West Virginia puts its spot in the Top 25 on the line against host Oklahoma State, and the winner is right in the Big 12 race as we enter the home stretch of regular season play.
Two of the most dangerous passing offenses in the Big 12 go head-to-head on Saturday, and the winner will pick up a massive win in the conference title chase. It's Clint Trickett and West Virginia heading to Stillwater to take on Daxx Garman and the Oklahoma State Cowboys, live and direct on ESPN for the afternoon slate of games. West Virginia's passing offense is ranked sixth nationally, and after a victory over then-Top 10 foe Baylor, the Mountaineers are thinking big.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 3:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN, featuring Mike Patrick, Ed Cunningham, and Quint Kessenich on the call.
Radio:West Virginia affiliates. Oklahoma State affiliates. Oklahoma State's call will also be on XM 199.
Online streaming:WatchESPN
The numbers
Rankings and records: West Virginia comes into the game ranked No. 22, thanks to its 5-2 (3-1) record against a devilish schedule. OSU is also 5-2 (3-1), but just barely on the wrong side of the Top 25 in both polls.
Vegas: Oklahoma State's a nominal favorite at -1 after the line opened at -4. The over/under has held at 66, so expect fireworks.
Weather forecast: Kickoff temperatures should be near 90 degrees and holding steady throughout the game under clear skies.
Two things at stake
With each team sitting at 5-2 (3-1) on the year, the stakes are largely the same—there's the obvious bowl eligibility, which is its own reason to celebrate, but there's also a Big 12 race that's just now starting to kick into high gear (to say nothing of the brutal November facing current leader Kansas State). A win here pushes the victor to 4-1 in conference play, no small feat as we push past the midpoint of the conference season in the Big 12. A loss doesn't necessarily doom the other team, but they'll need a lot of help going forward.
For Oklahoma State in particular, this game represents a prime opportunity for the one thing that has escaped the unranked Cowboys thus far: a big win. Yes, 5-2 is great, but the best team OSU has beaten thus far is... Texas Tech? UTSA? It's time for Mike Gundy and crew to prove they're legit, and having a squad like West Virginia coming to town is a perfect chance to bring the prestige back to Stillwater.
One big matchup
WVU WR Kevin White vs. OSU CBs Ashton Lampkin and Ramon Richards: On paper it's a horrific mismatch—the Mountaineers' freakish wideout White facing a guy with a bum ankle and a freshman backup cornerback. Lampkin's been out for a month after going down against Texas Tech but he's expected back any day, and hey, why not against the top passing offense in the Big 12? Richards is talented and up for a challenge, but TCU incinerated the Cowboys secondary last week. He's going to need to improve in a hurry, because he'll be asked to do a lot against the Heisman-contending White.
Further reading
Read The Smoking Musket for your West Virginia fix, and Cowboys Ride For Free covers Oklahoma State.