Football

KU clinched a bowl game against the Cowboys last year, and this year OSU will have a completely new look.

Lawrence, Kansas was a party the last time the Kansas Jayhawks faced the Oklahoma State Cowboys. In what we named our game of the 2022 season for KU, the Jayhawks defeated No. 18 Oklahoma State 37-16 behind Devin Neal’s 334 all-purpose yards to become bowl eligible.

This year, the matchup is the seventh game on the calendar, which means Kansas would have to start out hot for a win here to again get it to a bowl game. Nonetheless, the gap has shrunk between these two programs for the time being, which makes this a fascinating matchup.

Pre-Game Notes

What a difference a year makes. After Oklahoma State beat KU 55-3 in 2021 for the largest margin of victory in the two teams’ 74-game history, Kansas snapped the Cowboys’ 12-game winning streak against the Jayhawks last year with a decisive victory of its own. It was also just the second KU win against OSU since 1995 (granted, the two teams didn’t play in eight of those years).

The Cowboys went 7-6 in 2022, losing to Wisconsin in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl. It was just the sixth time OSU hasn’t won eight or more games since Mike Gundy took over in 2005 – all but the first season (4-7) being seven wins – which speaks highly to the program’s consistency.

The Mike Plank Four-Down Scouting Report

First Down

This OSU team is going to look drastically different than last year. The Cowboys only return nine starters total from last year, which is the third fewest in the conference (behind only Baylor and Cincinnati with eight). For comparison, Kansas has 17 starters back for 2023. Oklahoma State also had a busy offseason in the transfer portal.

Second Down

One of the transfers and newcomers is at quarterback. Spencer Sanders has left Stillwater and is now in the SEC at Ole Miss. To replace him, Gundy brought in former Texas Tech and Michigan quarterback Alan Bowman. Bowman threw for 408 yards and three touchdowns against Kansas as a freshman in 2018, but it’s been a while since he’s played meaningful minutes. Bowman only threw 11 pass attempts in five games in two years as a Michigan Wolverine.

Third Down

While the offensive line is mostly intact from 2022, the skill-position players for Oklahoma State have seen an overhaul. Top running back Dominic Richardson is gone, as are four of the top five receivers from last year’s team. Only Brennan Presley remains (67 catches for 813 yards and two touchdowns in 2022) at receiver, and the Cowboys brought in Iowa’s Arland Bruce IV and Washington State’s De’Zhaun Stribling to help Bowman.

Fourth Down

Only two starters return on the defensive side of the ball, and the Cowboys are also replacing their defensive coordinator. Though one of the bright spots is Kendal Daniels, who was the All-Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year with 71 tackles, three interceptions, and five pass deflections in 2022.

Matchup On Paper

As KU fans know firsthand, Oklahoma State had the habit of getting burned on the ground. The Cowboys gave up 178 rushing yards per game, as well as nearly 258 yards through the air. Gundy brought in D-II coach Bryan Nardo to be the team’s defensive coordinator, and he’s bringing a new 3-3-5 system with him. If that sounds familiar, this is the defense Iowa State has been running.

Another big change on the offensive side of the ball is the quarterback’s mobility. Sanders was a threat to run, rushing for 391 yards in 10 games to be the Cowboys’ second leading rusher. Bowman, on the other hand, does not run. His biggest rushing total in a season was 14 yards in year two at Texas Tech. He should have the offensive line to protect him, but defenses no longer need to worry about the scramble, which could put more pressure on these new receivers to perform.

Final Whistle

Oklahoma State came in at No. 7 in the Big 12 media preseason poll, yet somehow earned one first-place vote. But OSU, UCF, and Kansas were all looked at as peers, with only nine votes separating seventh and ninth places.

The sheer amount of turnover on the roster coupled with the implementation of a new defense makes it nearly impossible to predict how the Cowboys will perform. While no one can predict the future, as of late July, Kansas has a clear identity and Oklahoma State is still a mystery.