The analytics gap between Oregon and Oklahoma State is hard to miss heading into Week 2.
ESPN’s Football Power Index has the No. 6 Ducks sitting at No. 8 with a 22.7 rating, while the Cowboys are down at No. 72 with a -1.6 mark. The metric, which measures team strength on a net point scale and projects scoring margin against an average opponent on a neutral field, pushed both teams downward after their openers.
Oregon slipped four spots after edging Boise State 34-27 at Autzen Stadium on Sept. 5.
Oklahoma State fell even harder, dropping 18 spots after a 24-10 road loss to Tulsa at H.A. Chapman Stadium.
That opener gave Oregon a tougher test than the final score suggests. Boise State, coached by Spencer Danielson, is viewed as a legitimate College Football Playoff contender in the Group of Six picture, and the Ducks came out of it with the kind of résumé-building win that already shows up in the numbers. Dan Lanning’s team is currently No. 6 in strength of record and No. 30 in remaining strength of schedule.
Oklahoma State, meanwhile, is sitting at No. 113 overall in efficiency at 34.3 this early in the 2026 season. If Oregon wants to leave Boone Pickens Stadium with win No. 2, the Ducks’ defensive front has to make life miserable for redshirt sophomore quarterback Drew Mestemaker.
There’s also a clear vulnerability up front for the Cowboys. First-year coach Eric Morris said redshirt senior starting left tackle Jacob Sexton will miss the rest of the season after suffering a lower-leg injury on the first offensive series against Tulsa. On the depth chart, redshirt junior Desmond Magiya or redshirt sophomore Shaun Torgeson would step into that spot.
That sets up a big chance for Oregon’s senior outside linebacker tandem of Matayo Uiagalelei and Teitum Tuioti. The two were everywhere in the opener, combining for 14 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks against Boise State.
The Ducks also need a cleaner night on special teams. Joe Lorig’s unit has to eliminate the mental errors against an Oklahoma State team that ranks No. 9 in efficiency nationally at 92.4 in that phase of the game.
The matchup also carries the memory of last season’s lopsided meeting. In Week 2 of the 2025 season, Oregon routed Oklahoma State 69-3 in the Pacific Northwest. It was the worst loss of the Mike Gundy era, and Gundy was later dismissed after 20 full seasons following the Cowboys’ blowout loss to Tulsa.
This version of Oklahoma State is almost unrecognizable from that group. The roster includes 91 newcomers, among them 66 transfers.
The biggest offseason addition was Mestemaker, who followed Morris from North Texas. He wasn’t the only one to make the move, either, with sophomore running back Caleb Hawkins and junior wide receiver Wyatt Young joining him from the Mean Green.
Morris and Mestemaker delivered North Texas its best season ever in 2025, finishing 12-2 and leading the nation in scoring at 45.1 points per game. Mestemaker finished first in the country with 4,379 passing yards and tied for second with 34 passing touchdowns.
In Other News...
Boise State Just Took A Recruiting Hit Fans Will Notice
Boise States 2027 recruiting class took a notable early blow when Kingston Parks, a three-star wide receiver from Aledo High School in Texas, announced he is no longer committed to head coach Spencer Danielson and the Broncos. Parks had already taken a winding path to this point, first committing to Utah, then backing off that pledge before landing with Boise State, which made his departure feel especially abrupt for a program trying to build momentum on the recruiting trail.
The Broncos still have 14 known commitments in the class, and wide receiver is not completely empty behind Parks, with JIsaiah Mitchell already in the fold. Even so, losing a pass-catcher with Parks profile is the kind of setback fans notice, especially this early in the cycle, and it leaves Boise State with another position group to keep recruiting hard as the 2027 class continues to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Dakorien Moore Is Becoming A Bigger Problem Than Boise State Saw
Oregons offense found another explosive answer against Boise State when Dakorien Moore turned a 62-yard touchdown into one of the nights biggest momentum swings. For a Broncos defense trying to settle in, it was the kind of play that quickly changed the temperature of the game and reminded everyone how dangerous the Ducks can be when their young receiver gets a clean lane.
Dan Lanning has been as impressed with Moores habits as his highlights, pointing to the receivers coachability, his effort on the less visible parts of the job and the way he handles game situations with maturity. Moore also said he is healthy and ready to go for Oregons next road trip to Oklahoma State, which is hardly comforting news for anyone hoping Boise State was going to see the last of him anytime soon. [Read more 🡒]
Boise State Just Saw The Oregon Threat That Changed Everything
Boise State spent opening night chasing Oregons passing game, and the Ducks receiver trio gave the Broncos plenty to worry about in the 34-27 loss. Evan Stewart was busy all night with eight catches for 72 yards, while the Ducks kept finding ways to stress the coverage with tempo, spacing and a passing attack that looked comfortable from the start.
Dan Lanning made it clear after the game that the wideouts and offensive coordinator Drew Mehringer were a big reason Oregons offense clicked so well. For Boise State, the bigger concern is obvious: the Ducks found enough matchup wins at receiver to keep the Broncos on their heels even with the game hanging in the balance, and the path those targets created is the part Boise State will be dissecting long after the final whistle. [Read more 🡒]