OSU football: The Six Shooter pregame thoughts on the Cowboys vs. Texas

STILLWATER — The Halloween edition of OSU-Texas is nearly here, set for a 3 p.m. kickoff on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater. 

And The Six Shooter is loaded, so let’s give it a twirl:

Cowboy in the Crosshairs

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Safety Tre Sterling

Sterling is coming off one of his best games of the season with nine tackles and a crucial pass breakup late in the game. He will be key in both run support and pass coverage against Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger. Sterling has emerged as a valuable playmaker in the Cowboy secondary.

Matchup that Matters

OSU linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez vs. Ehlinger

These two are going to be meeting up on several occasions. Maybe it’s in the passing pocket, maybe it’s in a running lane, maybe it’s in the open field. The more Rodriguez wins that battle, the better.

Number to Know

6.5

Tackles for loss by Texas edge rusher Joseph Ossai, the Longhorns’ most dangerous defensive player. He’s quick off the ball and can be difficult to block because of his overall speed. He will find his way into the backfield if the Cowboys don’t know where he is at all times.

Against the Spread

OSU minus 3.5

The line moved up half a point this week, which isn’t much, but enough to signal that the smart people in Vegas are leaning toward the Cowboys. Seems like the right play, but expect this to be a tight game. On the other hand, the over/under has risen from 58 to 59, but the under seems like a safer position.

Uni-Guess

Orange-Black-Orange

This would be a situation where OSU might go back to the last uniform it wore when it beat Texas at home, but that was in 2018 when the Cowboys wore the Barry Sanders 1988 throwbacks. Unfortunately, they won’t be wearing those again. But Orange-Black-Orange is a sharp look, particularly with the chrome orange helmet and OSU logo.

1 Wild Prediction

Ehlinger’s rushing total will be less than 30 yards

The Texas quarterback has rushed for 293 yards and seven touchdowns, averaging 58.6 yards per game, but with good QB pressure, look for the Cowboys to limit his total rushing yardage, even if he gets away for a few big gains here and there.

(Wild Prediction record: Season, 2-2; All-time, 5-38)