By Wendell Barnhouse | wendell@big12sports.com
Big 12 Sports.com Correspondent


Winning the Big 12 South Division title is still a possibility for Oklahoma State. An unlikely possibility, but a possibility nonetheless.

The 12th-ranked Cowboys have a better chance at is securing a Bowl Championship Series at-large invitation. Starting with Thursday's game (6:30 p.m., ESPN), Oklahoma State will be aiming to win its last two games and finish with a 10-2 record. That might be good enough to earn an invitation to the Fiesta Bowl.

"It's going to be a good opportunity for us to showcase to the nation how much of an improved team we are," Cowboys senior linebacker Andre Sexton said. "Since that Houston loss (45-35 on Sept. 12), we've bounced back and people haven't really heard of us. We kind of fell off the map.

"It's just an opportunity for us to get some exposure to show that we've bounced back from that loss."

To be eligible for a BCS at-large berth a team must have nine victories and finish No. 14 or higher in the final BCS standings. The Cowboys (8-2) are No. 12 in this week's BCS standings. If they finish 10-2, they would appear a lock to qualify for the at-large pool.

First off, though, the Cowboys need to beat Colorado. Oklahoma State quarterback and Colorado native Zac Robinson might not be healthy enough to play. While the school won't disclose the nature of his injury, Robinson took a huge hit in the final minute of last week's victory over Texas Tech.

Robinson, who is from Littleton, Colo., has started 34 consecutive games. Oklahoma State officials haven't confirmed if Robinson suffered a concussion. Cowboys coach Mike Gundy expects Gundy to play Thursday. If not, inexperienced junior Alex Cate would be the starter.

"He is a pretty tough guy," Colorado coach Dan Hawkins said of Robinson. "He will be back."

Hawkins' team is 3-7 overall and can't qualify for a bowl game. After the trip to Stillwater, the Buffaloes close out their season by playing host to Nebraska on Nov. 27.

"I think we still want to finish - we have a lot of great seniors on our football team and I don't think you throw them to the side and move on," Hawkins said. "Those guys have got to finish out their careers and we want to put our best people on the field and win games."

Colorado at Oklahoma State
Need to know: 6:30 p.m. Boone Pickens Stadium, ESPN.
Records: Colorado 3-7, 2-4; Oklahoma State 8-2, 5-1.
Scouting Colorado: The Buffs can not qualify for a bowl game and have just two games remaining. Turnovers and penalties have been major issues for Colorado, a team that has difficulty overcoming those kinds of mistakes. Colorado is averaging 9.3 penalties per game, which is next-to-last in Division I-A.
Scouting Oklahoma State: The Cowboys are coming off one of their most impressive performances, a 24-17 victory over Texas Tech. Oklahoma State's ground game has been dominant and the defense has a bend-but-don't-break mentality. The Cowboys will try to stuff the Colorado running game and force sophomore quarterback Tyler Hansen to make plays.
This and that: Oklahoma State leads the Big 12 in rushing and is coming off a 243-yard rushing effort against Texas Tech. … Against Texas Tech, Robinson had 19 carries for 99 yards and attempted 21 passes (completing nine) for 90 yards. … Colorado's defense has forced 44 three-and-outs in 10 games. … The Cowboys are 5-1 for the first time in the Big 12. Oklahoma State has never won six Big 12 games in a season. … The Buffaloes are 2-19 outside the state of Colorado under coach Dan Hawkins and have lost 12 consecutive road games.