ESPN's FPI predicts winner of Texas Bowl between Texas A&M and Oklahoma State
Texas A&M looks to finish the season on a high note Wednesday as it faces off against No. 20 Oklahoma State in the Texas Bowl.
Both teams have gone through a flurry of opt outs ahead of this game. Texas A&M lost starting QB Max Johnson to the transfer portal (UNC) as well as some top players such as Evan Stewart, Walter Nolen, Fadil Diggs and Raymond Cottrell.
The Aggies will employ Jaylen Henderson as starting QB for the Texas Bowl while Oklahoma State will start Alan Bowman, who has started for the Pokes all season. Bowman is a Michigan transfer and threw for 3,058 yards with 13 touchdowns and 12 interceptions; not perfect by any means, but still enough to lead OK State to a 9-4 record.
But the real star of the show Thursday will be Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon, who is perhaps the best running back in college football. Gordon has totaled 1,614 yards with 20 touchdowns. He also had 36 receptions for 323 yards and a receiving touchdown.
His 20 touchdowns is 2nd in the country among RBs, only behind Michigan’s Blake Corum. Only Mizzou’s Cody Scrader averaged more rushing yards per game.
ESPN’s FPI has a pretty favorable lean towards Texas A&M for this one. The Aggies have a 71.8% chance of victory according to the metric.
The Texas Bowl kicks off at 9 p.m. this Wednesday on ESPN.