College Football

Oklahoma State Cowboys would finish Top 10 with an Alamo Bowl win

Updated Mar. 5, 2020 12:27 a.m. ET

Fansided, Andrew Miller/FanSided via Pokes Post

Taking a look at why the Oklahoma State Cowboys would finish top 10 with an Alamo Bowl win against the Colorado Buffaloes.

The 2016 Alamo Bowl features two teams that are as evenly matched as they come in bowl season. It features the no. 12 Oklahoma State Cowboys, who finished in second place in the Big 12 with a record of 9-3 (7-2 Big 12), and the no. 10 Colorado Buffaloes, who finished in second place in the PAC-12 with a record of 10-3 (8-2 PAC-12). According to Odds Shark, the Buffs opened as a two-point favorite over the Pokes.

OK State has not had a top 10 finish since they won the Fiesta Bowl in 2011. They had opportunities to against Mizzou in the Cotton Bowl in 2013 and against Ole Miss in the Sugar Bowl last season. However, they dropped both games to finish both seasons outside the top 15.

Not only would a top 10 finish be a good way to put a stamp on this season, but it would give them an unbelievable amount of momentum to carry into the 2017 college football season. Furthermore, a top 10 finish could convince quarterback Mason Rudolph and wide receiver James Washington to come back for another season.

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If last year’s Alamo Bowl is any indication of what’s to come, this game could be really fun. The TCU Horned Frogs and Oregon Ducks played one of the most exciting games in recent memory. TCU came back from a 31-0 halftime deficit to get a 47-41 victory in overtime. Moreover, the Pokes offense definitely has the firepower to put up at least that many points. But the Buffs tend not to play the same type of fast-paced football.

Some other players to watch for in the Alamo Bowl are true freshman running back Justice Hill, who was named to the USA Today freshman All-American team on Dec. 12, wide receiver Chris Lacy, defensive tackle Vincent Taylor, and safety Jordan Sterns. Taylor and Sterns will likely be fighting for an opportunity in their final game to get picked in the 2017 NFL Draft.

A top 10 finish, coupled with Rudolph and Washington returning, would easily give OK State a top 10 ranking entering the 2017 season.