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Get to know the Cowboys next opponent: Auburn in the Big 12 vs SEC challenge

Coming off a disappointing loss to Baylor, Oklahoma State heads to Auburn in the final matchup of the Big 12 vs SEC matchup. And the Pokes might actually be the favorite in this one.

Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

Auburn comes into this one at 9-10 and losers of two straight.

The Eagles have a win over Kentucky this year, but not much else. Asides from the 75-70 win over Kentucky, Auburn's only notable wins are over New Mexico, Tennessee, and Alabama - which would look better if this were football. Auburn, like the Cowboys, has some embarrassing losses they'd like to erase off their resume. Middle Tennessee and Hawaii have come away with victories over Auburn, while Harvard went into Auburn Arena and came away with a decisive 18 point win.

Also similarly to the Cowboys, Auburn is lead by 6-1 point guard Kareem Canty, who is averaging over 18 points a game and nearly six assists. In Auburn's big wins over Kentucky and Alabama, Canty exploded for 26 and 25 points respectively, but in loses to Harvard and Missouri, he was held to season lows with three and nine points. Moral of the story; contain Canty and the odds of an OSU victory sky rocket.

However, it's not a one man team. Far from it. Four Eagles average double figures, including the duo of Tyler Harris and Cinmeon Bowers who average a combined 17 rebounds a game. Leyton Hammonds, who shut down Rico Gathers on Wednesday, should get the call to guard the 6-foot-10 Harris, while Jeffrey Carroll will need a big defensive game to stop the senior forward Bowers.

If this game were played at home or even a neutral court, the edge would go to the Cowboys. But the sheer lack of competitiveness we've seen out of OSU on the road this season leads me to believe Auburn holds a slight advantage. The Pokes have lost their last four road games by an average of 14, and that number would be a lot higher if the Cowboys wouldn't have come back at Texas only to lose in the final moments. Oklahoma State has a tendency to lose to mediocre competition on the road, so don't expect much. The Cowboys might be the better team, but unfortunately, that doesn't guarantee a win.