Why Oklahoma State Will Win The PlayStation Fiesta Bowl
Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles is still around.
All year long the Oklahoma State defense was right up there with Georgia and Wisconsin as the statistical best of the best in college football, and that includes the Big 12 Championship loss to Baylor.
The problems were on the other side of the ball in that. The defense allowed just 242 yards of total Baylor offense making Oklahoma the only team to come up with more than 375 yards on this group.
The Cowboys attack and then attack some more, leading the nation in in sacks and tackles for loss for a D that allowed just 278 yards per game.
Notre Dame’s offensive line got better and stronger as the year went on – the ground game hit its stride after a rocky first half of the season – but it’s now about to have a few issues. Oklahoma State’s defense comes in waves, it takes a whole slew of smart calculated chances, and it’s brilliant at getting off the field.
Only Houston was better at third down defense.
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Notre Dame has a defense, too.
It’s certainly not as strong without S Kyle Hamilton around, but it should be able to bottle up a spotty Oklahoma State ground game.
Top RB Jaylen Warren back – the Cowboys are in the College Football Playoff if he was healthy enough to go in the Big 12 Championship – but the attack should have a hard time consistently moving the chains.
The Irish didn’t exactly face a who’s who of offenses over the final month – Virginia didn’t have QB Brennan Armstrong in the 28-3 Notre Dame win – but it was able to survive a big all-around day from the North Carolina attack and was almost as strong as Oklahoma State’s D on third downs and at generating pressure.
Cowboy QB Spencer Sanders might not have a case of the giveaways like he did against Baylor, but the Irish defense should be able to force its own breaks. It came up with multiple takeaways eight times on the year and should come up with at least one pick in this.
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