Preseason bowl projections tab Oklahoma State for Cotton, Alamo Bowl

Bowl projections on the last day of July are about as meaningful (read: silly) as preseason polls, All-Conference teams and player award watch lists.

But they sure are good talking points.

Some national outlets are already predicting how the bowl season will shake out, and here’s where Oklahoma State is projected to land.

CBS Sports: Cotton Bowl vs. Arkansas

Analysis: Jerry Palm, a well-known BCS guru and bowl projector, predicts the Cowboys to finish No. 2 in the Big 12 behind Oklahoma, which will land in the Fiesta Bowl. This would be a matchup between two dynamic running backs in OSU’s Joseph Randle and Arkansas’ Knile Davis.

Phil Steele: Cotton Bowl vs. Arkansas

Analysis: Steele picks the Cowboys to finish third in the Big 12, with the Sooners in the national championship game and Texas in the Fiesta Bowl. Again, this would be a great offensive showdown, featuring veteran signal-caller Tyler Wilson (one of the top NFL prospects heading into 2012) and young gun Wes Lunt.