Oklahoma State Will Have No Problem Against Central Michigan

If you're looking for a competitive football game, you've come to the wrong place. A lot of times in the first week or so of a season, teams will schedule against weaker opponents as a way to get their team together and even give them some confidence. I think that's what is happening here as Central Michigan is taking on #12 Oklahoma State.

Central Michigan isn't terrible. Last year they went 9-4 and even won the illustrious Tony the Tiger Sun Bowl. And, yes, I recognize that the turnover and changes year-to-year in college can be very drastic, but my point is not everyone is gone and they still should have some continuity that might make them competitive. Unfortunately, I think that competitiveness comes against future opponents, not Oklahoma State. Daniel Richardson, the quarterback for the Chippewas, had a nice season last year, throwing for 24 touchdowns and just six interceptions. He came in during a blowout at the hands of LSU and looked pretty good, then took over the team. He might be able to put some nice drives together against Oklahoma State.

For Oklahoma State, this game is about a few things. First, they want to get their offense geared up. They want to run plays in a game situation to see if they are effective, or what they need to work on before their first PAC-12 game against the Arizona State Sun Devils next week. Second, they want to see how their defense will perform and adjust accordingly throughout the game. I mentioned Central Michigan won't be much of an opponent, but they still should give the defense at least some sustained attacks that could keep them engaged the whole game. With Spencer Sanders back to lead the Cowboys attack, I think we can see enough offense - even against an admirable Central Michigan defense - that this won't be a particularly close game.

In this one, I am taking the Cowboys -22. I don't love the number I'm getting here, but I think they win by 24 to 28 points. A backdoor cover could be in the works, but if Oklahoma State doesn't start slow, they will cover this easily and not look back. I think the 1st half is a play (-13) to look at, but I really am a bit concerned that it might take half of the game for the Cowboys to ramp up and lock in on defense.