Coach Mike MacIntyre has Colorado’s fortunes on the upswing, but you need to wonder if the Buffaloes’ historically bad play in bowl games will haunt the team this season. The Buffaloes have gone 1-4 SU and ATS in their past five bowl games, though they have not made it this far since they squeaked into the Independence Bowl during the 2007 season. Colorado will have its hands full taking on the Oklahoma State Cowboys in the Alamo Bowl.
- Oklahoma State is 0-3 ATS in its last 3 games against Colorado.
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Colorado's last 9 games.
- Oklahoma State is 4-1 SU and ATS in its last 5 games against teams with winning records.
Colorado has done a great job of being balanced offensively this season, as they rank 47th and 49th in passing yards and rushing yards, respectively. Quarterback Sefo Liufau, the Polynesian College Football Player of the Year, accounted for 2667 offensive yards and 18 touchdowns this season between his arm and his legs. Running back Phillip Lindsay finished third in the Pac-12 in rushing yards, as the junior tallied 1189 yards and 16 touchdowns. Getting Lindsay going will be important, as he has averaged 102.8 yards in wins compared with 53.7 yards in losses.
The Buffaloes have been one of the best defensive teams in the country, sitting in the top 25 in overall yards, points allowed, passing yards allowed, sacks and interceptions. Defensive back Tedric Thompson has been one of the best in the nation, tallying 58 tackles, seven interceptions and 15 passes defended. Pass rusher Jimmie Gilbert has quietly been one of the elite players at pressuring quarterbacks, as the senior has notched 10.5 sacks, 12.5 tackles for a loss and six forced fumbles.
Oklahoma State’s offense is built around the lethal aerial duo of Mason Rudolph and James Washington. Rudolph has gone relatively unnoticed considering some of his fellow Big 12 quarterbacks, but the junior finished the regular season in the top 11 in passing yards, yards per attempt and quarterback rating. Rudolph has also been incredibly good at playing it safe, as he has nine games this season without a turnover. Washington has been the playmaker for Oklahoma State, as the receiver is averaging 19.5 yards per catch.
Defensively, this team has struggled to defend the high-powered offenses of the Big 12. The Cowboys have surrendered an average of 457 yards and 28.1 points per game. Safety Jordan Sterns has been the standout of Oklahoma State’s defense, leading the team in tackles and interceptions.
Oklahoma State Cowboys vs Colorado Buffaloes Matchup
Team Betting Records & Power Rankings
Colorado bring a 10-2 record (10-2 ATS) to the Week P betting matchup against the 9-3 Oklahoma State Cowboys, who are 7-5 ATS against the spread. Over under betting has seen Colorado go 5-7 so far and the Cowboys go 7-5. Stay Informed: follow us on Twitter for odds specials, betting line moves and Colorado vs Oklahoma State injuries news.
According to the Power Rankings here at Odds Shark it's the No. 21-rated Colorado Buffaloes and the No. 31-rated Oklahoma State Cowboys in this matchup.
Statistical Matchup
The game also pits Colorado's No. 43-ranked offense, averaging 32.85 PPG, against a Oklahoma State defense that ranks No. 65 this week at 28.08 PPG. The Colorado aerial game is averaging 253.23 yards per game, more than the Oklahoma State Cowboys secondary allows through the air, 250.58 YPG per game.
Defensively, the Oklahoma State Cowboys feature the league's No. 100-rated road run defense, allowing 234.2 yards per game. Colorado, meanwhile, ranks No. 32 in rushing offense at home.
Colorado was hammered in its last outing, as Washington ran up a 41-10 score against them at Levi's Stadium.
- Oklahoma State is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games
- Oklahoma State is 7-1 SU in its last 8 games
- The total has gone OVER in 13 of Oklahoma State's last 19 games
- Oklahoma State is 2-4 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Colorado
- Colorado is 11-3 ATS in its last 14 games
- Colorado is 6-1 SU in its last 7 games
- The total has gone UNDER in 7 of Colorado's last 9 games
- Colorado is 4-2 ATS in its last 6 games when playing Oklahoma State
