Kansas State walks into Saturday’s noon kickoff carrying a lot of uncertainty, and Oklahoma State arrives in Manhattan looking like the more stable team despite a complete reset under first-year coach Eric Morris.
The Wildcats are 4-4 overall and 1-4 in the Big 12, and they’ll be breaking in their fourth different quarterback in four weeks. That alone tells you where things stand. The mood around this one isn’t exactly upbeat.
Oklahoma State is 5-3 and 3-2 in the league, and somehow the Cowboys have put together a strong season after Morris inherited a stripped-down roster and rebuilt fast. He started at Incarnate Word, where he guided the Cardinals to two playoff trips in four seasons, then moved to North Texas and turned that program into a 12-2 team that shared the 2025 American Conference title. His career record is 51-37, including 27-19 in FBS.
A big part of the turnaround has come through the portal. Morris brought 18 players with him from that 2025 North Texas team, including quarterback Drew Mestemaker, who could be the first quarterback selected in next year’s NFL draft. The Cowboys also bring a run game that averages nearly 200 yards per contest, which is a rough matchup for this Kansas State defense.
The series history leans Oklahoma State overall, 43-29, but Kansas State has had the edge in the Snyder era, 17-13. The Wildcats have also won the last two meetings, including a 14-6 road win in Stillwater last year.
Kickoff is set for Saturday, November 7, at noon CT at Bill Snyder Family Stadium in Manhattan, Kansas.
The game is officially a sellout, though standing-room-only tickets are still available from the ticket office. On the secondary market, the cheapest listed pair is $44, with prices quickly moving into the $50 range and a median price of $95 at the time of writing.
Weather should be a factor early. Tailgating begins in cold, cloudy conditions, with temperatures below freezing until just after 8:00.
By kickoff, it should be around 50 degrees and climb to 55 by the end of the game. There’s a slight chance of rain early, but the sky is expected to clear once the game gets going, setting up a sunny second half.
DraftKings has Kansas State as a 6.5-point underdog with a 62.5 over, projecting a 34-28 Oklahoma State win. The money line is +200 for the Wildcats and -245 for the Cowboys.
TNT will carry the broadcast with JB Long, Mike Golic Jr., and Jared Greenberg.
In Other News...
Kansas State Suddenly Has Bigger Problems Than One Ugly Loss
The setback against Oklahoma State was ugly from the opening moments, and it left Kansas State with far more to sort through than just one bad afternoon at home. The Cowboys controlled the game from the start, with quarterback Drew Mestemaker throwing for 313 yards and four touchdowns while the Wildcats never found much rhythm on either side of the ball.
At 4-5, Kansas State now has little margin left if it wants to reach bowl eligibility, and the path forward suddenly looks a lot tighter than it did a week ago. Two more wins are still required, but after a performance like this, the bigger concern is whether the Wildcats can steady themselves quickly enough to get there. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Got Its First Win But Creighton Looms Large
Kansas State opened the Casey Alexander era with a much-needed 95-78 win over Cal State Northridge on Nov. 6 at Bramlage Coliseum, and Brandon Rechsteiner made sure the night carried some early momentum. He poured in a career-high 26 points and knocked down six 3-pointers, giving the Wildcats a clear offensive spark in their first victory under the new coach.
The challenge gets steeper quickly, though, with Creighton coming to Manhattan on Nov. 10 for Kansas States first high-major test of the season. After getting the first one in the books, the Wildcats now have a chance to see how that opening-night energy holds up against a far more demanding opponent. [Read more 🡒]
Kansas State Returns Home Facing A Season-Saving Test
After a promising win over rival Kansas, Kansas State has hit a rough patch with two straight road losses, and the Wildcats are back home trying to stop the slide before it swallows the season. At 4-4 overall and 1-4 in Big 12 play, there is little margin left, especially with Avery Johnson and Jacob Knuth both dealing with injuries that have limited the offenses options and put more pressure on the rest of the roster to carry the load.
Oklahoma State arrives as the next chance to steady things, and the setting only adds to the urgency for a team that has not looked like itself away from home. The defense still has talent, but it has not played to that level often enough, which makes this matchup feel less like a routine conference game and more like a test of whether Kansas State can regroup quickly enough to keep its season from slipping further out of reach. [Read more 🡒]