Oklahoma-Oklahoma State GameDay: X-Factors

John Hoover: Emotion, focus

This may sound like a recurring theme or even a broken record, but how motivated are the Sooners? Do some of them just want this season to end? At post-practice player interviews on Monday night, the tone was morose, the body language was deflated and the facial expressions were flat. That happens to a team with championship DNA that falls to 5-5 on the season and loses two in a row. Oklahoma State won’t feel sorry for the Sooners. If there’s an opening, OSU will pounce on it and try to make it a blowout. With the history of this series and OU ending it by heading off to to the SEC? The Cowboys would not take their foot off the gas. The question is, does OU let it get to that? The Sooners are good enough to win this game. Oddsmakers say OU is a 7.5-point favorite. But have the Oklahoma players bounced back emotionally? Are they willing to fight through adversity? Are they focused enough to cut out the mental mistakes?

Ryan Chapman: Penalties

Last week in Morgantown it seemed as if every flag thrown on the Sooners was backbreaking. Oklahoma took a touchdown off the board with an offensive pass interference, had a false start to turn a fourth-and-1 into a fourth-and-6 (which Dillon Gabriel failed to convert), jumped offside on fourth-and-10 (which wiped away an interception) and had a facemask after a sack that would have pinned the Mountaineers well behind the chains. On the other sideline, Oklahoma State has been called for the second fewest penalties this year, drawing only 3.7 flags per game, which only trails Navy. In a game many expect to be close, the Cowboys have a decided edge in this key area as OSU has continued to play with great discipline despite a bevy of injuries.

Josh Callaway: Spencer Sanders' Health

So, just how healthy is Spencer Sanders in this game? Sanders has been banged up and missing time as of late, coming off the bench and playing the final 20 minutes or so in last week's win over Iowa State. Afterward, he said there was essentially no way he would miss this opportunity to play against Oklahoma in Bedlam. With that in mind, Sanders would likely be gutting this out even if he wasn't at 100 percent. So it will be very interesting to keep a close eye on him throughout the night to see if he is laboring. If he's close to his usual self, there is a lot of potential for him to have a big day against a struggling Sooners defense. If he's still banged up, the OSU offense could be off just enough for Oklahoma to take advantage and slip away with their sixth win. Just how healthy Sanders is, and if he can stay that way over the course of 60 minutes, is quite arguably the single-biggest storyline to watch on Saturday night in Norman.

Ross Lovelace: Interceptions

If Spencer Sanders is playing on Saturday, it’s hard not to give the edge to Oklahoma State. The offense has a much higher ceiling and the defense is more consistent, as Sanders truly makes that big of a difference. The one area he struggles in is the turnover category, and if Oklahoma can force Sanders to throw an interception or two, the momentum could swing quick. If the Cowboys’ backup quarterbacks are forced into action, Oklahoma’s defense will be at a massive advantage. On the other hand, Dillon Gabriel’s turnovers have been costly in Oklahoma’s losses recently. Not only have his passes been inconsistent, but the interceptions piled up against Baylor. Both quarterbacks can determine the direction of the game Saturday, for better or for worse.