The Kansas State Wildcats and the Oklahoma Sooners are playing one of the more anticipated games of the 2011 Big 12 Conference season. The unbeaten team is not the one you’d expect.
Oklahoma Sooners @ Kansas State Wildcats – Saturday, October 29
Sports betting line: Oklahoma -13.5
Why Oklahoma Will Win
When you do your homework and assess your sportsbook review on this game, you might initially think that Oklahoma is giving far too many points against Kansas State. After all, Oklahoma has beaten only one top-25 team this season. On the other hand, the Florida State team OU defeated in September (on the road) is still a formidable ballclub; it’s just not ranked in the top 25. Oklahoma’s loss last Saturday against Texas Tech could be seen as an indication of profound weakness, but one also needs to realize that the game was delayed two hours due to severe weather; OU was not playing under normal circumstances. The rhythms of the Sooners’ players were thrown off.
Getting into the specifics of this matchup, the big thing that favors Oklahoma is that Kansas State is a running team. The Wildcats rely on their ground game – they rank 19th in the Football Bowl Subdivision in rushing yards per game with 213.9. Conversely, Kansas State is 110th in passing yards with just 140.9. Oklahoma’s weakness lies in the secondary; the Sooners were shredded by Texas Tech’s spread passing game last Saturday. The Red Raiders were able to stretch the Sooners, reduce the amount of people Oklahoma could put in the tackle box, and release a quick pass before OU could bring enough pressure to disrupt the play. Kansas State doesn’t offer that kind of threat. Oklahoma is stout in the middle of its line and is suited to combating an offense that moves on the ground. The Sooners should be able to hold down KSU, and that should be more than enough to notch a comfortable victory.
Why Kansas State Will Win
The college football betting experts who study the Big 12 Conference are wondering when the Kansas State Wildcats will lose tested this season. It’s been a very exhilarating ride for head coach Bill Snyder and his plucky bunch of overachievers. Teams on KSU’s schedule just haven’t been able to close the sale against Snyder, who – in his second tour of duty as the coach in Manhattan, Kansas – has recreated much of the magic he found in his first go-round. Kansas State has a long way to go to compete for a national title, but it’s enough of a miracle that the Wildcats are even in the conversation on the final weekend of October. Kansas State is an opportunistic team that will be playing at home. Oklahoma quarterback Landry Jones is mistake-prone, especially when he throws on the run. If KSU can generate any pressure at all, OU could implode and give the Wildcats a path to victory.
Who Will Win
It’s a double whammy for Kansas State. The Wildcats don’t match up well with Oklahoma, and the Sooners – after losing to Texas Tech – will be particularly angry. OU will be resolute and ruthless in this game, and that spells the end of Kansas State’s unbeaten season.
College Football Betting Pick: Oklahoma