Rece Davis predicts Oklahoma State to pull off Bedlam upset

Rece Davis is expecting chaos in Bedlam. On Thursday, the ESPN analyst provided his pick in the annual matchup between Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. According to FanDuel, Oklahoma is a 5.5-point favorite.

“I like Oklahoma. I’m not down on them at all. Usually, Oklahoma State finds a way not to win this game,” Davis said. “[But], with the emotion of the final Bedlam game for a while, wanting to send the Sooners off with a fabulous parting gift, and, also, I think the Pokes know who they are. I’m going to take the Pokes and the points at home, and I’m also going to call the outright win for Oklahoma State.”

There’s certainly a lot riding on the matchup. With Oklahoma moving to the SEC next season, this will be the final meeting between these two historic programs for the foreseeable future. In other words, it’s a chance for Oklahoma State to steal the last laugh.

After all, the Cowboys are catching Oklahoma while it’s stuck in the mud. The Sooners suffered their first loss of the season last weekend, falling 38-33 to Kansas. It was only a matter of time. The week before their loss, the Sooners nearly allowed UFC to topple them.

Despite Oklahoma’s stunning loss last week, head coach Brent Venables isn’t allowing the Sooners to fall off the wagon.

“We’re not going to be defined by any one win or any loss. We got a lot still out in front of us,” Venables said. “This one hurts. It stings. We got punished for a lack of details and discipline and just me having our guys not ready to play at a high level. But we got Oklahoma State and certainly the rest of our schedule. Got an opportunity to still achieve most of our goals. So now it’s about how we respond.”

Oklahoma State heads in hot

Oklahoma State isn’t an ideal team to face following a loss. After all, the Cowboys are riding high into Week 10, currently on a four-game win streak. Most recently, Oklahoma State dominated Cincinnati 45-13. In the win, running back Ollie Gordon rattled off 271 rushing yards and two TDs on 25 carries.

Davis believes Oklahoma State has a star in the sophomore.

“They have found a phenom in Ollie Gordon,” Davis said. “He leads leads the nation in rushing. He has back-to-back 250-yard games. He is a guy that I remember them talking about when I was there a couple of years ago, and they decided to give him the ball.”

Although Oklahoma State doesn’t lack talent, it does lack history. The Sooners boast a 91-19-7 all-time record over the Cowboys’ heads. However, head coach Mike Gundy is responsible for a significant portion of the few wins Oklahoma State has in the rivalry.

“They call this Bedlam, but there’s been nothing chaotic about this series. Historically, it’s been sane and orderly. Oklahoma wins,” Davis said. “Everybody gets on Gundy. He’s 3-15 in Bedlam… Then, you realize he’s been part of nearly a third of their all-time wins against the Sooners. So relatively speaking, he hasn’t been terribly unsuccessful against them.”

Davis expects Gundy to add another tally in the win column this weekend. On Saturday, the two teams will square off at 3:30 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ABC.