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Big 12 football: 3 must-watch games for Week 3

By Jacob Milham

Oct 23, 2019; Kansas City, KS, USA; Team logos on display at the entrance to the interview floor during the Big 12 basketball media day at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 23, 2019; Kansas City, KS, USA; Team logos on display at the entrance to the interview floor during the Big 12 basketball media day at Sprint Center. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-USA TODAY Sports /
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Sep 15, 2018; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Justice Hill (5) runs the ball defended by Boise State Broncos safety Tyreque Jones (21) during the second half at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 15, 2018; Stillwater, OK, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys running back Justice Hill (5) runs the ball defended by Boise State Broncos safety Tyreque Jones (21) during the second half at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Rob Ferguson-USA TODAY Sports /

Oklahoma State travels to Boise to face Boise State. Whose fans will head home happy?

The Oklahoma State Cowboys have had a rocky start to the 2021 campaign. Beating Missouri State and Tulsa by a combined 12 points is not a good sign, especially as the travel to face the Boise State Broncos. While the Broncos are 1-1, that five-point loss came against future Big 12 member Central Florida. Following a 54-13 throttling of UTEP, Boise State sits at 47th nationally in the ESPN FPI rankings. This Week 3 matchup is relatively close, as the Cowboys are 58th in the same rankings.

Quarterback Spencer Sanders’ performance can be the deciding factor in the game. His performances in wins vs losses are vastly different, highlighted by his passer rating decreasing by nearly 30 points in losses.

Boise State lives by the aerial attack, racking up only 141 rushing yards through two games. The Cowboys have one of the best run defenses in the Big 12, and can lock this game down with a good pass defense scheme. If they don’t though, Boise State could ride their home-field advantage to a win.

An off-field storyline fr this game relates to the Big 12 expansion. Boise State was a popular fan pick to join that Big 12, prior to Brigham Young University, Cincinnati, Houston, and the University of Central Florida accepting invitations to the Big 12. Conference commissioner Bob Bowlsby has said that the door is open to more schools being invited though.

“I wouldn’t suggest that we’re done,” Bowlsby said. “Our board will want to keep its eye on what’s going on. If there are targets or oppotunity, we would think about that.”

If Boise State beats Oklahoma State, they could revive support for them joining the Big 12 in the future. It would still be a long shot, but would certainly improve the Broncos’ resume for a Power 5 addition. For now, their case rests on this viral bop.

https://twitter.com/CFBHome/status/1401342199690899456?s=20

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