Oklahoma State vs Texas Player Props for Big 12 Championship: Feeling Blue in Texas' Ground Game

Prop bet #1: Feeling Blue

The Longhorns were dealt a blow late in the year when stud running back Jonathon Brooks tore his ACL in their win against TCU.

It’s not exactly ideal to lose a guy who churned out 1,139 yards on the ground with 10 touchdowns and was named to the Big 12 All-Second team despite missing the final two games of the season.

The vacated duties have been split between freshman CJ Baxter and sophomore Jaydon Blue. Blue shined in the 57-7 finale against Texas Tech, matching a season-high 10 carries for 121 yards, highlighted by a 69-yard take to the house.

It was his first time cracking the 100-yard plateau this season, and oddsmakers are expecting a regression against Oklahoma State.

Setting his total at 30.5 yards, though, seems like a legitimate number he should have a chance to reach.

Texas’ run game is one of the best in the nation, piling up 188.3 yards per game, which ranks 25th, averaging a healthy 4.9 yards per rush, good for 28th overall.

That should be advantage 'Horns, as the Cowboys allow 172 rush yards per game (104th), with their opponent ripping off 4.6 yards a pop.

Baxter has had 29 totes over the final two weeks, including his own 100-yard game against Iowa State, so he’s the de facto lead guy. 

But Blue is an important part of this timeshare, with 17 carries since Brooks went down. I expect him to get enough yards to land this betting win.

Jaydon Blue prop: Over 30.5 rush yards (-114 at FanDuel)

Prop bet #2: Staying grounded

Unlike the Longhorns, Oklahoma State’s workhorse is good to go in the title game. 

Ollie Gordon II enters this one coming off a monster performance, carrying 34 times for 166 yards and five touchdowns. 

The nation’s leading rusher has piled up 1,580 yards per game and has run for better than 120 yards in eight of his last nine games.

The only blemish in that stretch? A 12-carry, 25-yard dud in a 45-3 loss to UCF — a team with a run defense that ranked 118th in the 130-school Division I.

While that may be an outlier, Texas’ run defense is legitimately good, holding teams to 85.2 rush yards per game, allowing just 2.9 yards per carry. 

Both rank fifth in the nation. Overall, the Longhorns surrendered just 325.3 yards per game, which ranks 27th in the NCAA.

Texas has allowed only two players to hit the century mark all season: Wyoming back Harrison Wayne picked up 120 yards on 18 carries with a score. Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel picked up 113 yards on 14 carries. One RB and one QB — that’s the list.

Gordon started the year slow, rushing for 53 yards or less in each of the first three games. Not a coincidence that two of those teams – Arizona State and South Alabama – rank inside the Top-40 run defenses in the NCAA.

Something’s gotta give here, and I think Texas’ defense holds.

Ollie Gordon prop: Under 103.5 rush yards (-115 at DraftKings)

Prop bet #3: Going yard

Texas pivot Quinn Ewers leads an effective passing game, as the ‘Horns put up 272.1 pass yards per game, which ranks 32nd in the nation.

Ewers is hyper-efficient, completing 69.8% of his passes, a Top-20 figure in the NCAA, while throwing for 2,709 yards with 17 TDs and just five picks.

He’s coming off the Texas Tech blowout, throwing for 196 yards, just the second time all season he’s gone sub-200. But his larger body of recent work has me leaning to the Over. 

Ewers has topped his 265.5 yard total in five of his last seven starts, including three 300-yard games.

The Cowboys’ pass defense is a lowly 113th in the nation, surrendering 251.2 yards per game. Talk about chunk plays: Oklahoma State is giving up 14.2 yards per completion, a Bottom-3 mark in college football.

Ewers played against Oklahoma State a year ago, and put together one of his best games, albeit in a 41-34 loss, throwing for 319 yards and two majors.

He should be able to pick this porous D apart.

Quinn Ewers prop: Over 265.5 pass yards (-115 at DraftKings)