Open Week Work is Over, Offensive Line has Option, Predictions for Big 12 This Saturday

The Cowboys players have the weekend off until Sunday meetings and practice. The offensive line may have options for Bedlam. We have predictions for this weekend.

Author:
Robert Allen
Publish date:
Nov 13, 2020 12:00 PM EST

STILLWATER -- The work for the bye week is done as Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy put his team through three solid workouts this week with the emphasis on Tuesday on correcting issues and working fundamentals. Players like wide receover Tylan Wallace, running backs Chuba Hubbard and LD Brown, and safeties Tre Sterling and Kolby Harvel-Peel rested and continued to get treatment for injuries. Wednesday introduced some early looks at Oklahoma and some possible plans for the Bedlam game. Thursday's work was primarily special teams and younger players giving all veterans and starters a lighter day on the practice field.

Even with COVID-19 spiking like crazy in Oklahoma and around the region, Gundy is letting his players make the decision on how and where they spend their weekend.

"At times I have to look at things (player's freedom on off weekends) I’m going to spend some time with my kids this weekend, so I don’t feel comfortable in telling our players they can’t do anything and they can't spend some time with their family," Gundy explained.

Many of the players have again indicated they will stay around Stillwater and the pseudo bubble the football program has created. They will be back on Sunday afternoon for meetings and a practice to start Bedlam week.

Charlie Dickey may have a decision to make on the offensive line.
Robert Allen - Pokes Report publisher

One of the decisions to be made by Gundy, offensive coordinator Kasey Dunn, and most likely primarily by offensive line coach Charlie Dickey is how to line up on the offensive line. The Cowboys can expect Jake Springfield back. The former walk-on offensive tackle that stepped in for the Tulsa game and started against West Virginia, Kansas, Iowa State and Texas was injured at the end of the first half of the Texas game. Springfield back means he could go back to left tackle and allow Josh Sills to move back in at left guard.

Sills has faced two outstanding defensive ends in Texas' Joseph Ossai and Kansas State's Wyatt Hubert the last two games and has sturggled some. Gundy was asked about Sills on Monday and talked about how he is playing.

“He’s playing OK. He can play better and he knows that. Again, he was thrown into the fire during the middle of the game last week and then we had what would be two real practices last week and then go play a game," Gundy said. "Those aren’t positions that you just jump out there and have as much success as people would think because the stance is different, your weight balance and stance is different and your foot work is different being on the edge than it is inside.”

That may mean a lean to Springfield back in and Sills at guard. If Sills stays at tackle then red-shirt freshman offensive guard Preston Wilson stays in the line-up. Wilson has played well for a first-time starter the past two games.

On this week's edition of "Our Time" on ESPN+ Gundy complimented Sills' leadership.

"I met with our veteran players, 30 of those guys that have all played to talk about the Texas game and getting past it and ready for Kansas State," Gundy said in the episode. "After the meeting, Sills asked if he could say a few works."

Gundy said he thought about it and decided to let his "mountain man " looking transfer offensive tackle talk.

"He was great," Gundy said. "He talked about how no matter what the results were he wasn't going to let anybody let up and go anything other than allout in games or in practice. He's been a good leader for us."

Big 12 Predictions

Season: Record vs. Spread - 21-16; Record Straight Up - 26-11

Last Week: Record vs. Spread - 3-2; Record Straight Up - 4-1

This Week - Nov. 14, 2020

TCU (+3) 20

@West Virginia 27

11 a.m. on FOX - West Virginia should have won last week and the Frogs did win in Austin, but WVU has the better defense here and the better offense.

Baylor (-1) 20

@Texas Tech 26

3 p.m. on FS1 - A hard fought game between two teams that badly want to win. Texas Tech will rotate Alan Bowman and Henry Columbi at quarterback and will still have the advantage at that position.

Last Week - Nov. 7, 2020

West Virginia (+6.5) 31

@#22-Texas 27

Actual Score: 17-13 Texas

Texas Tech (+9) 21

@TCU 34

Actual Score: 34-18 TCU

Kansas (+38) 20

@#19-Oklahoma 59

Actual Score: 62-9 Oklahoma

#14-Oklahoma State 38

@Kansas State (-12) 23