There we no ranked schools were in action in Week 0 around college football, but three will take the field for their season openers on Thursday night. The highest-ranked of the trio is No. 12 Oklahoma State as the Cowboys of the Big 12 host Central Michigan of the MAC. What's interesting about this matchup? Since 2019, they have been the two best against-the-spread programs in the nation. The Cowboys are -21.5 at Caesars Sportsbook.
Over the past three seasons, Oklahoma State is 25-12-1 ATS, which coincides with the freshman season of current starting quarterback Spencer Sanders. Last year, he joined Brandon Weeden (2010) as the only first-team all-conference quarterbacks in school history. Sanders' 3,507 total yards of offense (2,839 passing, 668 rushing) ranked No. 1 among all players in the Big 12. He was one of just six FBS players who totaled more than 2,800 passing yards and 650 rushing yards.
Sanders is one of 10 starters back on offense with five back on defense, although excellent defensive coordinator Jim Knowles left for Ohio State. His defense led the FBS with 57 sacks in 2021 as OSU finished as the Big 12 runner-up and 12-2 overall.
Coach Mike Gundy enters looking for career win No. 150, which would make him just the fourth active FBS coach with 150 wins at his current school, joining Nick Saban (Alabama), Kirk Ferentz (Iowa) and Dabo Swinney (Clemson). Under Gundy's watch, Oklahoma State is one of only six teams to post a winning season every year from 2010-21, joining Alabama, Boise State, Oklahoma, Texas A&M and Wisconsin. The Cowboys have won seven straight season openers and are 15-2 in them under Gundy.
Former Florida and Colorado State coach Jim McElwain arrived at Central Michigan ahead of the 2019 season and the Chippewas are 21-11-1 ATS since then. CMU finished 9-4 last year, its most wins since 2009. The Chips beat Washington State 24-21 in the Tony the Tiger Bowl to snap a nine-game SU skid vs. Power 5 schools. CMU covered its final five games in 2021.
Starting QB Daniel Richardson and running back Lew Nichols, one of the best in the country, both return. Nichols led the FBS with 341 rushes and 1,848 rush yards last season, the most rushes by any FBS player since 2016. Nichols became the sixth CMU player to be named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year.
These teams last met early in the 2016 season and Central Michigan pulled off a 30-27 upset in Stillwater over the No. 22 Cowboys. It was CMU's first win over a ranked team since September 1991 (Michigan State). The Chips haven't beaten a ranked school since but have only faced a couple. Oklahoma State is 12-0 against non-Power 5 schools since.
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