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West Virginia is one of the country's quietest unbeaten teams. The No. 10 Mountaineers have slipped mostly beneath the national radar because they haven't played any elite teams, but they've done nothing but be solid. At Oklahoma State on Saturday, they don't have a chance for a marquee win, but they do have a chance to stay tied atop the Big 12 and keep padding a surprising Playoff and New Year's Six case.
The Cowboys have had kind of a weird year. They've lost twice - once on a freak Hail Mary and officiating mistake, and once against the Big 12's other undefeated team, Baylor. The evidence doesn't suggest the Cowboys are great, but they could yet be pretty good, and this will stand up as a nifty win for whichever team gets it.
It seems likely, but isn't certain, that the Big 12 will need an unbeaten team to get into the Playoff. The Mountaineers haven't faced the league's best teams yet, and they still won't until the middle of November. But to make those games matter as much as they could, the 'Eers need to take care of business now.
How to watch, stream, and listen
TV: Noon ET, Fox. The broadcasters are Joe Davis, Brady Quinn, and Jenny Taft.
Radio: WVU and Oklahoma State
Online streaming: Fox Sports GO
Spread: Most places have WVU has a little more than a field goal favorite.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation's team blog chats for this game at The Smoking Musket (for WVU fans) and Cowboys Ride For Free (for OSU fans).
Three big things to know
1. West Virginia's offense has been built on the pass. The run game looked encouraging in last week's win at Texas Tech, but the Mountaineers still move the ball best through the air. Quarterback Skyler Howard is efficient, and he's got four good receivers to depend upon: Ka'Raun White, Daikiel Shorts Jr., Shelton Gibson, and Jovon Durante. Those four get about 70 percent of WVU's targets, and they've all had strong years.
2. The WVU pass defense is really picking up. The Mountaineers relatively shut down Texas Tech's Patrick Mahomes two weeks ago, seven days before Mahomes set a yardage record against Oklahoma. They squashed Kenny Hill and TCU last week. Oklahoma State's Mason Rudolph is talented, but so are the QBs West Virginia has dealt effectively with over the last few weeks. One good thing for OSU: West Virginia is vulnerable on big plays, and Rudolph could get some chunks with leading receiver James Washington, who averages 20 yards per catch.
3. As usual in the Big 12, expect points. WVU's more of a defense-oriented team than it's ever been under Dana Holgorsen, but the Mountaineers can still find the end zone. The same is true of Oklahoma State, which will have a home crowd and got to build up some confidence in a 44-point outing against dismal Kansas last week. This won't be a struggle.