Where Does Oklahoma State Rank Statistically on The National Level?

Oklahoma State has had a very unique first four games of its season. The Cowboys started things off by rotating three quarterbacks in each game, which worked for two matchups, then took a humiliating loss to South Alabama.

The Cowboys then selected Alan Bowman to be a full-time starter, which began in Week 4 against Iowa State, and the team had arguably its best offensive game so far this season. The defense, however, fell apart and allowed a bad offense in Iowa State to put up 34 points.

So, how does Oklahoma State rank in offense and defense on the national level?

Defense: Funny enough, the Cowboys actually rank No. 65 defensively, tied with NIU and South Alabama. They let an average of 23.75 points per game be scored on them per game.

They've allowed 371.2 points per game defensively, standing at No. 74 in the country, giving up 5.65 yards per play.

This would have been much better if the Cowboys' defense showed up how it was supposed to against Iowa State, who had terrible offensive numbers heading into the matchup. The 3-3-5 defense -- which is supposed to stop any big plays -- let a couple of huge plays happen that ended up causing two touchdowns.

The Cowboys' defense has had some promising moments. The first two games resulted in second-half shutouts, allowing Oklahoma State to win those games. They looked much improved in the second half of the South Alabama game, and, had they not allowed for big plays on a busted coverage, could have likely taken down Iowa State.

Offense: Oklahoma State has been slightly worse on offense than defense. They rank No. 99 in the country, tying with East Carolina at 22 points per game. Again, this, like the defense, can improve.

This is on par with their yards per game, where they stand at No. 97 in the country with 343.5 yards per game.

The offense scored 27 points against Iowa State and threatened to score more as they had a final chance to tie the game. South Alabama was the only real dud for the Cowboys, as they only scored seven points in that matchup.

With a consistent quarterback and approach, the Cowboys offense may improve over time, like the defense, but playing much more difficult opponents will be tough on them. They'll be seeing defenses more difficult than they've seen so far.

Takeaways: All the rankings truthfully show is that Oklahoma State has failed to put both sides of the ball together consistently or at the same time. Moving forward, the Cowboys can't suffer a lack of execution, or they'll face a much larger loss to more talented teams.

Both sides of the ball have shown flashes, but they've also been exposed. Oklahoma State has a bye week before two tough games in Kansas State and Kansas, where both the offense and defense will be put to the test.

Given the weird start, this team will start giving answers in the two matchups following the bye week and their true colors will show one way or another.

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