After 11 weeks of football, there are three unbeaten teams remaining in the FBS. What makes these teams go? Do they have a weakness that will cost them a chance at an undefeated season? And what is each team’s toughest game remaining on the schedule? ESPN’s Statistics & Information Group will be answering these three questions for each of the three teams in a series that started Tuesday with the Houston Cougars.
Oklahoma State: 10-0 (7-0 Big 12)
What they do well: Oklahoma State's offense utilizes its speed to become the most lethal offense in the country. The Cowboys average just one minute and 49 seconds per touchdown drive and have scored 19 offensive touchdowns on drives lasting under a minute. Both of these numbers are the best in the country.
Thomas Campbell/US PresswireWeeden's Cowboys have scored at least 50 points in each of their last three games.
The Cowboys average over 51 points and six touchdowns per game, scoring a touchdown on 43.5 percent of their drives.
Quarterback Brandon Weeden is completing 73.1 percent of his passes while his receivers average 205.2 yards per game after the catch -- accounting for over half of the Cowboys passing offense.
Biletnikoff Award winner Justin Blackmon is back at it again this year, tied for the national lead with 14 touchdown receptions. His connection with Weeden truly separates the Cowboys from other teams in the nation.
Weeden is completing 74.4 percent of his passes with 14 touchdowns and just one interception when targeting Blackmon, and he has been even better when targeting Blackmon inside of the red zone (83.3 comp pct, 11 touchdowns, zero interceptions).
Area of concern: Oklahoma State allows 442.2 yards per game, which ranks 101st out of 120 teams in the country. Since 2004, only one BCS national champion was not ranked in the top 10 nationally in yards allowed per game (Auburn was ranked 60th in 2010).
Oklahoma State’s defense particularly struggles to stop the pass, allowing 256.1 passing yards per game (93rd in FBS). The Cowboys’ porous pass defense has been masked by the fact that they have forced more turnovers than any other team in the country.
Biggest hurdle remaining: Oklahoma State will face off with rival Oklahoma December 3 in a game that likely will have conference and national title implications. Oklahoma State has lost its last eight games against the Sooners, including a 47-41 loss at home last season that crushed the Cowboys’ Big 12 title hopes. In that game, Landry Jones passed for a season-high 468 yards and four touchdowns on the Cowboys’ defense.
If Oklahoma State is unable to stop the Sooners’ passing attack or get Justin Blackmon going, we could have “bedlam” not only in Stillwater, but in the BCS Standings with potentially seven one-loss teams in the top-10 behind an undefeated LSU. LSU by the way still has to play 9-1 Arkansas. More on that tomorrow.