:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/photo_images/1251259/GYI0061902811.jpg)
Before the season started, I put together my predictions by grouping them into different pods of games which, at the time, I felt shared similar characteristics. Well, five weeks into the season seems like a good time to re-evaluate based on what we now know about Oklahoma State and the rest of the Big XII, and re-create the pods for the remaining games. Pod-time.
| Pod 1 | The "Slam Dunk Win" Pod |
|---|---|
| Desc. | Should win these going away. |
| Games |
@ULL, @Kansas |
| Notes | Kansas played their one good game for the season when they took down Georgia Tech. And even if they do turn their season around, we get them between games versus North rivals @Nebraska and Missouri, so we are kinda their trap game. And even though some people still want to label @ULL as a potential trap game, I think those people haven't noticed how god-awful ULL has been this season. I have only watched them once (@Georgia), but the stats, highlights, and scores point them having looked as terrible in their other three games as they did in the Georgia game. |
| Record: | 2-0 |
Rest of the pods and predictions after the Jump.
| Pod 2 | The "Tough Games OSU Should Win" Pod |
|---|---|
| Desc. | Games that Oklahoma State should win, against teams they are better than, but each presents somewhat of a tough matchup for whatever reason. |
| Games |
@Kansas State, Baylor |
| Notes | In the pre-season version, this was called the Trap Game Pod, and it now loses @ULL and Kansas but gains Baylor. Also, this is basically the "one man offense" pod as without Daniel Thomas or Robert Griffin III neither of these teams would scare me, but the fact that either of them can completely dominate a game worries me a little about these matchups. I still say that at some point this season we will drop a game we shouldn't due to turnovers, penalties, and miscues... we have tried to do it twice already, but were able to pull those off. One of these two teams doesn't let us off the hook. |
| Record: | 1-1 |
| Pod 3 | The "This Is the Season" Pod |
|---|---|
| Desc. |
Here was the description I wrote for this pod before the season, and the reason I said we would be 0-2 in it: "Match-ups that are just historically terrible for the Cowboys. Maybe you can make a case for winning these games based on the on-field matchups, but we have made that argument many other seasons, yet the results never seem to change." |
| Games |
@Texas Tech, @ Texas |
| Notes | Oklahoma State in Lubbock: 2-13-3, last win in 1944, last tie in 1956, lost 9 in a row. Oklahoma State in Austin: 1-16, only win in 1944, lost 11 in a row. Let's throw those partially out the window. This Oklahoma State team feels like a winner, and the Raiders and Longhorns do not.... and Tech may actually be pretty terrible. This is the year we end at least one of these streaks. |
| Record: |
1-1 |
| Pod 4 | The "Potential Home Upset" Pod |
|---|---|
| Desc. | Teams that are ranked better than us, are thought to be NC contenders, and will be favored in the matchup.... but the games are at home, and each game has some factors that our in our favor. |
| Games |
Nebraska, Oklahoma |
| Notes | Originally this pod was these two teams and A&M, and I had the Pokes at 1-2 for the pod. So was A&M the one win? With the inconstancy both teams have shown, it will depend on which version of the Huskers and Sooners show up in Stilly, but I am going to bet on the Pokes pulling one of these out. |
| Record: |
1-1 |
So if this plays out the way I am guessing then Oklahoma State finishes at 9-3. Much better than I ever thought I would be predicting this team to be this season.... but the combo of the effectiveness of the Cowboy offense, and the un-dominance of the rest of the Big XII opens a door for the Pokes to win a couple more games than most thought they would in the pre-season. And looking through the pods, you could make a case for Oklahoma State taking both of the "This is the Season" pod games, not dropping one of the "Tough Games OSU Should Win" games, and finishing 11-1... I'm not going to make a case for it, just pointing out that it could be made. How is that for staying out of a corner?