Two teams in the middle of the Big 12 pack will try to separate themselves Saturday night when Oklahoma State hosts Texas.
How to watch Texas vs. Oklahoma State: Game guide, TV schedule, streaming, odds
Can the Longhorns continue their late-season surge and make it to a surprise bowl game?
Brendan Maloney-USA TODAY Sports
The winner will earn bowl eligibility, a different mark of achievement for each of these programs. Texas is in the process of an intensive rebuild under first-year head coach Charlie Strong, and after a 3-5 start that included a 41-7 loss to BYU, it looked like the Longhorns would be missing postseason play.
Texas has since responded with two strong outings against Big 12 competition, defeating Texas Tech on the road, 34-13, and ranked West Virginia at home, 33-16. Now the ‘Horns need to win one of their final two games to make a bowl.
Oklahoma State started the season ranked, and looked good for the part when it took Florida State down to the wire in its neutral-site season opener. The Cowboys rattled off five straight wins against poor competition, and then were faced with a trio of ranked Big 12 opponents: TCU, West Virginia and Kansas State.
They lost each by more than three touchdowns, and there’s a chance the once-promising season ends with six straight losses and no postseason.
How to watch, listen, and stream
Game time: 7:30 p.m. ET
TV: Fox
Online streaming: Fox Sports GO.
Our blogs on these schools
The numbers
Rankings and records: Neither team is ranked. Texas is 5-5 and fourth in the Big 12 with a 4-3 conference record. Oklahoma State is 5-4, with a 3-3 conference record placing them seventh.
Vegas: Oklahoma State opened as a 1-point favorite. The line has since flipped to 2.5 in favor of Texas. The over/under is 51 points.
Weather forecast: High of 33 with a light wintry mix.
Two things at stake
A loss for Texas would require UT to win against TCU to earn bowl eligibility.
Oklahoma State needs one win out of its remaining three games to become bowl eligible. After this one, the Cowboys have tough road dates with Baylor and Oklahoma.
One big matchup
Texas offensive line vs. Oklahoma State defensive line. The Longhorns have been banged up on the line all season, and there may be more bad news incoming. Tyrone Swoopes needs room to make plays in the pocket, and if the Cowboys can get past the inconsistent Texas front, they can cause problems for that offense. The Longhorns will be trying to get dangerous offensive weapon Daje Johnson the ball more, and have designed specific packages to use him this week.
Further reading
For more on Texas, visit Burnt Orange Nation and Barking Carnival. For coverage of Oklahoma State, head to Cowboys Ride for Free.
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