STILLWATER - The money talk around Oregon’s loss in Stillwater has only gotten louder since Saturday, and the latest reporting puts the Ducks’ roster spending in a completely different universe from Oklahoma State’s.
On Wednesday, The Athletic published a sweeping breakdown of estimated roster budgets across the Power Conferences and Notre Dame, with the reporters stressing that the figures are built from estimates gathered through more than 70 sources. Even with the caveats piled on, the numbers offer the clearest picture yet of how the spending gap looks across college football.
For Oklahoma State, the estimate lands between $15 million and $19 million. That places the Cowboys in a tie with Houston for 63rd out of 68 teams, though the range makes that ranking a little slippery.
The broader Big 12 picture is more revealing. The league’s average roster budget is estimated at $18 million to $22 million, trailing the ACC by $3 million and lagging the Big Ten and SEC by $9 million and $15 million, respectively. Within the conference, Texas Tech stands alone at the top with an estimated $38 million to $42 million, while TCU follows at $22 million to $25 million.
Oklahoma State is part of a crowded middle tier. Seven Big 12 teams are estimated to be spending between $15 million and $22 million, with Arizona, Iowa State and Cincinnati sitting even lower.
That matters when you map the Cowboys’ schedule against those budget numbers. Using the middle of each range, Oklahoma State is set to face West Virginia on Sept. 26 with the Mountaineers spending $3 million more.
UCF on Oct. 10 checks in at $0.5 million more. Houston on Oct. 17 is the same.
Colorado on Oct. 24 is $2.5 million more. Iowa State on Oct. 31 comes in at minus $2 million.
Kansas State on Nov. 7 is $3.5 million more. Texas Tech on Nov. 14 is a massive $23 million more.
Arizona State on Nov. 21 is $4 million more. Kansas on Nov. 28 is minus $1 million.
The note attached to the data matters, too: West Virginia could spend as much as $7 million more than Oklahoma State if the Cowboys are at the low end of their range and the Mountaineers are at the high end. Still, the bigger takeaway is that OSU’s league slate is lined up against a lot of teams spending in a similar neighborhood.
That makes some games look especially manageable from a budget standpoint. UCF, Iowa State and Kansas stand out that way, and those three alone would leave Oklahoma State two wins shy of bowl eligibility, assuming the Cowboys beat FCS opponent Murray State this weekend.
And then there’s Oregon. The Ducks’ estimated range is $48 million to $54 million, which ranks second nationally behind only Ohio State at $49 million to $54 million. Even if Oregon spent the low end and Oklahoma State spent the high end, the gap would still be $29 million.
That’s the backdrop to a win that has turned the Cowboys into one of the early stories of the season. Whatever Oklahoma State is paying to put this roster together, Saturday’s result made the investment look pretty good.
In Other News...
Beavers Finally Have This Over Oregon And Fans Cant Enjoy It
Oregon State may only be 1-2, but the Beavers have looked like the better team in the early going, and that has made the latest chapter of the rivalry feel a little upside-down. Oregon has the prettier record at 2-1, yet the Ducks have not matched the same level of play, while the Beavers have shown enough life under JaMarcus Shephard to keep the idea of a winning season on the table.
Kevin Griffin, Oregon States athletic director, framed the rivalry as something bigger than football, saying it matters to the culture of the state as the teams head toward a long gap before they meet again. The odd part for Beavers fans is that even with the satisfaction of seeing their side play better right now, there is not much immediate room to savor it, with the matchup not set to resume until several years from now. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State Special Teams Showed Promise But One Concern Still Lingers
Oregon States special teams gave the Beavers plenty to build on against Montana, with Xayvion Noland providing the kind of burst in the return game that can change field position in a hurry. Punter AJ Winsor and kicker Caleb Ojeda also did their jobs, while kickoff specialist Jaydn Oh consistently pushed the action deep enough to produce multiple touchbacks, a sign the unit looked more organized and more dangerous than it has at times.
Still, the day was not spotless, and the biggest concern was not hard to spot. Penalties on special teams remain a focus, and the Beavers also had a return sequence they would probably like back, the sort of mistake that keeps a promising performance from turning into a fully clean one. For a group trying to prove it can be a real asset, the challenge now is keeping the good field-position gains while tightening the details that can undo them. [Read more 🡒]
Oregon State's O-Line Gets Relief As Bigger Fight Still Looms
Oregon State got a timely bit of good news for its offensive line on Tuesday, when the status of Van Wells and Jaheim Patterson was settled well enough to keep them on the field for this season. For a program trying to protect its depth up front, any clarity along the line matters, and this ruling gives the Beavers a little breathing room in a spot where continuity can be hard to find.
The broader issue, though, is still not fully done. The eligibility fight had already moved through one layer of approval with the NCAA, and the case was headed toward a fuller hearing before the latest court decision was made public, leaving the larger picture unresolved for now. For Oregon State, it is a useful reprieve, but not the final word on a situation that has been hanging over two key players. [Read more 🡒]