2010 Cotton Bowl Predictions: Oklahoma State v. Ole Miss Football Odds & Picks

Written by Jimmy Boyd on December 29, 2009

The 9-3 Oklahoma State Cowboys take on the 8-4 Ole Miss Rebels on January 2nd in the 2010 edition of the Cotton Bowl at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas. College football odds makers have listed Ole Miss as a 3-point favorite with the total set at 50.5.

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No. 21 Oklahoma State will be playing for its school record-tying 10th win Saturday against an Ole Miss team that just won the Cotton Bowl last season. The Cowboys looked like they could be headed for a BCS bowl until they were crushed 27-0 by in-state rival Oklahoma in their regular season finale.

Ole Miss had BCS aspirations heading into the season after finishing off last season with a 47-34 win over then-No. 8 Texas Tech in this game. That win marked the seventh in the Rebels’ last eight bowl appearances.

This year’s Cotton Bowl is actually a rematch of the 2004 edition, which is also the only meeting between these two schools. In that game, Eli Manning led Ole Miss to a thrilling 31-28 win in his final college contest.

Like the Cowboys, Ole Miss was not able to finish off the regular season in the win column. The Rebels fell 41-27 to in-state rival Mississippi State to see their three-game winning streak come to an end. Many considered QB Jevan Snead the Rebels’ best signal caller since Manning, but he has been very inconsistent. While he threw for 275 yards and three touchdowns against the Bulldogs, he also threw three costly interceptions. Playmaker Dexter McCluster was held to just 82 yards on the ground in that game. McCluster, last year’s Cotton Bowl MVP, will look to bounce back strong against the Cowboys. Prior to being held down by the Bulldogs, McCluster was averaging 184.8 yards over his previous four games. If McCluster gains 15 yards on the ground and 25 through the air, he will become the first player in SEC history to finished with 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in the same season. The Rebels are 3-1 all-time in the Cotton Bowl and they have won six straight bowl games against Big 12 opponents. It is also worth noting that the Rebels are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 non-conference games. If you like the Rebels to continue their bowl dominance over the Big 12, bet Ole Miss at -3 at Bodog.

Oklahoma State’s stout defense will try to hold McCluster and the Ole Miss offense in check Saturday. The Cowboys have limited their opponents to just 87.7 yards per game on the ground this season, which is good for sixth in the nation. Oklahoma State is allowing just 21.8 points or 329.9 total yards of offense.

Offensively, QB Zac Robinson is expected to be completely recovered from an ankle injury that bothered him in the season finale. Robinson threw for 1,780 yards and 14 touchdowns with seven interceptions. He will be joined in the backfield by star running back Keith Toston, who finished second in the Big 12 with a 98.1 yards per game average. He also had 11 rushing scores. He will try to help Oklahoma State avenge last year’s 42-31 Holiday Bowl loss to Oregon. He could find some running room against an Ole Miss defense ranked 56th in the country against the run. It is worth noting that the Cowboys are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games after scoring less than 20 points in their previous game. If you like the Cowboys to bounce back from being shut out in their season finale, bet Oklahoma State at +3 at Bodog.

Jimmy Boyd has dominated the bowl season each of the last two years, finishing the 2007-08 bowl season on a 14-5 run and the 2008-09 season on a 10-4 home stretch run. Crush your book again this year through the BCS Championship Game with Jimmy’s expert football picks!

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