EDITORIAL BY GRAYDON FOX

Overview:

On Saturday, September 15^th, the (2-0) Boise State Broncos will be on the road to take on the (2-0) Oklahoma State Cowboys.

The Crowd:

The Crowd projects a final score of Oklahoma State 33.8 – Boise State 28.2 with an over/under of 62.1.

Lou Holtz and Mark May:

Lou is predicting a final score of Oklahoma State 38 – Boise State 35.

Mark is predicting a final score of Boise State 37 – Oklahoma State 34.

2018-19 Statistics (130 total teams):

Passing offense: Oklahoma State 377.0 YPG > Boise State 361.5 YPG

Rushing offense: Oklahoma State 297.5 YPG > Boise State 255.5 YPG

Scoring offense: Boise State 59.0 PPG > Oklahoma State 56.5 PPG

Scoring defense: Boise State 13.5 PPG > Oklahoma State 15.0 PPG

Passing defense: Oklahoma State 143.0 YPG > Boise State 163.0 YPG

Rushing defense: Oklahoma State 94.0 YPG > Boise State 123.0 YPG

Turnover Margin Per Game: Boise State +2.0 > Oklahoma State -2.0

Summary:

Boise State is (2-0) with blowout wins over Troy and UConn.  The Broncos rank 5^th in the nation in points per game (59.0) and 25^th in points allowed (13.5).  Quarterback Brett Rypien is off to a great start completing 73.2% of his passes for 667 yards and seven touchdowns to zero interceptions.  Alexander Mattison is averaging 6.8 yards per carry out of the backfield and has three touchdowns.  Receiver Sean Modster is the big play threat with 241 yards and two touchdowns on the season.  Boise State’s defense has been excellent both against the run and the pass.  The Broncos’ (+2.0) turnover margin is the 5^th best in college football this season.

Oklahoma State is (2-0) with lopsided victories over both Missouri State and South Alabama.  The Cowboys rank 7^th in points per game (56.5) and 29^th in points allowed (15.0).  This will be Oklahoma’s first real test after two cakewalk games to open the season.  Quarterback Taylor Cornelius has completed 67% of his passes for 728 yards with six touchdowns to three interceptions.  Turnovers have been an issue for the Cowboys as their margin (-1.0) has them in the bottom half of the country.  Star running back Justice Hill is due for a big game and his 8.1 yards per carry could be problematic for Boise State’s defense.  Teams in the Big-12 Conference aren’t exactly known for their defensive prowess but Oklahoma State has taken care of business against the lesser competition.

Bottom Line:

Boise State will gear up to stop Justice Hill so Taylor Cornelius will have to take care of the ball and hit on big plays in the passing game.  I’m expecting a shootout type game with both Rypien and Cornelius airing it out.  Oklahoma State makes a few more plays down the stretch and wins by a touchdown at home.

Contest Rules:

To be eligible to win a prize in any contest at The Crowd’s Line, you must be at least 18 years old and a resident of the United States or Canada. You must also submit your score prediction on our official prediction tool (blog widget), and include a valid email address. Contest winners are determined according to The Crowd’s Line scoring methodology. If more than one entrant has the same winning score, final contest rankings and prize winners are selected by random draw. Only one entry per person is allowed for each contest; multiple entries from a single player will be deemed invalid. There are no prize substitutions or exchanges available from The Crowd’s Line.

All prizes will be sent by e-mail within two weeks after the conclusion of each contest.