Oklahoma State vs. Colorado: The Matchups That Will Decide the Game
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Colorado Buffaloes know each other from their Big 8 Conference days. But these teams are completely different.
OSU coach Eric Morris runs an Air Raid offense that wants to put the ball in the quarterback’s hands and let it fly, accentuated by a running game that can break off significant chunks of yardage to keep defenses honest.
Colorado coach Deion Sanders is remaking his team again. Two years after the Buffs nearly reach the Big 12 Championship game, he has a new offensive coordinator and a new defensive coordinator as he hopes to take one of his top recruits from last season to a new level.
Here are the matchups that will decide the game.
OSU Pass Rush vs. Colorado Offensive Line
On paper, neither would appear to have a clear advantage. The Colorado offensive line is expected to be either transfers or non-starters from last year now that Jordan Seaton has transferred to LSU. The Cowboys’ pass rush is relatively new, too, though Jaleel Johnson is back after a season that was truncated by an injury.
So, neither side has much of a track record. But it’s vital for either side to win this battle for one reason — Buffs quarterback Julian Lewis.
He only played in four games last year but he’s extremely talented. The starting job is his until he’s proven that he can’t handle it. The Buffs are going to run what is called the Go-Go attack, created by Brennan Marion, the new offensive coordinator. It needs two things — a strong run game and a vertical passing attack. The latter falls to the offensive line to give Lewis the time get the ball downfield, because he has the arm.
If CU protects him capably, the Buffs have a real chance. If the Cowboys constantly pressure him and create either sacks or pressures, then OSU has a real chance to affect the game.
OSU RB Caleb Hawkins vs. Colorado Front Six
This feels like the kind of game where Hawkins could get loose. The Buffs’ defense was terrible last year, so bad that Sanders went out and got a new defensive coordinator in Chris Marve, who was last at Virginia Tech. CU will run the same system that OSU does, so Hawkins will be familiar with the scheme and will understand how best to attack it.
Santana Hopper, Colorado’s talented interior lineman, is the player to watch here. But it’s not all on Colorado in this matchup.
The Cowboys essentially have a new offensive line this season. The advantage is that some played at North Texas last year and blocked for Hawkins, so they know his rhythm. But it’s not all UNT transfers. This offensive line must learn to play together, and one would assume that by Game 7 of the season the unit would be together.
While the Cowboys want to run the Air Raid and pass the ball, this is a game and an opponent where a great game by Hawkins would go a long way. If the Buffs can slow him down and make him less effective, it could negatively impact OSU’s offense.
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Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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