Oklahoma State’s path got a little tighter in Week 7, and the rest of the Big 12 kept reminding everyone just how unforgiving this league can be.
The Cowboys dropped a three-point game to Houston on Saturday, 35-32, and now turn their attention to Colorado, which will visit Stillwater at 6 p.m. on Saturday. While Oklahoma State was dealing with its own disappointment, the week around the conference delivered plenty of chaos: BYU knocked off Notre Dame, 28-24, Utah survived Colorado, and Cincinnati and West Virginia turned Morgantown into a shootout before the Mountaineers pulled out a 45-42 win.
Colorado, in particular, made Utah work for everything. The Buffaloes scored 24 second-half points and kept the game tight all the way to the finish, even though the Utes entered with the stronger record.
Isaac Wilson, now the starting quarterback, completed 256 passing yards with two touchdowns and two interceptions. Colorado also ran for 138 yards, and DeAndre Moore Jr. delivered five catches for 70 yards and a score.
The defense gave the Buffs a chance, too. Utah quarterback Devon Dampier threw for 278 yards, three touchdowns and two interceptions, while Wayshawn Johnson ran for 98 yards on 23 carries. The Buffaloes’ front seven stood out in the review, and that unit may be their best overall strength.
For Oklahoma State, that’s the matchup detail worth filing away: Colorado has shown it can hang around. The Cowboys’ own Big 12 losses have been close outside of the 29-7 defeat to Texas Tech, with the other two conference losses coming by a combined 13 points. Head coach Deion Sanders and his group should make this one competitive.
Texas Tech spent its bye week cleaning up offensive issues, and the Red Raiders came out sharper against Arizona State. Quarterback Will Hammond was efficient, throwing for 232 yards and a touchdown.
J’Koby Williams ripped off 165 rushing yards on only 11 carries, and Kenny Johnson added seven receptions for 120 yards. Texas Tech led 43-10 at halftime and never had to look back.
The Red Raiders also got another defensive splash play, with linebacker Ben Roberts returning a pick six. That’s now three Tech linebackers with pick sixes this season. Cameron Dickey sat out with a high ankle sprain, but Texas Tech still delivered its most complete showing in a while without him.
The bigger picture in the league remains brutal for anyone trying to navigate the top of the standings. Texas Tech, BYU and Utah are all undefeated and sitting in the AP Top 10, but BYU and Utah still have to face each other.
Texas Tech does not play either one. That leaves open the possibility that two Big 12 teams could finish unbeaten and still make the league title game, which is exactly the kind of scenario that makes life difficult for Oklahoma State.
With half the season left, the margin for error is tiny. Realistically, the Cowboys need to win out to stay in the Big 12 title race. The most plausible route to Arlington would involve OSU, Texas Tech and either BYU or Utah finishing in a three-way tie for second place at 8-1.
The Cowboys still have a shot. But every loss makes the road narrower.
In Other News...
Houston Just Made A Big 12 Statement Fans Can't Ignore
Houston walked out of TDECU Stadium with a 35-32 win over Oklahoma State in a Big 12 game that felt like a statement from a team trying to separate itself from the pack. The Cougars improved to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in conference play, while the Cowboys still put up 499 total yards in a game that had enough offense to feel like it could swing either way for long stretches.
Conner Weigman was the difference for Houston, throwing for 343 yards and five touchdowns in a performance that kept the home side in control when Oklahoma State kept pushing back. The Cowboys never made it easy, but Houston found the answer it needed in the fourth quarter and left Stillwater with a win that will be hard for the rest of the league to ignore. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Let A Winnable Game Slip Away On Defense
The four-game surge was bound to be tested eventually, and Oklahoma State found out the hard way in a 35-32 loss to Houston that slipped away on the defensive side. The Cowboys had enough offensive life to stay in it, with Drew Mestemaker throwing for 365 yards and the second-half attack looking much sharper, but the game kept turning on possessions the defense could not finish. Houston controlled stretches of the game, kept the ball away from Oklahoma State, and made the Cowboys pay for missed tackles and poor answers on crucial downs.
Houstons ability to extend drives became the difference, especially when the Cougars kept staying on the field in the biggest moments. Oklahoma State also left points on the board with a critical red-zone chance that went unused, and once the margin tightened late, the Cowboys never quite found the stop they needed to change the outcome. The result was a frustrating end to a winning streak and another reminder that for this team, offensive progress still has to be matched by cleaner work when the defense is under pressure. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Let A Huge Road Opportunity Slip Away Late
A top-20 matchup at TDECU Stadium turned into a classic shootout, and Oklahoma State was right there until the final stretch. No. 20 Houston outlasted the No. 18 Cowboys 35-32, getting a huge night from Conner Weigman while Drew Mestemaker kept Oklahoma State alive with a second-half rally that made a road win feel within reach.
Mestemaker threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns as the Cowboys kept punching back, but the finish slipped away in the final minutes. Houston improved to 6-1 while Oklahoma State dropped to 4-2, leaving the Cowboys to wonder how different the night might have looked if one late sequence had gone their way. [Read more 🡒]