Did Oklahoma State Cowboys Move in Top 25 Polls After Bye Week?
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One thing was clear before Sunday’s Top 25 polls came out — the Oklahoma State Cowboys would take on the UCF Knights as a ranked team.
It will be the Cowboys’ (3-1, 1-0 in Big 12) first game as a ranked team since Sept. 28, 2024, when they faced Kansas State as the No. 20 team in the country. That was a 42-20 loss in Manhattan.
The Cowboys were off for Week 5 and while their players recuperated, their coaches hit the recruiting trail laying the groundwork for the Class of 2028 and potential flips for the Class of 2027. Now the work of game preparation returns.
So how did the week off help — or hurt the Cowboys in the US LBM Top 25 and the AP Top 25? Now that the polls are out, it’s time to take a look.
US LBM Top 25
The Cowboys received 187 votes in this weekend’s US LBM Top 25, which is voted on by head coaches in FBS, including OSU’s Eric Morris. But they still didn't crack the Top 25. Kentucky had 210 votes and was ranked No. 25.
The Cowboys were not ranked in the poll last week. But they were the first team outside the poll with 126 votes. The team ahead of them was Missouri, which resoundingly defeated Florida to remain in the poll. Two teams ranked in the final five spots of last week’s poll also absorbed losses — No. 22 Penn State and No. 24 Michigan. Both dropped out.
Offensively, the Cowboys have become one of the most productive teams in college football. They’ve topped 500 yards in total offense each of the last two games and entering this week they are the No. 2 team in the country in total offense at 548.2 yards per game, behind only Miami (FL) at 554.8 yards per game.
Previous Weeks
Preseason: 22 votes
Week 1: No votes
Week 2: 16 votes
Week 3: 36 votes
Week 4: 126 votes
AP Top 25 Poll
The Cowboys moved up one spot to No. 18 in this week's AP Top 25, receiving 477 votes.
After the 41-24 win over West Virginia, the voters of the AP Top 25 put the Cowboys back in the poll at No. 19, one spot higher than their ranking against Kansas State two years ago.
There was far less discombobulation ahead of OSU in this poll. No. 17 Tennessee and No. 18 USC both won. But, the Trojans moved one spot behind the Cowboys at No. 19.
The Cowboys’ defense is coming off a win over West Virginia in which it did give up 466 yards. But the defense held WVU 0-for-3 on fourth down, got an interception from defensive back Mose Phillips III, registered four sacks and had eight tackles for loss.
Previous Weeks
Preseason: 8 votes
Week 1: No votes
Week 2: 36 votes
Week 3: 50 votes
Week 4: No. 19 (345 votes)
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Matthew Postins is the publisher of Oklahoma State on SI. He is an award-winning sports journalist who was formerly the editor of the College Football America Yearbook and covers the Big 12 Conference for Heartland College Sports.
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