Alright, let’s talk about bowl games and Oklahoma State. I figured, since it’s that time of year, I’d dive into some data and maybe even make a prediction or two.
So, first thing I did was hit up the usual spots for stats. ESPN, College Football Reference, the works. I was lookin’ for trends, you know? How’s Oklahoma State usually perform in bowl games? What’s their record against teams from certain conferences?
- Started by scraping historical data on Oklahoma State’s bowl game appearances. Grabbed the year, opponent, score, and bowl name.
- Then, I wanted to see if there was a pattern in their wins/losses against teams with similar rankings. Tried to normalize rankings across different years, which was a pain.
- After that, I looked at coaching changes and injuries leading up to bowl games. Figured that stuff could have a major impact.
Now, this is where it got interesting. I noticed Oklahoma State seems to struggle against teams with really strong defenses. Like, if the other team is in the top 20 for points allowed per game, Oklahoma State’s offense tends to sputter. On the flip side, they usually light up teams with weak secondaries.
I spent a whole afternoon just trying to visualize this stuff. Made some simple bar charts showing their average points scored and points allowed in bowl games against different types of opponents. It’s not fancy, but it helped me see the patterns more clearly.
I also took a peek at the weather forecast for the game. Bowl games can be weird. Sometimes you’re playing in the sunshine, sometimes it’s a freakin’ blizzard. That can definitely throw a wrench in things.
So, what’s my prediction? Well, I’m not a betting man, but based on what I’ve seen, I think it’s gonna be a close game. If Oklahoma State can protect the quarterback and establish the run, they’ve got a good shot. But if they turn the ball over or let the other team control the clock, it could be a long day.
Ultimately, it all comes down to execution. Bowl games are often decided by which team wants it more and makes fewer mistakes. Let’s hope Oklahoma State comes ready to play!
