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2017 is here and with it, plenty of opportunities for Oklahoma State fans to cheer on their Cowboys and Cowgirls.
I started looking at the schedules for various teams, and found that a lot of them are playing some impressive games this year.
Obviously we don’t know every game that will be on the schedule in 2017. Some teams will have great match-ups in post season while other teams’ 2017 schedules haven’t been released yet. Still, it wasn’t hard finding eight games to get excited about this year.
Let’s break them down in chronological order.
Wrestling | OSU vs Iowa
Sunday, January 15th
Two wrestling titans collide this Sunday at GIA. See how #okstate and Iowa stack up in the all-time numbers. pic.twitter.com/Gsr3OBAiPp
— OSU Cowboy Wrestling (@CowboyWrestling) January 10, 2017
Unlike many of the games on this list, you won’t have to wait long for this one. Sunday’s match-up between #1 Oklahoma State and #4 Iowa features the two, greatest collegiate wresting programs of all time. Oklahoma State leads the all time series 27-21. Head Coach John Smith is the winningest coach all-time in the series with a 16-11 record. By the way, if you can’t get to Stillwater to watch the two teams tussle, you can see it live online at FloWrestling.org. Excitement Level: 8/10
Women’s Tennis | OSU vs Stanford
Friday, February 17th
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The Cowgirls will travel to Lake Nova, Florida next month looking for revenge against the team that kept OSU from winning its first NCAA Championship in a women’s sport. Oklahoma State finished runner-up in the Championship game to Stanford last year in Tulsa. It also doesn’t hurt that this is a match-up of Top 5 teams. The Intercollegiate Tennis Association ranked Oklahoma State 5th and Stanford 4th in their preseason rankings. Excitement Level: 7/10
Baseball | OSU vs Arizona
Saturday, March 4th
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You’ll start to notice a common theme here; revenge. OSU travels to Texas to take part in the Frisco College Baseball Classic for three games, including one against the team that knocked them out of the College World Series. Arizona won two straight last season to send OSU home and themselves to the Championship series. Arkansas and Nebraska will also be at the tournament, which might make it worth a trip to Frisco. Excitement Level: 10/10
Men’s Basketball | OSU vs Kansas
Saturday, March 4th
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While the baseball team is in Texas, Brad Underwood and the Cowboys will close out the regular season against the Kansas Jayhawks in Gallagher-Iba Arena. Home games against Bill Self and Co. are always huge and OSU has a recent history (the one thing Ford was good at) of knocking off the Jawhawks in GIA. Plus, if you’ve never rushed Eddie Sutton court before, beating a (likely) Top 10 Kansas team on Senior day is a perfect time to do it. Excitement Level:10/10
Baseball | OSU vs TCU
Friday, Saturday, & Sunday, March 24th - 26th
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OSU will welcome TCU to Stillwater for this year’s three-game series. The Cowboys and Horned Frogs are the two winningest Big 12 teams over the last three seasons with both making the NCAA regionals three straight years. OSU has won the series three years in a row, but every time, it took all three games to decide the winner. Throw in the fact that the series has had big implications on the Big 12 race each year, and that both teams are likely to be ranked preseason Top 15, and you’ve got a series where you don’t want to miss a single game. Excitement Level: 9/10
Football | OSU @ Pittsburgh
Saturday, September 16th
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Oklahoma State travels to Pittsburgh to close out a home-and-home with the Panthers. On paper, this is one of the better Big 12 non-conference games of next season (it’s certainly Oklahoma State’s best), and if it’s anything like last year’s game, it should be exciting. Excitement Level: 8/10
Football | OSU vs OU
Saturday, November 4th
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The Sooners come to Stillwater for the earliest Bedlam matchup in years. While this game won’t necessarily decide the Big 12 like it has three of the last four years, it should still be a match-up of two of the top teams in the league. Not to mention the two best quarterbacks in the Big 12. All of that aside, it’s Bedlam. When is it NOT a big game? Excitement Level 11/10.
Basketball | OSU vs Wichita State
Saturday, December 9th
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When the Shockers come to Stillwater, Oklahoma State will have it’s best non-conference home game in 3 years. The last time someone of Wichita State’s caliber came to town was Maryland in 2014. OSU fans are due a good out-of-conference home game. I always make the trip for one each year. I already have this game circled on my calendar. Excitement Level: 10/10.
What game are you most looking forward to this year? Let me hear you in the comments section!