Early look: What to like about No. 10 Oklahoma State in 2017

Each week, USA TODAY Sports will give a more detailed look at the teams listed on our early top 25 for the 2017 college football season.

Up next: No. 10 Oklahoma State. After finishing second in the Big 12 Conference a year ago and rolling past Colorado in the Alamo Bowl to enter the offseason on a high note, the Cowboys return enough talent and experience to leapfrog ahead of rival Oklahoma and into a New Year’s Six bowl.

Why No. 10?

1. The quarterback. Mason Rudolph has already been identified as a potential first-round pick when he does enter the NFL draft – maybe even after his junior season in 2017. He has all the tools to excel in this offensive system, most notably with a powerful arm that plays perfectly with the Cowboys’ deep and explosive receiver corps. Rudolph is the real deal: NFL talent evaluators know it, as does the rest of the Big 12, but he could be a national name by the end of November.

EARLY LOOK:No. 11 LSU | No. 12 Wisconsin | No. 13 Virginia Tech | No. 14 Auburn

2. The skill players. Rudolph isn’t alone on an offensive teeming with options at the skill positions. There’s running back Justice Hill, who set the program’s single-season rushing record for a freshman in 2016. Junior wide receiver Jalen McCleskey, one of the league’s most overlooked contributors at his position. Chris Lacy, a 6-foot-3 senior with the body to be an effective weapon in the red zone. LSU transfer Tyron Johnson, a former five-star recruit poised to capture a role in the rotation after wearing a redshirt last fall. And, of course, senior receiver James Washington, an absolute star who routinely burns cornerbacks and safeties downfield even as defenses know exactly what’s coming. This is a tremendous collection of talent.

3. Home games. The conference schedule plays out well. TCU comes to Stillwater. Three of the Cowboys’ four games in November come at home. They’ll have a bye week on the first Saturday of October, a break that will allow for a needed breather in advance of a telling stretch: home for Baylor on Oct. 14, at Texas on Oct. 21 and at West Virginia on Oct. 28. But the big one – and a big plus in Oklahoma State’s corner – comes a week later, on Nov. 4, with a home matchup against the Sooners. Tiebreakers may determine the final makeup of the crowded top third of the Big 12.

Why not higher?

1. Line play. This may not be as big a concern as it looks today. To be fair, however, an offensive line with three returning starters must take a meaningful step forward under new position coach Josh Henson. Here’s guessing it will, though Henson’s group will likely be far better in 2018 and 2019 than this fall. The biggest question mark surrounding the defensive front is the interior, which lost a really good one in all-conference pick Vincent Taylor. But the Cowboys have two reliable returning lettermen ready for increased snaps in DeQuinton Osborne and Darrion Daniels, not to mention as many as five ends capable of producing at a high level during Big 12 play.

EARLY LOOK:No. 15 Stanford | No. 16 Boise State | No. 17 Georgia

2. Defense as a whole. The Cowboys’ offense is ready to roll. And the defense? Line play might not be the sole concern. As a whole, Oklahoma State’s defense remains the team’s biggest issue heading into the heart of the offseason – it’s a potential sticking point for a team with very realistic goals of winning the Big 12 and competing for a spot in the College Football Playoff. But is the defense really that bad? No, it’s not. It is a weak link when compared to the offense, however. Just to hedge our best, let’s put it like this: Oklahoma State’s defense needs to prove itself.

Biggest games

► Oklahoma State vs. TCU, Sept. 23

► Oklahoma State at Texas, Oct. 21

► Oklahoma State vs. Oklahoma, Nov. 4

EARLY LOOK:No. 18 Tennessee | No. 19 Louisville | No. 20 USF | No. 21 Utah

Three players to know

1. LB Chad Whitener. With 20 career starts under his belt, Whitener will be asked to lead the Cowboys’ defense by example from his spot at middle linebacker.

2. DE Tralund Webber. The former junior-college transfer is an explosive, hard-to-corral rusher when the Cowboys’ defense pins the opposition into passing downs.

3. RB Jeff Carr. While Hill will be OSU’s primary option in the running game, Carr should get somewhere between 75 and 100 touches as the backup.

EARLY LOOK: No. 22 Florida | No. 23 West Virginia | No. 24 Texas | No. 25 UCLA

PHOTOS: COLLEGE FOOTBALL SPRING GAMES