Oklahoma State vs. Tulsa : Prediction, Preview, Spread and Betting Odds
Week 3 of the college football season is here. No. 13 Oklahoma State plays Tulsa, and Heartland College Sports has your game prediction, preview, and betting odds ahead of the matchup.
GAME INFO
Saturday, September 14; 11:00 a.m. (CT); Chapman Stadium; Tulsa, OK
TV: ESPN2
Records: No. 13 Oklahoma State (2-0); Tulsa (1-1)
Last Week: Oklahoma State 39, Arkansas 31 (F/2OT); Arkansas State 28, Tulsa 24
Series History: Oklahoma State leads, 44-28-5
Last Meeting: Oklahoma State 28, Tulsa 23 (2021)
Fun Fact: Oklahoma State and Tulsa have played a total of 77 times, making the Golden Hurricane the Pokes’ second-most played team in program history, behind only Oklahoma (118 times).
Oklahoma State vs. Tulsa Betting Lines and Odds
Opening Line: Oklahoma State (-20)
Over/Under: 62.5
Key Players
Oklahoma State Cowboys
RB Ollie Gordon
The Oklahoma State offense runs through Ollie Gordon, and even though he was held in check through regulation against Arkansas, No. 0 finally broke through and made a difference in the contest. Gordon scored the final eight points of the game with a 12-yard rushing score and a reception for the two-point conversion. Against Tulsa, it would be surprising if he didn’t rebound in big, big way.
DE Obi Ezeigbo
The loss of Collin Oliver certainly hurts Oklahoma State’s defensive ceiling, but the emergence of Obi Ezeigbo will help offset Oliver’s injury. A transfer from Gannon University (D-II), Gannon now has just two FBS games under his belt, and really showed out against Arkansas. Ezeigbo recorded 9 tackles, 2.0 sacks, 3.5 tackles for loss and a quarterback hurry in the double-overtime win, earning him Big 12 Newcomer of the Week.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
QB Kirk Francis
Kirk Francis is a redshirt freshman who grew up in the Tulsa area and is now starting for the Golden Hurricane offense. It’s been a tale of two games for Francis, who started off the year with a near-flawless performance, going 23-of-30 for 299 yards and four touchdowns in a 62-28 win over Northwestern State. Then Francis struggled on the road against Arkansas State, going 16-of-28 for 199 yards with one touchdown and one interception.
LB Zach Marcheselli
After spending five seasons at TCU, Zach Marcheselli transferred to Tulsa and has instantly become a contributor for the Golden Hurricane’s defense. Through two games, Marcheselli leads the team with 3.5 tackles for loss and is tied for sixth on the team with 8.0 total tackles. Additionally, he’s added a forced fumble on the year, too, but will be a key contributor against the Pokes’ rushing attack.
KEY STORYLINES
Oklahoma State Cowboys
Can the Oklahoma State defense clean things up? Last week against Arkansas, we saw Oklahoma State’s defense struggle mightily, with the Hogs pouring on 648 yards of offense, with 232 yards on the ground and 416 through the air. Luckily, they were able to overcome that performance, but fixing it will be important for them going forward. This week, they’ll face an offense run by Kevin Wilson, who’s widely regarded as one of the top offensive minds in the game. His wide-open offensive system will test Bryan Nardo and the Pokes’ defense.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Can Tulsa keep it close enough to make things interesting in the end? The last time these two teams met, Oklahoma State could barely hang on for a win in Chapman Stadium, eking out a 28-23 victory. That’s because TU was able to limit Oklahoma State offensively — holding them to just 313 total yards — and they scored on a 55-yard pick-six. It would take a similar script to beat the Pokes this time around, Oklahoma State has Ollie Gordon. Staying within striking distance will be difficult if they can’t contain the reigning Doak Walker Award winner, but if they can do that, Tulsa will have a shot.
PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 38, Tulsa 27
Oklahoma State is coming off an emotional comeback win over Arkansas, while Tulsa is coming back from a tough road loss at Arkansas State. This is an in-state rivalry that Tulsa’s players look forward to, and if the Pokes aren’t squarely locked in, they’ll find themselves in a dogfight.
Taking advantage of a sleepy start for the Cowboys, Tulsa races out to a quick lead and takes it into halftime. Slowly but surely, Oklahoma State will chew into the deficit, and by the fourth quarter, Ollie Gordon will take the game over and churn out a victory.
