Rivalry Game of the Week: Oklahoma State at Texas A&M

Anyone who watches football knows that Texas and Oklahoma are the class of the Big 12. They constantly win conference championships and always have made appearances in the national championship.

Both teams are having solid starts to their respective seasons, but people should take notice in what the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Texas A&M Aggies are doing this year. The Cowboys earned lopsided wins over Louisiana, Arizona and Tulsa, while the Aggies cruised past SMU and Idaho.

On Saturday, both teams will square off against each other and if both teams want to take that next big step, this game could determine who will be that team that is a contender against Texas for the Big 12 title.

What Happened Last Year

In a game that was considered by many as the best Big 12 game of the year, Oklahoma State rallied from 14 points down to secure a 38-35 victory over the Aggies.

Cowboys quarterback Brandon Weeden passed for 284 yards and two scores while running back Kendall Hunter rushed for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

Justin Balckmon caught 10 passes for 127 yards and one score, and linebacker James Thomas scored a TD on a 63-yard fumble return.

Kicker Dan Bailey kicked a 40-yard field goal with no time left to give the Cowboys the win.

For the Aggies, Jerrod Johnson threw for 409 yards, five scores and ran for an additional 44 yards.

Cowboys on Offense

The Cowboys' offense has its share of playmakers, but it all starts with Weeden, who has a 14-2 record as a starter, including a 7-0 road record.

Weeden has thrown a TD pass in the last 16 games and has a career efficiency rating of 155.8, which is the fourth best among active players.

Weeden has been successful because he has a receiver like Justin Blackmon to throw the ball to every game. Blackmon has 23 touchdowns in the last 15 games and has 129 receptions during that span.

Running back Joseph Randle has done a good job filling the void that Kendall Hunter left. Randle averaged 126 yards per game and 6.1 yards per carry in the early stages of the season.

Cowboys on Defense

The reason the Cowboys' offense has been dangerous is the defense is giving them more opportunities with takeaways. The Cowboys are ranked ninth in the country in takeaways with nine.

Safety Daytawion Lowe has been leading the attack on defense, notching 23 tackles, three pass breakups and one forced fumble.

Defensive end Richetti Jones has recovered two fumbles, and Devin Hedgepeth has two interceptions.

The defense will give up its share of yards, but they do not break and will find a way to strip the ball away from an opponent.

Aggies on Offense

Quarterback Ryan Tannehill has done a solid job under center so far this season, throwing for 583 yards and four touchdowns while only getting picked off once.

The running game has also been strong as Cyrus Gray has 249 yards and four touchdowns through 50 carries.

Wide receiver Ryan Swope leads the team in receptions (14), yards (183), touchdowns (two) and yards per catch (13.1).

The offensive line has done a great job keeping Tannehill upright as they have not surrendered a sack in the first two games. The Aggies did lose Johnson, but it looks like with Tannehill they have not missed a beat.

Aggies on Defense

The Aggies have eight starters returning from last year’s team, including linebacker Sean Porter, who lead the team in tackles. He’s a guy who is in on every play and has the speed to play sideline to sideline.

Defensive lineman Tony Jerod-Eddie is another player to watch as he already has three sacks in two games.

The defense was stout last year, but they had a game-changing player in Von Miller. So the question is, with the Aggies having their first real test of the season, can players such as Porter and Jerod-Eddie be the leaders the rest of the way?

Final Analysis

Head coaches Mike Gundy and Mike Sherman have done a great job getting the Cowboys and the Aggies to where they are now, and that’s being ranked in the top 10.

But after Saturday, only one of the two will be in the top 10, so who will it be? Both teams know how to score points and both teams have quarterbacks that have experience.

The Aggies have 10 starters returning on offense, including Tannehill, who started six games last year. But the Cowboys also have plenty of experience on offense with Weeden and Blackmon.

Expect both teams to score points because both teams know how to score. It’s going to come down to who is going to make the big play on defense. Whoever does that will be victorious in this intense rivalry.