Breaking Down Oklahoma State's Strengths, Weaknesses & 1 Thing That Could Upset Houston
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The Houston Cougars will likely have an entertaining game on their hands when they take on the Oklahoma State Cowboys at home in Week 7. This could be an old-fashioned college football shootout at TDECU Stadium on Oct. 17.
Every game in the Big 12 is not easy, and Oklahoma State is no exception. Throw the Cowboys' 1-11 record from last season out of the window. This is a completely different team for 2026 that has largely been assembled from the transfer portal.
Oklahoma State has not won a Big 12 game since 2023, and have been winless in the conference over the last two seasons with an 0-18 record. The Cowboys are now expected to be a competitive team in 2026. Here's a breakdown of the team.
Oklahoma State Strengths: Offense
Without a doubt, the Cowboys' offense does look quite formidable on paper. It could end up being one of the best offenses in the Big 12 led by five-star transfer quarterback Drew Mestemaker. He was the nation's leading passer last season at North Texas and one of the best signal callers in the game.
Oklahoma State hired Eric Morris as the new head coach, and he led a wave of North Texas talent to Stillwater. He's an offensive mind, and his Mean Green led the country in total offense and passing offense. 10 of Morris' teams have been ranked a top-10 total offense in his 13 years as an offensive coordinator and head coach.
Mestemaker threw for 4379 yards and 34 touchdowns, which was second in the country. The turnover from North Texas continued as Oklahoma State got all the key offensive players in four-star transfer wide receiver Wyatt Young and running back Caleb Hawkins.
Young racked up 1264 yards, which was third in the nation and Hawkins had 25 rushing touchdowns, which was the best. The Cowboys' coaching staff as a whole has worked together in the past at North Texas. On offense, running backs coach Patrick Cobbs and offensive coordinator Sean Brophy made the move to Stillwater and are two of the best at their jobs.
Oklahoma State Weakness: Spots on Defense
The whole team has completely changed from last season, and it's a new unit on defense that will have to work together. The kind of special talent that's there on offense isn't necessarily there on defense, especially in the front seven. The Cowboys did a lot in the portal to improve the secondary, but Houston can try and run the ball effectively and put up points themselves on an unproven OSU defense.
1 Thing That Could Upset Houston
Oklahoma State's passing offense has the potential to give trouble to Houston. With a talented quarterback in Mestemaker who is also capable of rushing for touchdowns, his passing could be lethal. Especially considering his favorite target in Young is available.
Houston's secondary does look good with both Will James and Kentrell Webb, but if they are not able to contain Mestemaker's arm, the Cougars could get upset.
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Maanav Gupta is a staff writer for Houston Cougars on SI. He graduated from the University of Houston in the summer of 2025 with his bachelor’s in journalism and a minor in Spanish. Gupta spent three years at the student newspaper, The Daily Cougar, and also covered the 2025 Final Four and National Championship as Houston beat writer for College Basketball Review. He also has his own YouTube channel, Maanav’s Sports Talk, where he has interviewed professional athletes and broadcasters like Jim Nantz, Jose Altuve, J.J. Watt, Rich Eisen, and Alperen Sengun. Gupta was also a contributor to the Houston athletic program as a student. You can find Gupta on X, Instagram and TikTok @MGSportsTalk.