How Each Big 12 Football Game Matters to Oklahoma State in Week 6
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys are hosting the UCF Knights for the first time in Stillwater. The Cowboys have plenty on the line.
Oklahoma State (3-1, 1-0 in Big 12) has won three straight games, snapped its 18-game Big 12 losing streak and is one of five Big 12 teams without a conference loss. Granted, it's early, but the longer Oklahoma State can stave off that first league loss the better their chances of getting to the championship game in Arlington improve.
While the Cowboys host the Knights, there are five other Big 12 games being played on Friday and Saturday. Most have the potential to impact Oklahoma State in the Big 12 standings. Here's each game and why it matters to the Cowboys.
Iowa State at No. 8 BYU
Game Info: 9:15 p.m. Friday, ESPN
Why it Matters to OSU: The Cowboys are one of five teams without a loss in league action. The BYU Cougars are another and the two teams don’t play each other this year (the Cowboys host BYU next year).
The Cyclones could do the Cowboys a real solid by upsetting the Cougars. Iowa State showed it could score points on a bad defense last week by dropping 45 points on West Virginia, with running back Aiden Flora accounting for five touchdowns.
The Cougars are down running back LJ Martin due to an injury. It should be an intriguing late-night showdown before the Cowboys kick off at 11 a.m.
Arizona at West Virginia
Game Info: 11:00 a.m. Saturday, TNT
Why it Matters to OSU: If Arizona beats West Virginia, you can basically eliminate the Mountaineers from Big 12 title game contention. That would give the Mountaineers three losses and barring utter chaos a three-loss Big 12 team isn’t getting to Arlington.
If West Virginia beats Arizona, then the Wildcats are on the brink of being out of the race. The Wildcats already have a league loss after falling to BYU in the Big 12 opener. They’re coming off a win over Cincinnati as they limited the Bearcat run game. That’s the key for Arizona — stopping a potent WVU run game.
The Cowboys would probably like a WVU win here to drop Arizona to two losses since OSU has a head-to-head tiebreaker over the Mountaineers.
Houston at Kansas State
Game Info: 2:30 p.m. Saturday, Fox
Why it Matters to OSU: Houston is Oklahoma State’s next opponent, so naturally the Cowboys are going to watch this game after they’re done with UCF. But the Cowboys also play Kansas State later this season in Manhattan.
Both teams have a Big 12 loss, but the Cougars are ranked at No. 22. Kansas State had trouble slowing down Cincinnati’s running game two weeks ago and, like OSU, is coming off a bye week.
Houston had a sloppy first half against UCF and turned things around in the second half with a key interception. The Cougars are eager to put a complete game together before hosting OSU in prime time. The loser has two losses in league play and is on the brink of being realistically out of the championship game race. That’s what matters to OSU.
Kansas at No. 12 Utah
Game Info: 9:15 p.m. Saturday, ESPN
Why it Matters to OSU: Like BYU, the Cowboys won’t play Utah this season. Like BYU, the Utes are undefeated. Like Iowa State, Kansas could do the Cowboys a huge favor and upset the Utes. I wouldn’t count on that, though. Kansas hasn’t beaten a power conference team in two tries this season (Missouri, Arizona State).
But that's what would matter to Oklahoma State in this case — a huge Kansas upset over Utah. The Cowboys won't play the Jayhawks until the end of the season. But what matters Saturday is Kansas figuring out a way to be Utah. Good luck with that.
Hawai’i at Arizona State
Game Info: 9:30 p.m. Saturday, FS1
Why it Matters to OSU: It's the only Big 12 game on the schedule that Oklahoma State really doesn't need anything from. Since it's a non-conference game, it's not going to influence the league standings. Oklahoma State gets its shot at Arizona State late in the season and by then the Cowboys should have a better sense of how they fit into the race. Same with the Sun Devils.
For now, Arizona State has one conference loss and remains one of a large group of teams that could still contend for the Big 12 championship game. But a win or loss to Hawai’i isn't going to help or hurt the Cowboys in any way.
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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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