The Stanford Cardinal will play the Oklahoma St. Cowboys on a neutral field January 2nd, and it figures to be a fairly close matchup on paper. It provides an interest contrast between two offenses that both have proven to be equally potent.
Oklahoma State has a really potent offense with the veteran Brandon Weeden as their signal-caller. The Cowboys rely on a short quick passing game that's intent to use team speed and athleticism to overwhelm their opponents. It could present a difficult task for Stanford to deal with, considering how much their defense struggled to keep up with Oregon.
Stanford should present more variety with a balanced attack, but they have been somewhat constrained in their ability to stretch the field without deep threat receivers to complement Andrew Luck. So Stanford is probably not quite as able to get things going against what looks like a strong Oklahoma State defense. It's why the Cowboys are probably 3 to 3.5 point favorites according to Oddsshark, although it's hardly a referendum on their chances in this game.
To discuss the Fiesta Bowl with Stanford football fans, go to Rule of Tree. To discuss the matchup with Oklahoma State football fans, go to Cowboys Ride For Free.