Weeks before Oklahoma State opened the season, the conversation around the program was already running hot. The assignment was simple: sketch out the Cowboys’ best-case path for 2026.
At that point, everything was theory, all upside and possibility. In a college football landscape where turnarounds can happen fast, it was fair to wonder whether Oklahoma State could be next.
The answer, six games in, is that the Cowboys are right where they were projected to be.
They sit at 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Big 12 play, which puts them almost exactly on the pace of the 8-4 finish and 6-3 league mark that was forecast before the season. That’s not the full story, though. The larger takeaway is how much progress Oklahoma State has made - and how much work still sits ahead.
The early slate didn’t go perfectly. Tulsa and Oregon were misses in the preseason projection. But the midseason record still landed in the same neighborhood, and the Big 12 results have mattered most.
West Virginia and UCF were the kind of toss-up games that felt manageable for OSU, and the offense did what was expected in both. Houston was a different test.
It was viewed as a potential championship-level team, and the original read was that the Cougars would win a close one. That changed in the bold predictions writeup, where Oklahoma State was picked for three reasons: the offense looked better after six games than expected, the defense looked better after six games than expected, and the game felt like a field-goal decision.
That part was right. The winner wasn’t.
Houston coach Eric Morris was not pleased afterward, and the game exposed the edge of what Oklahoma State’s defense has been trying to do. The unit that had been playing above its level finally hit a rough patch.
When a bend-don’t-break defense breaks, it can unravel fast, and Saturday exposed that, especially in the secondary. Missed assignments and unnecessary penalties kept showing up at the worst times.
Even so, the Cowboys were there. This was a game they could have taken.
The details show how close it was. Oklahoma State went 4-for-5 in the red zone, but one possession ended with a field goal and another stalled on downs. Morris then decided to go for it on 4th-and-goal instead of settling for the kick that would have tied the game in the end.
There was more chaos layered into it. Drew Mestemaker had a strong game, but he also came close to throwing two interceptions that defenders dropped.
Terrence Lewis was ruled to have fumbled, only for replay to show he had not made a football move. Shaun Torgeson gave up a sack that led to a fumble, then recovered it and gained three yards.
Houston, meanwhile, delivered on fourth down in a way it hadn’t all season, going 3-for-3. Conner Weigman was sharp enough to light up Oklahoma State, and the Cowboys still lost by only three.
One more sack. One more stop on third down.
One more play.
That’s the reality for this team right now. The gap between winning and losing is tiny, and it may come down to a single snap each week.
Still, after six games, Oklahoma State is exactly where the preseason picture suggested it would be. And if you told Cowboys fans before the season that 4-2 was the record through six, most of them would have signed up for it in a heartbeat. An 8-4 finish would probably still sound pretty good, too.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State's Recruiting Surge Just Added Another Huge Future Piece
Oklahoma States womens basketball recruiting momentum picked up again with another commitment for the future, this time from Payton Caudle, a highly regarded guard from Fayetteville, Arkansas. The pledge is non-binding for now, with the earliest chance to make it official coming during the upcoming early signing period, but it adds another notable piece to a program that has been busy reshaping its outlook through both recruiting and roster management.
The timing matters, too, because the Cowgirls are navigating a roster landscape altered by new eligibility rules while also trying to balance incoming talent with the pieces already in place. Between recent transfer additions and the preseason recognition already coming the programs way, Caudles commitment fits into a broader push that suggests Oklahoma State is building with both the present and the next wave in mind. [Read more 🡒]
Drew Mestemaker Put OSU In A Hole Before The Late Rally
Oklahoma State spent the first part of its loss to Houston digging out of a hole that started early and never quite went away. Drew Mestemaker had a rough opening stretch, and the Cowboys could not turn those early chances into enough points, leaving them chasing the game before the late rally even had a chance to matter.
Eric Morris pointed to Mestemakers uneven night after the 35-32 defeat, while also crediting Conner Weigman for the kind of performance that tilted the finish Houstons way. Weigman threw five touchdown passes and added key rushing plays late, a reminder that Oklahoma States comeback effort was undone by the margin it gave up long before the closing minutes. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Heads To Colorado With New Questions After Houston Loss
Oklahoma States loss to Houston left plenty to sort through as the Cowboys turn their attention to Colorado, and the review of individual performances offered a mix of encouraging signs and familiar concerns. The passing game had some bright spots, with the quarterback moving the offense through the air and Caleb Hawkins giving the unit a much-needed spark, while Fields held up well in coverage on the other side of the ball.
Still, the snap judgment from this one is that the Cowboys have a few spots to clean up before the next trip. Barnes was limited as shoulder problems lingered, Shawn Torgeson drew scrutiny for his work up front, and coach Eric Morris pointed to adjustments and effort as the key talking points heading into a week that now feels more important than it did a few days ago. [Read more 🡒]