⚡ CFB Dashboard

OSU defensive gameplan ​ Skyler Cassity's group gets to bring a fresher rotation into this one than it has had all season. Braylon Rigsby and Iman Oates, both rested against Murray State, give this front real girth to hold up against Cam Cook and a physical West Virginia offensive line, and Jaleel Johnson and James Williams off the edges need to keep doing what they started against Oregon, getting home with four rushers rather than asking the coverage to hold up longer than it should. The linebacker trio of Ethan Wesloski, Tate Romney, and Isaiah Chisom needs to stay in its landmarks against Cam Cook rather than get moved out of gaps by a scheme built to create numbers at the point of attack. Just as important is containing Hawkins as a runner. He beat Virginia with his legs as much as his arm, and a mobile quarterback allowed to create outside structure is not something this defense wants to deal with for four quarters. Evan Jackson and Quinton Hammonds need to be sound in run support on the back end, and the corner room, LaDainian Fields and Mo Horn, will have their hands full with Epps, Jaden Bray, and John Neider. Fields has been solid for this secondary all season, and Horn has played well himself and was one of the better defensive backs on the field against Murray State, so do not be surprised if he sees extended snaps in coverage against this receiver group. Get off the field on third down the way this defense has done all season, and West Virginia's methodical, run first approach becomes a lot less threatening. Special teams ​ Both kickers have been steady, Sam Keltner made all four of his attempts against Oregon and Jack Cassidy has handled his business for West Virginia, so this is unlikely to be decided by a missed field goal unless the game truly comes down to the final possession. The bigger factor is DJ Epps, who is West Virginia's primary weapon in the return game as well as at receiver, and OSU's coverage units need to be sound rather than let a big special teams play flip field position in a game expected to be this close. OSU counters with Chris Barnes and Miles Coleman as its own explosive return threats. In a one score game, and Vegas is all but promising one here, the hidden yardage battle, field position, coverage, and who wins the special teams war, could be the difference between OSU pulling off the upset on the road and coming up just short. Coaching matchup ​ Eric Morris is not going to abandon the aggressive identity that has defined his first season, and he should not, it worked in the biggest moment of the year so far against Oregon. Rich Rodriguez, back for his second stint in Morgantown, has built this roster in his image, a physical, run first attack behind a retooled offensive line and longtime line coach Rick Trickett, and Zac Alley's defense in year two is starting to show real teeth after a rough debut season. This is a matchup of two staffs that both believe they have finally built the roster to match their vision, and Saturday is as much a proving ground for both coaches as it is for either group of players. Expect Morris to keep trusting his offense to answer West Virginia possession for possession and expect Rodriguez to lean on Cam Cook and the ground game to try to shorten the game and keep Mestemaker off the field, the way a program built around a retooled offensive line usually wants to play. Bottom line and prediction ​ I am not going to pretend this is easy. This is OSU's first true hostile road environment of the season, its first look at a genuine downhill running attack, and West Virginia is undefeated for a reason. But I also am not going to pretend this is the same Oklahoma State team that lost the turnover battle and could not identify a left tackle three weeks ago. This is a program that just beat a top six team on its home field and followed it with the most complete performance of the season, an offense that finally looks like it trusts its top receiver, and a defense that found a pass rush it did not have a month ago and now gets a healthier defensive line rotation to boot. West Virginia is undefeated and dangerous, but it has not yet played a true road environment either, and Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte is not Milan Puskar Stadium on a Saturday night with the home crowd asking for gold. This is a game where I expect both offenses to make explosive plays, I expect Cam Cook to find some room early, and I expect Wesloski, Romney, Chisom, and this defensive front to make just enough plays on third down and in the pass rush to keep it a possession game rather than a rout. Bowick gets his matchups, Mestemaker makes at least one more play with his legs the way he has all season, and Sam Keltner is money again in the fourth quarter. I like Oklahoma State to survive a nail biter on the road, Oklahoma State 31, West Virginia 28. Go Pokes.