Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State: Texas Bowl prediction, pick

College Football Bowl Season kicks off the second half of the postseason after the Christmas holidays with an SEC vs. Big 12 matchup pitting two former conference foes against each other on the same field, as Texas A&M takes on Oklahoma State.

• Texas A&M: The Aggies went 7-5 overall and 4-4 in SEC play, finishing 4th in the West standings and fired head coach Jimbo Fisher
• Oklahoma State: The Cowboys went 9-4 on the year and 7-2 in Big 12 games, and lost to Texas in the conference title game

Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State prediction, preview

When: Wed., Dec. 27
Time: 9 p.m. Eastern
TV: ESPN network
may not spell the end of Texas A&M's offense. Not thanks to quarterback Jaylen Henderson, who had 704 yards with 6 TDs and 2 INTs in three straight starts. Henderson's mobility, the Aggies' returning ground production, and what's left of the receiving corps can challenge OSU's 103rd ranked pass defense.

3. Can the Cowboys stop anything? OSU has been suspect on the defensive side of the ball, ranking just 124th out of 133 FBS teams in total production, and 90th in scoring, allowing 29 points per game and 50 total touchdowns. The Cowboys are 99th in third down defense and 82nd in the red zone, allowing opponents to score 28 out of 33 times. A&M scores on 86% of red zone possessions.

Texas A&M vs. Oklahoma State prediction

Like most bowl games, motivation and personnel losses could play a larger role on the field even than overall talent. On that score, the Cowboys have the advantage, looking to win a 10th game and finish strong, while the Aggies are a team in transition undergoing a coaching change and losing key pieces to the portal or the draft.

That vaunted A&M run defense lost too much of its foundational talent to seriously contend with the challenge that Gordon will present at the line of scrimmage for all four quarters, but the Aggies still have enough of their own firepower to make this a game.

College Football HQ picks...

• Oklahoma State wins 31-24
• Covers the spread
• And hits the over