How The Kansas State Wildcats Could Ruin Oklahoma State's Season in 2026

This was inevitable. At some point, Colin Klein was going to pay the Oklahoma State Cowboys another visit.

The legendary Wildcats quarterback and Heisman Trophy finalist has worked his way up to the lead chair at Kansas State football. Bill Snyder's star pupil and Chris Klieman’s former offensive coordinator is now the head coach in Manhattan. He replaces Klieman, who retired after last season.

Klein rejoins the program at an interesting time. Kansas State still has the quarterback he helped recruit, Avery Johnson. But since winning the 2022 Big 12 championship game the Wildcats have been treading water more than achieving the heights they were hoping to reach. It's up to Klein to help them get there.

He's been a thorn in Oklahoma State’s side as a player and as an assistant coach. Now, he gets the chance to needle the Cowboys as a head coach. Can Kansas State ruin Oklahoma State's season? The game is late enough in the year to raise the possibility. Recent history suggests that winning or losing this game is a big deal for Oklahoma State.

How Kansas State Could Ruin Oklahoma State’s Season

Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris speaks to reporters. — Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Let's look at the last seven seasons. In that span the Cowboys have a 4-3 record against the Wildcats. Inevitably, an Oklahoma State win leads to an above average, if not great season. A loss leaves the Cowboys with, if they’re lucky, an average season.

Most recently, the Cowboys fell to the Wildcats, 14-6 in Stillwater, and finished last season 1-11. In 2024, Oklahoma State fell to Kansas State, 42-20 in Manhattan, and finished 3-9.

In 2023, when OSU went to the Big 12 title game for the second time in three years, the Cowboys beat the Wildcats, 29-12. When the Cowboys went to the 2021 Big 12 title game against Baylor, they also beat the Wildcats, 31-20. Sandwiched in between that was OSU’s 48-0 loss to KSU in Manhattan. The Cowboys went 7-6.

Oklahoma State won both the 2020 and 2019 matchups and won at least eight games those seasons. It wasn’t championship worthy but was better than .500. The math doesn’t lie. When the Cowboys beat the Wildcats, they win eight or more games. When the Cowboys lose, they win seven or fewer. It’s just the trend.

The game is in November, which means both teams should have something worth playing for. At minimum, the Wildcats and the Cowboys will be fighting for bowl eligibility. If both max out, the game could be a match up for Big 12 championship game positioning.

That makes a victory for the Cowboys important and the opportunity for the Wildcats to ruin their season intriguing.

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