Could Oklahoma State Beat a No. 1 Team for First Time Next Season?

Oklahoma State football has been on the field for over a century, but one feat has eluded the program.

In 2024, OSU won its first three games and was ranked in the top 15 before falling off a cliff and finishing the season 3-9. With the team having a losing season for the first time since 2005, immense changes happened over the offseason.

One of the major reasons for those changes, beyond the sheer impact of a 3-9 season, was OSU’s expectations. The Cowboys were expected to not only compete for a Big 12 title after making the championship game two of the past three years, but they were also expected to be in the running for a national championship with the expanded 12-team playoff.

The Cowboys’ quest for a national title didn’t even make it into October, and the 2024 season likely set the program back a few years, at least as far as expectations go. From the expectation to be a perennial favorite in the new-look Big 12 to being a potential question mark to make a bowl game every season isn’t what the Cowboys wanted.

However, they could have a chance to flip the script in the early stages of the 2025 season. After a likely blowout win against UT Martin to begin the season, OSU will travel to Eugene to face the Oregon Ducks.

In 2024, Oregon was ranked No. 1 for most of the season before getting destroyed by Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Still, Oregon has established itself as a top program in the country and will be in that tier again next season.

While ESPN projected Oregon at No. 6 in its way-too-early top 25, the Ducks could easily be in the top five or higher when the preseason AP poll drops in August. Should the Ducks enter that matchup in the top two, OSU will have a chance at history.

The Cowboys have never beaten a No. 1 team in the country, going 0-11, with most of those losses coming against Oklahoma. They have also never beaten a team ranked higher than No. 3.

Sure, it would be a long shot for the Cowboys to knock off the Ducks if they can manage a spot in the top two. However, these opportunities don’t present themselves often, and a win in Eugene could be the driving force behind a surprise year for the Pokes.

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