Oklahoma State Cowboys College Football Preview 2023
Oklahoma State Cowboys Preview 2023: Previewing, predicting, and looking ahead to the season with what you need to know.- PETE FIUTAK
- JUL 12, 2023
The Big 12 expanded with four very good football programs that were way overdue to be included in the big leagues - BYU, Cincinnati, Houston, UCF - but losing Oklahoma and Texas next year to the SEC takes away the two irreplaceable schools.
TCU, Kansas State, and Baylor might have had more success than the Big Two over the last few seasons, but the Sooners and Longhorns go beyond just wins and losses - especially to the business side of the Big 12 - and their departure will leave a void.
So who’s going to fill it? Basketball isn’t an issue - Kansas is the big star there - and going forward there’s a chance for Oklahoma State to position itself as one of the new big boys in the conference.
As is Oklahoma State has been great under Mike Gundy - no losing seasons since his first year in 2005, six double-digit wins campaigns, five top 15 finishes - but 2011 was the only Big 12 Championship season.
That needs to change soon - the Cowboys were six inches away from a conference title and a possible College Football Playoff invite in 2021 - and this year has to be the launching pad to what’s coming.
There’s more of a rebuild happening, though, than you might think. After starting 6-1 in 2022 and rolling along with a thrilling win over Texas everything stopped. Kansas State rolled 48-0, the Cowboy offense died, and the team lost five of its last six games on one of the strangest collapses of the season.
But it’s Oklahoma State. Under Gundy, glitches don’t go unfixed, and this year it starts with a bump from …
Oklahoma State Cowboys Preview: Offense
The offense should be better and more consistent. Turnovers were a big problem, the running game stalled, and third down conversions became a pleasant memory.
Here comes the pivot with former star QB Spencer Sanders off to Ole Miss, and former Texas Tech-turned-Michigan transfer Alan Bowman coming in to battle Garret Rangel for the job. He won’t run like Sanders, but he’s a terrific passer if he can stay healthy. And …
The receiving corps is loaded. As is it’s full of veterans with Brennan Presley and the top three receivers back, and in comes De’Zhaun Stribling from Washington State - he made 95 catches for over 1,000 yards and ten touchdowns over the last two seasons. Now the running game has to do more.
Leading rusher Dominic Richardson took off for Baylor, and Sanders was the second-leading runner, but the situation is fine. The combination of Jaden Nixon and Ollie Gordon can easily replace Richardson’s production, and in comes Elijah Collins from Michigan State to possibly be the No. 1.
It’s all working behind a line that has the potential to be far, far better and more consistent. The left tackle spot is settled with all-star Dalton Cooper coming over from Texas State as part of a group dominated by upperclassmen.
Oklahoma State Cowboys Preview: Defense
The Cowboys are bringing aboard Bryant Nardo from D-II Gannon University in Pennsylvania to take over the coordinator duties. Gannon improved by leaps and bounds, but it didn’t take the ball away enough, was mediocre on third downs, and … it got into the backfield with an ultra-aggressive style. This year’s Cowboy defense is about to be very, very interesting, but …Star LB Mason Cobb is off to USC and most of the top pass rushers have to be replaced. However, Collin Oliver is one of the nation’s best ends, Nathan Latu was second on the team with four sacks, and landing massive tackle Justin Kirkland from Utah Tech was an under-the-radar get with big-time anchor talent.
The secondary gave up a ton of yards, but that was the cost of doing business in the Big 12. There were plenty of big plays and the group was terrific on third downs, and now it should be even better around all-star S Kendal Daniels and a nice corner tandem of Korie Black and Cam Smith.
Oklahoma State Cowboys Key To The Season
The run defense has to hold up. The turnovers have to stop - the offense couldn’t stop giving it away over the rough second half of the year - but overall the Cowboys have to keep teams from getting the running game going. It’s not even about the yards as much as the yards per carry - the Cowboys were 6-0 when allowing fewer than five yards per carry and 1-6 when allowing more. No one came close to five yards per pop in 2021.
Oklahoma State Cowboys Top Transfer, Biggest Loss
OT Dalton Cooper in from Texas State, LB Mason Cobb off to USC. Oklahoma State has itself a great left tackle get in the 6-6, 320-pound Cooper. He’s big, and he can move. Cobb went from doing next to nothing in his first two seasons to finishing second on the team with 96 tackles with two sacks and 13 tackles for loss. He’ll start in the middle for the Trojans. Speaking of transfers …Oklahoma State Cowboys Key Player
Alan Bowman, QB Sr. Or Garret Rangel. It was a weird year for the Oklahoma State passing game. It went from inconsistent, but effective, to consistently ineffective. The 13 interceptions in the brutal six game finishing kick hurt, but it was the completion rate that barely hit 50% over the run that was the real problem.Oklahoma State Cowboys Key Game
at Iowa State, Sept. 23. It might not seem like the biggest game considering Iowa State didn’t go bowling last season, but it’s the Big 12 opener, it’s on the road, and with a week off and four home games in the next five to follow, it’s a chance to potentially go on a huge run.Oklahoma State Cowboys 10 Best Players
1. Kendal Daniels, S Soph.2. Collin Oliver, LB Jr.
3. Xavier Benson, LB Sr.
4. De’Zhaun Stribling, WR Jr.
5. Brennan Presley, WR Sr.
6. Anthony Goodlow, DE Sr.
7. Dalton Cooper, OT Sr.
8. Jake Springfield, OT Sr.
9. Justin Kirkland, DT Soph.
10. Justin Wright, LB Sr.
Oklahoma State Cowboys 2022 Fun Stats
- 4th down conversions: Opponents 17-of-32, Oklahoma State 5-of-16 (31%)- Time of possession: Opponents 32:14, Oklahoma State 27:46
- Penalties: Opponents. 77 for 693 yards, Oklahoma State 46 for 436 yards
Oklahoma State Cowboys Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
Set The Win Total At: 8Is the Big 12 a whole lot better with the four new schools and Oklahoma and Texas still around? Yes. Is Oklahoma State in a funky place with all the transfer losses and other changes? Yes. Does the program need to prove it can be more consistent and far better than it was over the second half of last season, even with all the new faces and parts? Yes.
So is this going to be a better season even with all of the concerns and after all the things that went wrong? Very much yes. That’s where the schedule comes into play.
Texas, TCU, and Baylor are all off the schedule, and so is Texas Tech - a super-dangerous team this year. That, and the Big 12 road games are at Iowa State, West Virginia, UCF, and Houston. That’s it. The two Big 12 teams that didn’t go to a bowl game and two of the newbies.
That means Oklahoma, Kansas State, BYU, Cincinnati, and Kansas all have to come to Stillwater. The road game at Arizona State is the most dangerous non-conference date - that’s winnable against a rebuilding team. In other words, if Oklahoma State doesn’t have a monster season, it’s not the schedule’s fault.
It’ll get hot early on, have a misfire somewhere in two road games, and it’ll all come down to November. The chance will be there to get to the Big 12 Championship with a big final run, but it’ll come up just short. That doesn’t mean it can’t and won’t be a terrific season that might see double-digit wins.
Oklahoma State Football Schedule
2023 CFN Preseason Prediction: 8-4
2022 Record: 7-6
2023 Record: 0-0
Aug 26 OPEN DATE
Sept 2 Central Arkansas W
Sept 9 at Arizona State W
Sept 16 South Alabama W
Sept 23 at Iowa State L
Sept 30 OPEN DATE
Oct 6 Kansas State W
Oct 14 Kansas W
Oct 21 at West Virginia L
Oct 28 Cincinnati W
Nov 4 Oklahoma L
Nov 11 at UCF L
Nov 18 at Houston W
Nov 25 BYU W
