Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia Prediction, Preview, Tips, Odds

GAME INFO

Saturday, October 5th; 3:00 p.m. (CT); Boone Pickens Stadium; Stillwater, okay

TV: ESPN+

Records: Oklahoma State football 3-2 (Big 12: 0-2); West Virginia football 2-2 (Big 12: 1-0)

Last week: Kansas State 42, Oklahoma State 20; West Virginia Bye

Series story: Oklahoma State leads 10-5

Last meeting: Oklahoma State 48, West Virginia 34 (2023)

Fun fact: Mike Gundy has a commanding lead over Neal Brown in this matchup, with Gundy defeating West Virginia in four of the last five matches.

Betting lines and odds for Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia

Opening line: Oklahoma State (-4)

Over/Under: 65.5

Key players

Oklahoma State Cowboys

RB Ollie Gordon

The most important player on both ends of the field for the Cowboys in this matchup has to be Ollie Gordon. The former Doak Walker Award winner looked like a shell of his former self in 2024 running behind an underperforming offensive line. Although Gordon was a Heisman Trophy contender at the running back position before the start of the season, he is only eighth in the league with 334 rushing yards.

S Trey Rucker

While Stillwater’s defensive unit has been picked apart in recent weeks, the senior safety continues to stand out Trey Rucker. Not only does Rucker lead the Big 12 in total tackles by a wide margin, but he is also second nationally with 63 stops. With several members of the linebacker room committed to Oklahoma State, Rucker will need to do a solid job of covering run gaps against a talented team like West Virginia if the team wants to bounce back.

West Virginia Mountaineer

QB Garrett Greene

Senior quarterback Garrett Greene should be tested before the Week 6 game at West Virginia. Oklahoma State’s defense has been sloppy and brutal in its attempt to lock down mobile quarterbacks this year, and Greene poses a major threat. Last week in Manhattan, Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson was a blast against with 60 yards and two scores Oklahoma State. Greene should have a chance to put up similar stats on Saturday.

DL TJ Jackson

Alan Bowman isn’t the most agile passer in the pocket, so expect Jackson to have a big day. The veteran defensive lineman leads the Mountaineers with 3.5 sacks this season and has added a fumble recovery and 17 total tackles to his repertoire. The Alabama native has been impressive for West Virginia this fall and will be called upon to rush the passer and try to keep Ollie Gordon in the box.

KEY STORIES

Oklahoma State Cowboys

Is there an end in sight? If any fan base has suffered more than Oklahoma State fans over the last two weeks, I haven’t seen them. The Cowboys went from Big 12 title contenders to 0-2 in conference play, losing to Utah and Kansas State in less than the blink of an eye. While there’s still time to turn things around, the Cowboys will still need plenty of improvements in Week 6 to right the ship.

West Virginia Mountaineer

Is West Virginia ready to live up to expectations? West Virginia enters the road game against Oklahoma State with a conference record of 1-0 after a bye week. Despite the emerging victories, the team did not make a good impression in the duel with Kansas in Week 4. If Neal Brown and Co. want to go to Arlington in 2024, avoiding a blowout with the Cowboys will be crucial.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 33, West Virginia 27

You probably won’t find it in the numbers if you ask for a lot of evidence to support this choice, but this game feels like a classic Mike Gundy game. Oklahoma State has its back against the wall at this point in the season and has more questions than answers, but I believe the Cowboys will find a way. This game will awaken Ollie Gordon and could serve as a springboard to get the offense back to normal.