Burning Questions for Oklahoma State's Friday Night Matchup vs. Tulsa

Oklahoma State is set for its nonconference finale, and it needs a win to get back on track this season.

In Week 2, OSU suffered a 66-point loss against Oregon, but with a bye week to regroup, it’s ready to match up against an in-state rival. Although OSU hasn’t had an impressive start to the season, this could be a perfect way for the Pokes to get back on track.

Burning questions for OSU’s matchup against Tulsa:

Is Oklahoma State still a tier above Tulsa?

The Cowboys have dominated the matchup against the Golden Hurricane and haven’t lost to them in decades. However, Friday night’s matchup represents easily the best chance for Tulsa to get a win in the Mike Gundy era.

Of course, that’s thanks to OSU’s slide over the past couple of years. Still, the Cowboys enter as the clear favorites and should be able to take care of business at home.

However, there is no guarantee that Gundy and company will look good after their first bye week fo the season. With Tulsa head coach Tre Lamb already making it clear that he thinks he should be able to compete with the Cowboys for local recruits, this matchup could have some fun storylines in the future, and perhaps with that level playing field.

Can anyone break out for the OSU offense?

Two games into this season, Hauss Hejny has been the only Cowboy to make their mark offensively. Considering he will be sidelined for half the season at least, Friday night would be a perfect time for another Poke to shine.

While the obvious answer, and the one OSU is hoping for, is Zane Flores, the third-year freshman hasn’t had an encouraging season thus far. However, some of his weapons in the passing game could be in for a big day.

With plenty of intriguing transfer talent like Christian Fitzpatrick and Terrill Davis, the Cowboys’ receiving core could make up for some of the offense’s struggles thus far. And, of course, any running back who could establish himself would be massive for OSU with conference play looming.

Can OSU show improvement after a bye week?

Obviously, it will be nearly impossible for the Cowboys to get worse after losing by 66 points, but there needs to be some clear improvement against Tulsa. Although it would simply be unreasonable to expect OSU to get a blowout victory, anything similar to what OSU showed in the first two weeks would be a severe disappointment.