Oklahoma State vs. Oregon: The Matchups That Will Decide the Game
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Oklahoma State’s biggest matchup of non-conference will take place on Sept. 12 when they host the Oregon Ducks at Boone Pickens Stadium at 11 a.m.
The Cowboys will be looking for some level of redemption after last season’s 69-3 loss to the Ducks up in Eugene. The Ducks are coming off a run in the College Football Playoff and have managed to retain a significant amount of talent from last year's team to try and finish the job and win a national championship.
The Cowboys are rebuilding under new head coach Eric Morris, who is using the transfer portal as a way of hoping to accelerate the process a bit.
When the Cowboys and Ducks square off, here are two matchups that will decide the game.
Oklahoma State Offensive Line vs. Oregon Defensive Line
There may not be a better defensive line in the country than Oregon. All four of last year’s starters return and many of them could have left early for the NFL Draft. Instead, edge rushers Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti return with a combined 19.5 sacks while tackles A'Mauri Washington and Bear Alexander can stuff the run with the best teams in the country.
The most interesting part of this matchup is that it's possible that Oklahoma State’s starting offensive line could be entirely new. That isn't a bad thing considering the Cowboys went 1-11 last year, but it does mean the chemistry could be tricky early in the season.
OSU will likely put a premium on experience with the Air Raid scheme. That gives Braydon Nelson, Tyler Mercer and Johnny Dickson III an inside track. All three played at North Texas for Morris and understand what he and the staff are looking for. Jacob Sexton and Joseph Hanson are transfers worth watching as well.
There is only one holdover — Jakobe Sanders. The Stillwater native is in his fourth year with the program. A new staff means a new start and an opportunity for more playing time.
But how the Oklahoma State offensive line handles the Oregon defensive line will be a huge storyline.
OSU QB Drew Mestemaker vs. Oregon Secondary
The new Cowboys starting quarterback was the FBS statistical champion in passing yards (4,379), passing yards per game (312.8), total offense (4,468) and yards per pass attempt (9.46). He was the triggerman for one of the best offenses in the country. He did all that at UNT with Morris. He knows the system and he knows how to run it. But, it should be pointed out he did that against a schedule with no power conference team on the schedule.
No disrespect, but the Ducks will be a much different animal. Cornerback Brandon Finney Jr. returns after a freshman all-America season for Oregon and should be one of the best corners in the country. Fellow corner Ify Obidegwu is entering his third year with the Ducks and seeking a breakthrough. Na’eem Offord played little last season, but he was one of the top-rated corners in the country coming out of high school.
The safeties include one of the top transfers in the country, Koi Perich from Minnesota; a former top recruit in Trey McNutt who missed last year due to injury; along with Aaron Flowers and Peyton Woodyard, who have multiple years in Oregon’s system.
Mestemaker needs time to throw and that’s on the offensive line. But once he has time to throw, he's going to have to dissect a secondary that by season’s end could be one of the nation's best. How he handles that challenge will be key to whether the Cowboys can be competitive.
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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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