Oklahoma State and Iowa State are both walking into 2026 with fresh faces in charge, but the timing of their meeting could make the Cyclones a real problem for the Cowboys.
The Cowboys have turned the page to Eric Morris, who arrived from North Texas and brought a major overhaul with him. More than 60 transfers followed, including nearly 20 from his old program with the Mean Green.
Morris is also importing the Air Raid offense, the 4-2-5 defense and most of his former UNT staff. He becomes Oklahoma State’s first new head coach since Mike Gundy more than 20 years ago.
Iowa State made its own change, hiring Jimmy Rogers after his time at Washington State. He takes over for Matt Campbell, who spent a decade in Ames before leaving for Penn State. Rogers has added more than 40 transfers and is trying to build on the culture Campbell left while putting his own stamp on the program.
That matchup lands on Oct. 31, and the date gives it a little extra bite. It is a Halloween game, which usually means a lively crowd and plenty of costumes in the stands. The game also misses a full moon by six days, so it will not quite get the full spooky treatment.
The bigger issue for Oklahoma State is where the game falls on the calendar. It is the eighth game of the season, right in the middle of what should be the most difficult stretch on the Cowboys’ schedule.
After Iowa State, they still have Kansas State, Texas Tech and Arizona State ahead of them. At least two of those teams could be in the mix for the Big 12 Conference title game.
At minimum, Oklahoma State should be aiming for a bowl trip. But if the season breaks the right way, the Cowboys could be sitting at 5-2 with a 4-1 Big 12 record when Iowa State arrives.
That is not out of the question. Oregon and Houston look like the most likely losses on the schedule, while the rest are winnable because of the talent Morris has added, especially the group he pulled in from North Texas.
If OSU is in that spot, Iowa State can flip the whole thing with one win. A loss there would drop the Cowboys to two league defeats, make it impossible to exceed expectations and could send the season into a rough November slide.
Whether the Cyclones actually wreck Oklahoma State’s year will depend on how the first seven games go. But it is a matchup the Cowboys have every reason to circle.
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One Oklahoma State Holdover Just Sent A Big Rebuild Message
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Johnsons choice matters even more because he is coming off a season interrupted by injury, and new head coach Eric Morris has already made clear he sees a real role for him in the front. Johnson has framed the decision around loyalty and a desire to help Oklahoma State climb out of the recent struggles, and in a spring full of new faces, that kind of commitment can carry real weight. [Read more 🡒]