Oklahoma State’s early-season run has turned plenty of heads, and now the Cowboys get another chance to prove that start wasn’t a fluke.
After opening with a loss to Tulsa, Oklahoma State has strung together four straight wins, including a major upset of Oregon. That surge sets up a Week 7 trip to face No. 20 Houston, a Cougars team that has won three in a row and is trying to stay in the mix near the top of the Big 12 standings.
If the matchup feels like one worth watching from a betting angle, the numbers point toward offense. Houston has been productive all season, ranking seventh in success rate while sitting 58th in opponent success rate. Oklahoma State brings a similar profile, checking in 22nd in success rate and 46th in opponent success rate on defense.
That’s why the total is the play here. The OVER stands out more than a side in this one, especially with both teams showing they can move the ball but haven’t exactly locked things down defensively.
Houston’s offense got a massive lift last week from Patrick Overmyer, who tied the NCAA record for most touchdowns in a single game by a tight end when he scored four times in the Cougars’ 35-16 win over Kansas State. He’s now Houston’s leading receiver with 33 catches for 400 yards and six total touchdowns through six games.
The history between these teams backs up the same approach. The OVER has hit in five straight meetings between Oklahoma State and Houston.
The number is high, but there’s enough firepower here to make the points attractive. In a Big 12 matchup like this, that’s the side of the board worth leaning into.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State Faces A Bigger Test Than Just Another Big 12 Game
Eric Morris just reached the 50-win mark in his head-coaching career, a milestone worth noting even in a conference where the week-to-week pressure never really lets up. Ahead of Oklahoma States next matchup, he also took a moment to acknowledge the much longer road Willie Fritz has traveled, pointing to the Houston coachs 266 career victories and the steady climb that has defined Fritzs career.
For a Cowboys team preparing for a demanding Big 12 test, the contrast in experience adds another layer to the matchup. Morris clearly has respect for the work Fritz has put in over the years, and it frames this game as more than just another conference date on the schedule, with two programs that have both earned their way into the national conversation now measuring themselves against a coach whose rsum stands far above the rest. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Faces Its Biggest Big 12 Test Yet At Houston
No. 18 Oklahoma State heads to Houston for a showdown that suddenly carries real weight in the Big 12 race, with both teams sitting inside the AP top 20 and the conference-championship picture very much in play. The trip to TDECU Stadium brings together a Cowboys team that has put together four straight wins and a Cougars group that just knocked off Kansas State, a reminder that this is not just another late-season league game.
For Oklahoma State, the bigger story has been how quickly the program has steadied itself after a major roster overhaul, with first-year coach Eric Morris guiding a group that looks far more settled than it did in the fall. Houston has its own momentum and its own offensive playmakers, so this one has the feel of a true measuring-stick game for the Cowboys, with the result likely to say plenty about where they fit in the conference hierarchy. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Is Waiting On One Defensive Decision That Could Reshape Saturday
Oklahoma State spent part of the week waiting on the kind of defensive update that can change how a game is planned on both sides of the ball. Safety Mose Phillips III left the UCF game with a shoulder injury, and the Cowboys are still monitoring how he responds after leaving the field. Head coach Eric Morris has not sounded certain about Phillips condition, which leaves one of the back ends most important spots in flux as Saturday approaches.
If Phillips is unable to play, Oklahoma State would likely turn to Evan Jackson at boundary safety, a role he has handled before in the defensive scheme. That kind of switch is more than a simple depth-chart note for a defense that is trying to settle in, especially with the week moving toward a game plan that has to account for both availability and communication in the secondary. [Read more 🡒]