Staff Predictions for the Houston Cougars vs. Oklahoma State Cowboys
In this story:
The Longhorns and Sooners aren't the only Texas vs. Oklahoma matchup happening this weekend in the college football world, as the Houston Cougars look to take the all-time series lead over the Cowboys of Oklahoma State when they head north of the Red River for Stillwater, Oklahoma.
After suffering their first loss of the 2025 season against the Texas Tech Red Raiders last week, the Cougars will look to get back to their winning ways that they were more familiar with before then, especially now that they know that Conner Weigman will more than likely be good to go.
Oklahoma State on the other hand, is basically just looking for a positive to chalk down for the 2025 season after firing longtime head coach Mike Gundy after 20 years and sitting at 1-4 on the year, still searching for a win against an FBS opponent.
Staff Predictions
With the opening kick less than 24 hours away, here is how the staff writers here on Houston Cougars On SI believe that the showdown in Stillwater will end up.
Aaron Raley
Hungry for vengeance after a tough loss to Texas Tech, the Houston Cougars, on paper, get an easy sixth game of the season against Oklahoma State. Yes, there's no such thing as an easy win, but let's face it, it will take a colossal effort from the Cowboys and a colossal collapse from the Coogs for a second straight loss to hit Willie Fritz's team. I think Houston bounces back wonderfully and proves that their loss to Tech was a fluke that was marred by Conner Weigman going down. With Weigman back under center, that offense should be back to business as usual in Stillwater.
Houston 35, Oklahoma State 14
Carson Wersal
After the loss to Texas Tech, I think many wavered on where the floor and ceiling of this Houston Cougars team is. While holding a 4-1 record is impressive through Week 6, there are questions as to whether or not this team is a legitimate contender with the other superpowers in the conference. Personally, I put a lot of stock into how a team reacts after a loss. I think Houston takes care of business against the Cowboys and further separates themselves from the bottom half of the Big 12.
Houston 27, Oklahoma State 14
DJ Burton
Houston has two ways of responding to last week’s demoralizing loss, it can take out its frustrations on Oklahoma State or phone it in. I think the Coogs will do the prior and send a message to the rest of the Big 12 that they can still compete with the conference leaders.
Watch out, H-Town is back (for now).
Houston 42, Oklahoma State 21
Jon Alfano
This is about as close to a freebie as there is in conference play. The Cowboys have had a miserable go of things lately, losing each of their past 13 games against FBS opponents. With Mike Gundy gone, they’ve basically already waved the white flag on this season.
As long as the Cougars bother to show up, this is their game to lose.
Houston 30, Oklahoma State 10
Michael Carrara
Houston needs this get-right opportunity to wipe away its messy display of allowing 552 total yards at home to Texas Tech, including 207 on the ground. That comes prime with Oklahoma State averaging just 13.8 points per game in its 1-4 start. Meanwhile offensively, to find a rhythm, the Cougars must align close to the Cowboys’ rate of allowing 43.5 points per game. Things look to point to Conner Weigman’s return on Saturday as he is listed as probable, while on Oklahoma State’s side, a starter under center is still up in the air. This comes as the Cowboys are atop Big 12 programs with players ruled out in player availability reports.
Houston 42, Oklahoma State 13
Kolton Becker
Houston wakes up early and is energized after a devastating loss last weekend to Texas Tech. Conner Weigman should be healthy, and he will get the offense back to its roots. Tanner Koziol has a big day as well as Dean Connors, who should have a big day running the ball. Oklahoma State misses its old head coach, Mike Gundy, and regrets firing him after an ugly performance on both sides of the ball. Houston wins big.
Houston 45, Oklahoma State 17
Maanav Gupta
The Cougars have a huge bounce back offensive game with Connor Weigman good to play. Houston has a strong rushing attack with Dean Connors, J’Marion Burnette and Stacy Sneed. UH has two rushing and two passing touchdowns and rack up over 400 yards of offense on the road. The slow starts are a clear issue and Houston fixes it this week. Defensively, UH plays like they have something to prove and they shut down the Cowboys for almost three quarters. Overall, it’s a much needed bounce back game for the program.
Houston 37, Oklahoma State 17
Ylver Deleon-Rios
The Coogs will have to bounce back after a crushing loss a week ago. Thankfully for Willie Fritz and company, the Oklahoma State Cowboys should be a much more favorable matchup. I expect Houston to return from their road trip to Stillwater with a comfortable victory.
Houston 31, Oklahoma State 10
