Oklahoma State didn’t crack the AP preseason top 25, but the Cowboys did inch a little closer in the latest national pecking order.
In the AP preseason poll, OSU landed at No. 34, which puts the Cowboys three spots higher than where they showed up in the coaches’ poll a couple weeks ago. They’re still in the “others receiving votes” group, but the gap narrowed a bit. The coaches’ poll had 55 total teams getting votes, while 50 teams appeared on AP ballots.
Within the Big 12, Oklahoma State sits behind a cluster of league teams that made the AP list. BYU is highest at No. 14, followed by Utah at No.
21, Houston at No. 23, Arizona at No. 29 and TCU at No.
- Kansas State and Arizona State were among the five teams that received votes from coaches but not from the AP.
Looking at OSU’s schedule, the Cowboys are in line to face just three teams ranked ahead of them in the AP preseason poll: Oregon at No. 2, Texas Tech at No. 12 and Houston at No.
- Oklahoma State checks in at No. 34 itself.
That leaves only three teams on the Cowboys’ schedule ranked above them in this poll, and it also means OSU will play just two of the four Big 12 teams picked ahead of them. Those are West Virginia and Iowa State.
And there’s still one major question hanging over the season: what kind of road team these Cowboys will be.
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For Oklahoma State, it is the sort of recognition that feeds bigger expectations around a player who is supposed to be central to the offense. The Walter Camp award will narrow to semifinalists and finalists later in the year, with the winner set to be announced in December, but Hawkins has already put himself in a conversation that suggests the Cowboys may have more than just a solid transfer on their hands. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State's 2026 Schedule Puts Eric Morris Under An Early Spotlight
The AP preseason Top 25 put Oklahoma State just outside the rankings, but the Cowboys still drew eight votes, a small signal that there is some respect around the program as it heads into a new era under Eric Morris. The schedule, though, is where the real test begins to take shape, with a slate that includes games against Oregon, Texas Tech and Houston and plenty of chances to show whether the Cowboys can climb back into the conversation.
Morris does not get much of a runway before the spotlight turns on him, and these matchups will help define how quickly Oklahoma State can settle in under its new coach. Oregon looms as the most obvious measuring stick, while the Big 12 stretches against Texas Tech and Houston add their own pressure, giving the Cowboys a series of early reveals about where the program stands and how much progress is still needed. [Read more 🡒]