Oklahoma State is a no brainer contender in the Big 12 in 2017, over at SB Nation I took a lot at some of the chips Gundy pushed in to make this the case.
The more I think about it, the more I expect that they’ll probably play a lot of 20/11 personnel next season despite their absurd abundance of WR talent. Their offense system is simply at its best when they are triggering defenders downhill to stop the run before chucking it over their heads to big, powerful receivers on vertical routes. This isn’t an Air Raid and it never really has been, Oklahoma State has always been a balanced offense that looks to build off the run game.
My growing suspicion is that it’ll be Stoops’ Sooners that bear the costs of everyone in the Big 12 pushing so hard for 2017. His staff is clearly configured in such a way to protect his brother and keep him on the payroll despite his decline. The OU offense should still be good with Baker Mayfield, this OL, and Lincoln Riley directing it but I don’t trust the Stoops’ brother to hold up their end of the deal.
My guess is they’ll go 9-3 and drop a pair of B12 games that keep them from winning the league. I don’t know if Oklahoma State will beat them but I expect the Cowboys to position themselves as possible benefactors.