Oklahoma State Could See Benefits From Big 12 Team's Playoff Run

The Cowboys could be helped out from a big run by the Red Raiders.

Oct 25, 2025; Lubbock, Texas, USA; A general view of an Oklahoma State Cowboys helmet on the bench in the second half of the game against the Texas Tech Red Raiders at Jones AT&T Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images | Michael C. Johnson-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State might not be in the College Football Playoff, but one Big 12 team could change things drastically for the Cowboys and the rest of the conference.

Despite OSU’s 1-11 season, things are beginning to look better in Stillwater. As many of the players from last season’s squad head to new destinations and Eric Morris looks to make OSU Big 12 contender again, change is happening rapidly for the Pokes.

Of course, amid all of the changes happening in Stillwater, the rest of the college football world is still on a journey to crown the next national champion. After a first round that saw plenty of interesting action, including the elimination of the Cowboys’ top rival, there are only eight more teams alive in the national title race.

Of the eight teams still alive, the Cowboys had two on their 2025 schedule, combining to score a whopping three points against the Oregon Ducks and Texas Tech Red Raiders. While OSU would like to get back to a point where it can compete with those teams and not have those games be over by the end of the first quarter, the first step in the right direction could come with a big performance from Morris’ former team.

While the Cowboys’ new head coach couldn’t secure a playoff spot at North Texas in 2025, the team he played his college ball with could change the landscape of college football. Of course, Morris played with Texas Tech, and now his former team could begin to make his life a bit easier in Stillwater.

While a Texas Tech national title wouldn’t necessarily make OSU some great destination suddenly, there is an indirect impact that could come from the Red Raiders running the table. If Texas Tech won and secured the new-look Big 12 a national title, Brett Yormark and company would have much more negotiating power on the national scale.

Potentially showing that a Big 12 team can not only compete with, but beat the giants from the Big Ten and SEC, Texas Tech winning it all would suddenly thrust the Big 12 into that top tier of college football conferences.

Considering how wild realignment has been and the uncertain state of the future of the College Football Playoff format, any extra help for the Big 12 could be massive for the Cowboys, particularly if Morris can get the program back to contender status.

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