A pair of teams whose quarterbacks entered the transfer portal will square off in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Tuesday night when Oklahoma State faces Wisconsin. The Cowboys lost four of their final five games of the regular season after clinching their bowl eligibility with a 6-1 start to the season. Wisconsin went 4-3 under an interim coach after firing it head coach after the first five games of the season.
Oklahoma State extended the sixth-longest bowl streak in the country when it earned its bowl eligibility for the 17th consecutive season. The Cowboys got off to an outstanding start this season, winning each of their first five games. Their first loss came to an eventual College Football Playoff team in double overtime at TCU, which marked the beginning of a downward slide to close the regular season. They lost five of their final seven games and four of their last five, including a 24-19 setback against West Virginia at the end of November. Oklahoma State only covered the spread once in its final five games.
soon ?? @RateBowl
??: @bermuda419s pic.twitter.com/qGN9ovoOsk
— OSU Cowboy Football (@CowboyFB) December 24, 2022
The Cowboys were not nearly as strong offensively down the stretch, scoring just 13.6 points per game in their final five contests after averaging 44.7 points through their first seven games. They are going to be without star quarterback Spencer Sanders, who entered the transfer portal after throwing for 2,642 yards, 17 touchdowns and nine interceptions. True freshman Garret Rangel is expected to make the start in this game after completing 45 of 84 passes for 482 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions this season. Leading tackler Mason Cobb and leading rusher Dominic Richardson also entered the portal, leaving Oklahoma State shorthanded on Tuesday.