Over/Under: 2016 Cowboy Football Edition

<p>Over or under 4,000 passing yards for Mason Rudolph in 2016? You decide.</p>

Thursday, September 1st 2016, 12:48 pm

By: News 9


It’s that time of year again, a time when we can fall asleep on Friday nights knowing there will be college football the next day. And so, in the time-honored tradition of fandom, we make predictions about the season.

Numbers are fun; here’s a game of Over/Under for you to guess on which side these Cowboys will end up. Also, check out how we did last year.

2015 Cowboy Football Over/Under

Over/Under 4,000 passing yards for Mason Rudolph? He finished 17th in the nation in passing yardage last season with 3,770 despite missing the Bedlam game due to injury. Reaching the 4K mark shouldn’t be out of the question if Rudolph is healthy the whole season.

Over/Under 30 passing touchdowns for Rudolph? This would be a major jump from last year’s 21, but he had to cede red-zone snaps to J.W. Walsh last year and Walsh accounted for 26 touchdowns! If the running game improves that will take some of the load off Rudolph, but the onus is mainly on him this year. He won’t have David Glidden or Brandon Sheperd and Marcell Ateman could miss half the season as he recovers from foot surgery, but there are still plenty of receiving options to work with.

Over/Under 1,000 rushing yards between any two running backs? Two years ago Desmond Roland and Tyreek Hill combined for 1,304 and we thought it was a down year, but last year Chris Carson and Rennie Childs combined for just 798 yards. Ray Taylor also chipped in 297, but the point is the ground attack was anemic and no tandem was good enough to overcome a poor run-blocking offensive line. Carson and Childs are back but two newcomers, senior Barry J. Sanders and freshman Justice Hill, have juiced up the competition in the backfield. Can any duo reach 1,000 yards or will no one separate themselves in the crowded stable?

Over/Under 15 James Washington receiving touchdowns? He caught 10 a year ago with Walsh handling most of the red-zone snaps. Washington is a jump-ball threat and his biggest competition in this category is Marcell Ateman, who will miss at least a few games to start the season.

Over/Under 600 yards from scrimmage for Jalen McCleskey? As an under-the-radar freshman, McCleskey finished fourth on the team in receptions and totaled 253 receiving and 25 rushing yards. With slot starter Glidden gone, McCleskey is poised for a breakout year. He should be heavily involved in the offense but can he double his 2015 production as a sophomore?

Over/Under 1 50-yard field goal by Ben Grogan? The senior’s career best is 47 yards but he’s only attempted one from beyond 50. Can he crack 50 for the first time in a game?

Over/Under 33 sacks by the defense? No Ogbah, no Bean. The Cowboys got 40 sacks a year ago but 18.5 came from the star defensive ends, despite Bean missing the final six games. Can the new guys, Jordan Brailford and Jarell Owens keep the Pokes in the top half of the Big 12 in sacks?

Over/Under 100 tackles for Chad Whitener? Whitener burst onto the scene with nine solo tackles in Game 5 last year after Ryan Simmons went down. He was a revelation in the middle of the defense the rest of the season and finished with 93 tackles. Could he join Jordan Sterns in the 100+ club this year?

Over/Under 2.5 interceptions by any Cowboy defender? Seven players tied for the team lead with two picks in 2015. Can anyone break that mark this season or will the turnovers get spread around again?

Over/Under 9.5 wins for Oklahoma State this season? The schedule isn’t as favorable as 2015’s but the Cowboys are one of the most experienced teams in the Big 12. They went 10-3 last year, can they reach double digit wins for the third time in five years?

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