For the first time in 2024, the Oklahoma State Cowboys will play an American football game.

OSU hosts back-to-back FCS champion South Dakota State at 1 p.m. Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium. The game will be streamed on ESPN+. The Cowboys have extremely high expectations for this season, but their first game against an FCS school is against a team that hasn’t lost since the 2022 season opener.

Here’s how the PFB staff sees OSU’s season opener going.

Marshal Scott

Point: Oklahoma ranks 35, South Dakota ranks 24

Most Valuable Player of the Match: Ollie Gordon

Uniform: White (brand)-orange-white

Thoughts: I felt better about this Pokes game before watching Colorado struggle to the final seconds against North Dakota State on Thursday night. This South Dakota State team should be better than the Buffaloes’ teams. But I also think this Oklahoma State team is better than Prime’s team right now. Ultimately, I think it comes down to the fact that OSU’s offensive line is simply better than the Jackrabbits’ defensive line. South Dakota State is replacing a lot from last season, while the Cowboys are getting so much back. Because of that, I think the Cowboys will benefit from the Jackrabbits working through some things. Still, I expect this to be a game going into the fourth quarter, but that O-line and Ollie Gordon are going to be too much for South Dakota State this early in the season.

Kyle Cox

Point: Oklahoma ranks 38, South Dakota ranks 27

Most Valuable Player of the Match: Alan Boogman

Uniform: Orange (brand)-orange-orange

Thoughts: I think the Cowboys survive an early scare and take a multi-score lead in the first half before the Jackrabbits make things even more interesting in the second half. OSU nearly wins by a bit of comfort before a backdoor touchdown from SDSU makes things even more exciting. I didn’t just pick Bowman up as my MVP to give us something else to talk about. I think Mike Gundy is eager to limit Ollie Gordon’s carries when he can and as long as the passing game is cooking, which I predict it will be, he’ll be throwing the ball around to the likes of Sesi Vaihali and Trent Howland.

Dekota Gregory

Point: Oklahoma ranks 38, South Dakota ranks 27

Most Valuable Player of the Match: Ollie Gordon

Uniform: Orange (brand)-orange-white

Thoughts: Hype and expectations get to some people. But Ollie Gordon, I believe, is not really a human being. He will thrive on the hype that has surrounded him all offseason, especially for the season opener. This game will have OSU fans sweating (and not just because of the afternoon heat) almost entire game. It will be hotter than the Jackrabbits are used to, OSU is simply deeper than a top FBS program and Ollie Gordon always gets stronger as the game goes on. My MVP of the game makes the end of this game more comfortable than the first three quarters as he makes a monster late drive to put the Pokes up by two scores.