Colorado’s path to staying in the bowl picture runs straight through Stillwater, and the challenge waiting there is a brutal one. The Buffaloes arrive at 2-4 after four straight losses, needing a road win over Oklahoma State to keep their 2026 postseason hopes alive.
The quarterback situation has settled, at least for now, with Isaac Wilson in line to make his third consecutive start. He replaced a struggling Julian Lewis at halftime of Colorado’s last road game against Baylor, and the Buffs have stuck with him since. The results have been uneven: Wilson has thrown for 699 yards, four touchdowns and five interceptions since taking over, and those giveaways have hurt.
Two of those interceptions stand out. One came on a pick-six in Colorado’s own end zone in the loss to then-No.
12 Texas Tech in Week 5. The other came against his former team, then-No.
11 Utah, when Wilson forced a late fourth-quarter throw that was picked off and set up a game-sealing touchdown for the Utes. Colorado still had one last chance and came up a hail mary short.
Now the Buffs need a cleaner afternoon from Wilson if they want any shot at hanging with Oklahoma State’s offense. The Cowboys are 4-2 and drew the most AP Top 25 votes of any unranked team in Week 8, collecting 128.
That offense runs through Drew Mestemaker, who has become one of the biggest names in the Big 12. ESPN NFL Draft expert Mel Kiper Jr. has him as the top quarterback in the 2027 class and projected him at No. 2 overall in his latest mock draft. However you view that projection, it reflects the level of attention Mestemaker is bringing into this matchup.
Oklahoma State is averaging 329.5 passing yards per game, which leads the Big 12 and ranks fourth nationally. That puts enormous pressure on Colorado’s defense, and the Buffaloes are framing the battle in the trenches as the key to slowing things down.
“[Our mentality is to] just really pressure the quarterback and make him uncomfortable,” said Colorado defensive lineman Dylan Manuel during his Tuesday presser. “Because when he has pressure in his face, he’s not really good.
He gets out of character. So just putting pressure on him, making him uncomfortable and not just letting him sit back there and dial us up.”
Manuel, Santana Hopper and a returning Lamont Lester Jr. are the names to watch up front for Colorado.
There’s also a chance the Buffs’ offense shows more life than it has against a Power Four opponent so far this season. Oklahoma State’s run defense has been a problem, allowing 151.2 yards per game on the ground, and Colorado’s running back room could be positioned to take advantage if the Buffs can get the ground game rolling. That wouldn’t just help Wilson; it could give Colorado its best offensive showing against a Power Four foe yet.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Cracks Down After Disturbing Student Section Incident
Oklahoma State is making a visible change in Boone Pickens Stadium after a troubling incident in the student section left two Cowboy Marching Band members injured by objects thrown from the stands. The university is tightening security and increasing camera monitoring as it looks to prevent a repeat, a reminder that what happens in the student section can spill well beyond the crowd noise and onto the field.
The band will be moved to a different spot in the stadium for the upcoming homecoming game, part of a response aimed at protecting players, performers and fans alike. For Oklahoma State, the immediate concern now is restoring some sense of control around the atmosphere on game day while making clear that the behavior crossing the line in the previous game will not be brushed aside. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma States Next Running Back Battle May Start This Weekend
A key recruiting visit is set to land in Stillwater when Chrystian Ervin makes his official trip to Oklahoma State for the Colorado game weekend. The 2026 running back from Silas High School in Tacoma, Washington, has started to draw attention beyond the region, with Kansas State already on the board and other programs, including Alabama, looking into him as the Cowboys continue thinking ahead at a position that always needs replenishment.
For Oklahoma State, the timing matters because the staff is also weighing longer-term roster needs behind its current backfield picture. Caleb Hawkins could be on an NFL Draft path after the 2027 season, which makes every evaluation of the next wave of backs more important, and Ervins visit gives the Cowboys a chance to see where they stand in a competitive chase that is just beginning to take shape. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Needs Drew Mestemaker For More Than Just A Win
As Oklahoma State gets ready to face Colorado, Drew Mestemakers role looms larger than the box score. The Cowboys are also rolling out the red carpet for a wave of quarterback recruits on campus, with current commits and targets from the Classes of 2027, 2028 and 2029 in the mix, making this a weekend that is about far more than one game in Stillwater.
Mestemaker has already established himself as one of the top quarterback prospects in his class, and his presence matters as much for the future of the room as it does for the matchup ahead. With so many young passers watching closely, Oklahoma State is using this stage to show what the position can look like in its offense, and there is still plenty riding on how the next few days unfold. [Read more 🡒]