Burning Questions for Oklahoma State's Homecoming Showdown vs. Cincinnati
In this story:
Oklahoma State is set for Homecoming, and things could look quite interesting.
OSU will host No. 24 Cincinnati on Saturday night as the Cowboys look to snap their five-game losing streak. With another matchup under the lights in Boone Pickens Stadium on the way, the Pokes are desperate to find some answers to the questions that have burned them all season.
Burning questions for Oklahoma State’s matchup vs. Cincinnati:
Will Homecoming crowd spark the Cowboys?
Along with being under the lights for their first Saturday night game of the season, the Cowboys will be welcoming a Homecoming crowd into Boone Pickens Stadium. After losing to Houston in an 11 a.m. kickoff with a lackluster crowd, a night game for such a meaningful week in Stillwater could be enough to get a big boost.
If Cincinnati is as good as advertised and can live up to its recent leap into the top 25, OSU’s crowd might not matter much. Still, if the Cowboys are going to have any chance of pulling this upset, they will need their crowd to show up in a big way and give a burst of energy to their squad.
How will the offense look with Kevin Johns calling plays?
Earlier this week, reports surfaced that quarterbacks coach Kevin Johns will be taking over the playcalling duties from Doug Meacham for the rest of the season, allowing him to focus on the added responsibilities of being an interim coach. With Clint Bowen recently taking over the defense, OSU’s playcalling this weekend will be different in every facet from what it was against Tulsa just over a month ago.
With Meacham and company adding in plenty of trick plays since Mike Gundy’s firing, it will be interesting to see if Johns takes that route or goes for something more traditional. While the offense likely won’t look drastically different with Johns calling the shots, the former offensive coordinator could certainly put his spin on things this weekend.
What will OSU’s defense do well?
Throughout this season, it seems like OSU’s defense has failed to find much success in any area. With a well-rounded Cincinnati offense coming into Stillwater, this could be an opportunity for Bowen’s unit to show at least some improvement.
While the Cowboys won’t suddenly come out and have a great defense, this would be a perfect time for the defense to put it all together and get a win in front of a rowdy home crowd.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.