College Football Week 4: 5 Keys to an Oklahoma State Victory over Texas A&M

This weekend's biggest college football match up is happening in College Station. The seventh ranked Oklahoma State Cowboys will be traveling south to face eighth ranked Texas A&M in a game that could have huge Big 12 championship implications. 

Both teams are coming in hot, boasting top-20 scoring offenses, while the Aggies own the ninth best defense (OK State's is ranked 76th, for those scoring at home). This is also the first game that will truly test both team's ability to win games, as neither have really played any true competition so far this year.

If Oklahoma State is going to win this game, a few key things are going to happen. Read on to find out exactly what those things are.

5) Keep Brandon Weeden Up Right

The Oklahoma State Cowboys' offensive line is a veteran laden group that represents a huge strength for the undefeated Cowboys. That said, this Texas A&M defense is scary good and through two games already has 11 sacks.

This doesn't bode well for the Cowboys because, if there's one knock on Brandon Weeden, it's that he isn't exactly mobile. He can move around in the pocket a little bit and gets rid of the ball fairly quickly and accurately, but he has yet to see a team with the speed and ferocity the Aggies have.

Weeden has only been sacked three times so far this season, which equals out to one per game. Something's going to have to give one way or the other. If Texas A&M can put Weeden in the ground more than three times you can consider this battle lost for the Cowboys.

4) Limit Turnovers

Weeden already has six interceptions to start the season and that's been against defenses that aren't nearly as good as the Aggies.

Given that Weeden only had 13 interceptions all of last year, this could just be a short lapse in his ability to deliver the ball accurately. However, until he changes something, it's still a factor the Cowboys have to worry about. The good news is that he has thrown more touchdowns than interceptions so far, which means he's doing something right.

Even with OK State's ability to score a ton of points, they will be hard pressed to pull out a win in College Station if Weeden turns the ball over more than two times. He needs to return to last year's accurate numbers to give the Cowboys a real chance at the the Big 12 crown.

3) Put the Ball in Joseph Randle's Hands

Joseph Randle has begun the season with 378 yards rushing and, more importantly, seven touchdowns. The Cowboys are obviously a team that likes to throw the ball, but if they can't run the ball effectively it's going to be much easier for teams to try and shut down the passing attack.

So far, Joseph Randle has taken over Kendall Hunter's duties as one of the better backs in the country that no one talks about. Randle is currently on pace to have over 1,500 yards rushing to go along with over 20 rushing touchdowns. I'd be surprised to see him get that many scores, but the yardage seems doable with how well he's been playing.

This week Randle, and to a lesser extent Jeremy Smith, need to take some pressure off the passing offense. If the rushing duo doesn't break 175 total yards, I don't think Oklahoma State will be able to hold on to the ball for long periods of time. If they can't do that, the defense, which isn't very deep, could have problems keeping up with the Aggies' offense as the game goes on.

2) Slow Down Cyrus Gray

No offense to Ryan Tannehill, but Cyrus Gray is the Aggie that scares me the most. Tannehill is a solid and dangerous quarterback who could easily have a big day. However, Oklahoma State's secondary is their defensive strength. The front four aren't quite as good and that's why this hard-nosed running back makes me concerned for the Cowboys' chances this weekend.

Cyrus Gray is averaging over 100 yards per game coming into the weekend and already has four touchdowns. If he has a big game, Oklahoma State won't be able to drop as many men into coverage, which will open up the field for Ryan Tannehill. The front four must slow Gray down and keep him from making too many long runs.

If the Cowboys can keep Gray to around 75 yards and a touchdown, they'll have a good shot at winning. If he's getting too many yards and is able to run the ball 20+ times, that probably means A&M is holding on to the ball a lot, which is bad news for a defense that doesn't have a ton of talent behind the starters. 

1) Find Someone Other Than Justin Blackmon

So far this hasn't been that big of a problem. Tracy Moore, Josh Cooper and Hubert Anyiam have all been able to put up solid games alongside college football's best receiver. If they can continue to perform well the Cowboys won't have a problem holding on to that No. 1 spot in passing yards per game.

That said, last year the Cowboys had problems spreading the ball around in big games. Too often, Justin Blackmon was the sole bright spot in the passing game. Josh Cooper was able to catch 68 balls in 2010, but only had five touchdowns. They need to find a reliable receiver opposite Blackmon or teams will double and triple team him every play.

If someone like Tracy Moore or Hubert Anyiam can figure out how to use their potential every single game, the Cowboys' passing offense will be virtually unstoppable, even against college football's best defenses. This is the first test for those guys and Cowboys' fans everywhere are hoping one of them can pass with flying colors.