Christian Royston, Sports Editor (1-3)
Oklahoma 35, Iowa State 23
Well, it’s official. My staff picks curse from last year has returned. I just can’t seem to pinpoint how the Cyclones are going to do each week. One thing is for certain, it was a good sign to see the offense put the pieces together against Oklahoma State.
Despite the win to open up Big 12 play, and despite the newly found offense, I still think this week should be easy to predict. The Cyclones looked good against the Cowboys. Iowa State’s defense also looked good in the first three weeks. However, even if the offense and defense play their hearts out, I still see Oklahoma as a mountain too high to overcome.
Oklahoma has cemented itself as one of the best teams in the Big 12, and even in the nation. Dillon Gabriel has been electric, and the running back room has dominated the ground. Pair that with a much-improved defense, and Oklahoma is looking like a scary team to match up with. Besides Texas, there doesn’t look to be any teams in the Big 12 that can match the firepower that the Sooners bring.
Although the Cyclones shocked the world in 2017 by going into Norman and upsetting a No. 3 Oklahoma team, it’s rare that lightning would strike twice. This Sooner team looks legit, so I don’t see a world that a still growing Iowa State team pulls off the upset of the year. I think the Cyclones will hold their own for a bit, but in the end, Oklahoma will run away with the game.
Logan Shanks, Assistant Sports Editor (2-2)
Oklahoma 31, Iowa State 20
While typically I like to be on the optimistic side for the Cyclones, this week is where that comes to a halt. Iowa State’s offense did have a statement, and reassuring, outing against Oklahoma State, but the Sooners are a whole different beast.
The Sooners seem like they have gotten back to their dominant offensive ways, which will no doubt cause problems for the Iowa State defense, which had its worst performance of the season against the Cowboys. Even if the Cyclones get back to their lockdown defensive ways that they displayed in their first three games, the Sooner offense has already proven themselves to be a challenge to any defense as they’ve outscored their opponents 187-34.
The Sooners’ playmakers, most notably on the offense, have helped them look like one of the most talented and productive teams in the country, and on paper, miles beyond the Cyclones who are still putting the pieces together.
Despite the matchup being very similar to when Iowa State upset the then No. 3 ranked Sooners in 2017, I believe the Cyclones will find themselves playing catch-up for most of the game, which will ultimately be too much for the team to handle. If the Cyclones keep things close in the end and only lose by a pair of scores, they should take that as a moral victory.
Pavle Markovic, Sports Reporter (3-1)
Oklahoma 35, Iowa State 17
Following their first Big 12 win of the season against Oklahoma State, hopes are higher than ever before for Cyclones as they head into Norman for the matchup with the Oklahoma Sooners. The Sooners are currently ranked No. 14 in the country, and have good reason to be in a position to win, based on the way they’re beating opponents.
The Sooners have put up 60 or more points in two of their four matchups this season against non-Power 5 schools. When they finally played teams like SMU and Cincinnati, they were not able to touch 30 points. It seems like the competition for Oklahoma is increasing, as the Sooners enter their final Big 12 season before heading to the SEC.
Sooner quarterback Dillon Gabriel seems to be constantly improving, as he’s been a major factor in Oklahoma’s success this season. He’s already thrown for over 1,200 yards and does not seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Iowa State’s defense will be in for quite a day to say the least, when they prepare to face an explosive Sooner offense.
The Cyclones’ offense seemed to have their breakout game in the win against Oklahoma State, when quarterback Rocco Becht played clean and confident football, throwing for 348 yards and three touchdowns. He will need that same confidence going into Norman as the Sooners defense has only given up a combined 34 points in four games played.
The last time Iowa State upset Oklahoma in Norman was of course in 2017, when the Cyclones shocked the No. 3 Sooners. Saturday’s game should not be completely one-sided, but the Sooners will still cement themselves as the better team.
