Week 6 of the college football season is here. Oklahoma State football plays West Virginia football, and Heartland College Sports has your game prediction, preview, and betting odds ahead of the matchup.
GAME INFO
Saturday, October 5; 3:00 p.m. (CT); Boone Pickens Stadium; Stillwater, OK
TV: ESPN+
Records: Oklahoma State football 3-2 (Big 12: 0-2); West Virginia football 2-2 (Big 12: 1-0)
Last Week: Kansas State 42, Oklahoma State 20; West Virginia BYE
Series History: Oklahoma State leads, 10-5
Last Meeting: Oklahoma State 48, West Virginia 34 (2023)
Fun Fact: Mike Gundy holds a commanding lead over Neal Brown in this matchup, with Gundy taking down West Virginia in four out of the last five matchups.
Oklahoma State vs. West Virginia Betting Lines and Odds
Opening Line: Oklahoma State (-4)
Over/Under: 65.5
Key Players
Oklahoma State Cowboys
RB Ollie Gordon
The most important player on both sides of the field for the Cowboys in this matchup has to be Ollie Gordon. The former Doak Walker award winner has looked like a shell of himself running behind an underperforming offensive line in 2024. Despite being a Heisman Trophy contender at the running back position ahead of the season’s start, Gordon is just eighth in the league with 334 rushing yards.
S Trey Rucker
While the defensive unit in Stillwater has been picked apart in recent weeks, one play that continues to stand out is senior safety Trey Rucker. Not only does Rucker lead the Big 12 in total tackles by a wide margin, but he is also second in the country with 63 stops. With multiple members of the linebacker room banged up for Oklahoma State, Rucker will have to do a solid job of fitting run gaps against a talented team like West Virginia if the team hopes to bounce back.
West Virginia Mountaineers
QB Garrett Greene
Senior quarterback Garrett Greene should be licking his chops ahead of West Virginia’s Week 6 matchup. Oklahoma State’s defense has been sloppy and brutal in their attempt to corral mobile quarterbacks this year, and Greene poses a major threat. Last week in Manhattan, Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson exploded against Oklahoma State for 60 yards and two scores. Greene should have a chance to put up similar stats on Saturday.
DL T.J. Jackson
Alan Bowman isn’t the most agile passer in the pocket, which is why it’s safe to assume Jackson is in for a big day. The veteran defensive lineman leads the Mountaineers in sacks this season with 3.5 and has added a fumble recovery and 17 total tackles to his toolbelt. The Alabama native has been impressive for West Virginia this fall, and he will be called upon to rush the passer and attempt to keep Ollie Gordon in the box.
KEY STORYLINES
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Is there an end in sight? If any fanbase has suffered more during the last two weeks than Oklahoma State fans, I haven’t seen them. The Cowboys went from Big 12 title contenders to 0-2 in conference play with losses to Utah and Kansas State faster than a blink of an eye. While there is still time to turn things around, it will take a lot of improvement in Week 6 for the Cowboys to get the ship back on the right course.
West Virginia Mountaineers
Is West Virginia ready to live up to expectations? West Virginia enters the away game vs. Oklahoma State after a bye week with a 1-0 conference record. Despite emerging victories, the team didn’t look great when squaring off with Kansas in Week 4. If Neal Brown and company intend to rally toward Arlington in 2024, avoiding a slip-up with the Cowboys will be crucial.
PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 33, West Virginia 27
You likely won’t find it in the numbers if you ask for much evidence to support this pick, but this game feels like a classic Mike Gundy game. Oklahoma State has its back against the wall and more questions than answers at this point in the season, but I believe the Cowboys will find a way. This game will serve as the awakening of Ollie Gordon and could serve as a springboard to get the offense back to normal-ish.
