We have reached the finale of our regular-season way-too-early previews, and with that we welcome in the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Now, heading into this final week, the Jayhawks would have just played the No. 14 BYU Cougars, in what would have been a game most had anticipated as a loss. For the Cowboys, their previous week would be an enticing matchup against the Arizona State Sun Devils.
Up until 2022, the Jayhawks had been on a 12-game losing streak against Oklahoma State, but since then, Kansas has won two of the last three.
When these two sides last met, heading into the matchup, it was a must-win for the Kansas Jayhawks. You see, the Cowboys had removed head coach Mike Gundy and were on a free fall to the bottom of power-conference football, winning just one game the entire season.
Sure enough, when KU did take the field, a big-time 38-21 win ensued, which allowed for a rare bit of relaxation to settle around the team. That game showcased the biggest highlight of now-starting quarterback Isaiah Marshall, who tallied a nice 43-yard run.
But let’s make one thing clear. The Oklahoma State Kansas faced in 2025 is nowhere near the Oklahoma State they will face in 2026.
The Cowboys have hit the reset button
We start with head coach Eric Morris. Morris’ first job as an FBS head coach was with the North Texas Mean Green. Morris was handed the keys ahead of the 2023 season, and over his first two seasons had notched records of 5-7 and 6-7. However, no one could foresee what would happen next.
Last season, Morris led North Texas to one of college football’s most exciting offenses in recent memory. Morris helped former walk-on quarterback Drew Mestemaker develop into a weapon. Mestemaker ended last season with an FBS-leading 4,379 yards, to go with 34 touchdowns and 9 interceptions. Mestemaker wasn’t just slinging the rock without a care in the world either, as he collected a tidy 68.9% completion rate.
It wasn’t just Mestemaker who thrived either; running back Caleb Hawkins totaled 1,434 rushing yards, 25 rushing touchdowns and 29 total from scrimmage. Why are we mentioning this? Because of course, when Morris was hired by Oklahoma State, he brought these two, along with 52 other transfers, to the program in what 247Sports ranked as the nation’s No. 15 overall transfer class.
This matchup couldn’t come at the worst time for Kansas
We are hitting old adages here, but it takes time to gel. If Kansas had met the Pokes in week four or five of the regular season, to kick off conference play, there is every chance that OSU would have still been adapting to the much brighter lights. But instead, Kansas has to wait until the last week of the season, when, in all likelihood, the Cowboys will be in fifth gear, making what is bound to be an important game an even more difficult one.
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