Burning Questions for Oklahoma State's First Big 12 Road Game

The Cowboys are hoping to get back on track at Arizona.

Sep 27, 2025; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys quarterback Zane Flores (6) passes during the first half against the Baylor Bears at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images | William Purnell-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State is set for another Big 12 battle.

On Saturday, OSU will head to Tucson to face the Arizona Wildcats. After playing three of the Pac-12 additions in 2024, the Pokes will play Arizona for the first time as conference foes this weekend, with OSU desperate to get a win.

Burning questions for Oklahoma State’s matchup at Arizona:

Will Oklahoma State overcome off-field distractions?

Nothing has been calm in Stillwater since the Cowboys chose to fire Mike Gundy last month. After the Pokes let go of their head coach of two decades, nothing felt the same.

From Doug Meacham’s interim label to the sudden firing of defensive coordinator Todd Grantham after the Baylor game. While Clint Bowen will take over in that spot, he won’t have Dylan Smith or DeAndre Boykins, with OSU director of player development Richetti Jones suspended indefinitely on top of all that.

Considering how rough it’s been for the Cowboys this season, it seems like things are piling on endlessly. With a Big 12 road game in their sights, the Pokes can’t focus too much on what happens away from the game.

Can Zane Flores show he’s more than a placeholder for Hauss Hejny?

The Pokes have struggled mightily in almost every way offensively this season, with Flores being under center for all but a quarter of that action. Since Hejny’s injury, OSU hasn’t seen much to be excited about from Flores.

Although it seems like he has improved from start to finish of each game, there hasn’t been much carryover from the end of one game to the start of the next. Last week against Baylor, Flores threw for 232 yards and added another 25 on the ground.

Still yet to throw a touchdown through 15 quarters of action, the Cowboys’ current starter needs to prove himself soon if he wants any chance of keeping the starting job, assuming Hejny plays again this season.

Was motivation against Baylor a one-time thing?

The Cowboys entered their matchup against the Bears ready to send a message. Whether it be playing for Gundy or having some extra juice to play for Meacham, who was thrust into a tough spot, OSU showed a level of passion it hadn’t all season.

While that was certainly encouraging, it won’t matter much if the Cowboys go back to their nonconference ways. With seemingly nothing to play for this season, it wouldn’t be too shocking to see the Cowboys simply going through the motions again this weekend.

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