Oklahoma State @ Texas preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 29, 2012 ) Texas 41, Oklahoma State 36

Oklahoma State has a clear path the to Big 12 title and a spot in a BCS bowl game — it just needs to win three straight against three ranked teams. That all starts on Saturday, when the 10th-ranked Cowboys visit No. 24 Texas. The Longhorns bounced back from a pair of ugly losses early and are ripping through the Big 12 with six straight victories, putting themselves in position to take the conference by winning out as well.

Texas is sitting in first place in the Big 12, joining Baylor as the only teams remaining undefeated in conference play. Oklahoma State sits a game back, with the Bears looming on the schedule next week. The Longhorns barely survived with a 47-40 overtime victory at West Virginia last week but suffered a pair of crushing injuries in the win when running back Johnathan Gray (Achilles tendon) and defensive tackle Chris Watley (knee) were lost for the rest of the season.

TV: 3:30 p.m. ET, FOX. LINE: Oklahoma State -3.

ABOUT OKLAHOMA STATE (8-1, 5-1 Big 12): The Cowboys are set up nicely with an injury-depleted Texas squad on the road and home games against Baylor and rival Oklahoma finishing out the regular season. “You’re at that point in the season where you need to win one to get to stay in the race,” Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy said. “If we wouldn’t have played well and beat Kansas then that would have been a big game. You have to continue to move forward. This will be a new challenge for us.” Gundy’s squad handily beat Kansas last week, 42-6, as quarterback Clint Chelf passed for season highs of 265 yards and three touchdowns without a turnover.

ABOUT TEXAS (7-2, 6-0): The Longhorns were left for dead after falling to 1-2 in September but picked themselves back up while rallying behind embattled coach Mack Brown. Texas was already playing through injuries to quarterback David Ash and linebacker Jordan Hicks, but the two latest setbacks could hamper what had been a strong running game while making one of the team’s weaknesses — run defense — an even greater concern. Texas ranks fourth in the Big 12 with an average of 197.3 rushing yards but sits eighth at stopping the run, surrendering 185.1 yards.

EXTRA POINTS

1. Texas is enjoying its longest winning streak since taking 17 straight from 2008-09.

2. The road team has taken each of the last four in the series, including a 38-26 victory for Oklahoma State in Texas on Oct. 15, 2011 — the Cowboys’ last trip.

3. Longhorns QB Case McCoy has thrown more interceptions (five) than touchdowns (four) over the last three games.

PREDICTION: Oklahoma State 41, Texas 30