Oklahoma State Opponent Review: Colorado Pushes Utah to Brink Before Losing
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys fell to the Houston Cougars on Saturday but there was excitement all over the Big 12 on Saturday.
Week 7 was a great example of what the Big 12 is so competitive. The Cowboys (4-2, 2-1 in Big 12) only lost to Houston (6-1, 3-1) by three points, 35-32. BYU upset Notre Dame, 28-24. Utah outlasted Colorado, the latter of which is up next for Oklahoma State. Among non-ranked teams, Cincinnati and West Virginia played a barnburner in Morgantown before the Mountaineers won, 45-42.
Oklahoma State will host Colorado at 6 p.m. on Saturday. As the Cowboys get ready for that game, here is our weekly check-in to see how the rest of the Oklahoma State Cowboys’ 2026 opponents performed in Week 7 and what it means.
OSU Opponents in Week 7
Opponent | Opponent's Opponent | Score | Record |
|---|---|---|---|
Tulsa | at Rice | W, 38-17 | 4-3 (1-2 in American) |
Oregon | vs. Nebraska | W, 17-14 | 4-2 (2-1 in Big Ten) |
Murray State | vs. South Dakota | L, 48-20 | 1-6 (0-3 MVFC) |
West Virginia | vs. Cincinnati | W, 45-42 | 4-3 (1-3 in Big 12) |
UCF | Idle | Idle | 3-3 (1-2 in Big 12) |
vs. Colorado | vs. Utah | L, 27-24 | 2-4 (0-3 in Big 12) |
at Iowa State | Idle | Idle | 3-3 (1-2 in Big 12) |
at Kansas State | vs. Kansas | W, 35-24 | 4-2 (1-2 in Big 12) |
vs. Texas Tech | vs. Arizona State | W, 53-25 | 6-0 (3-0 in Big 12) |
at Arizona State | at Texas Tech | L, 53-25 | 3-3 (1-2 in Big 12) |
vs. Kansas | at Kansas State | L, 35-24 | 2-4 (0-3 in Big 12) |
Notable Games
OSU’s Next Opponent: Colorado
Give Colorado some credit. Utah should have rolled over the Buffs, given their records. But CU was in this game until the end as the Buffaloes scored 24 second-half points to push the Utes to the brink.
Quarterback Isaac Wilson has taken over the job, and he threw for 256 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions. The Buffs gained 138 yards on the ground and wide receiver DeAndre Moore Jr. caught five passes for 70 yards and a score.
The Colorado defense did a good job limiting Utah’s offense. Quarterback Devon Dampier threw for 278 yards with three touchdown and two interceptions. Running back Wayshawn Johnson rushed for 98 yards on 23 carries. The Buffs’ defensive front is probably their best overall unit on the team.
As the Cowboys prepare for the Buffs, the one thing to keep in mind is that they can play teams close. While they lost to Texas Tech, 29-7, their other two Big 12 losses were by a combined 13 points. Head coach Deion Sanders and his crew should put up a fight on Saturday.
Tech Rolls
Texas Tech was off last week. It gave the Red Raiders some time to work out the offensive issues that have held them back. Well, it worked.
Quarterback Will Hammond put together an incredibly efficient game, as he threw for 232 yards and one touchdown. Running back J’Koby Williams rushed for 165 yards on just 11 carries. Wide receiver Kenny Johnson caught seven passes for 120 yards. Texas Tech outscored Arizona State, 43-10 in the first half. That was that.
The Red Raiders had another pick six, this one from linebacker Ben Roberts. All three Tech linebackers have a pick six this season.
Running back Cameron Dickey didn’t play. He is still working through a high ankle sprain. But the fact that the Red Raiders put this kind of a hurting on ASU without him says something about the improvement they made in the bye week.
The Big 12 Race Ahead
The Big 12 has three teams that are undefeated for the season and in the Top 10 of the AP Poll — Texas Tech, BYU and Utah. One of them won’t get to the finish line undefeated because BYU and Utah must play each other. Texas Tech doesn’t play either one of them. There’s a chance that two teams in this conference could go undefeated and reach the Big 12 title game. That’s bad news for Oklahoma State.
That’s why the path with half the season remaining is so narrow for OSU. The Cowboys, realistically, must win out to have a chance to reach the Big 12 title game. The scenario that might get them to Arlington:
An undefeated BYU or Utah;
Oklahoma State beats Texas Tech;
OSU, Tech and either BYU or Utah finish in a three-way tie for second place at 8-1.
The Cowboys have a chance until they lose again. But, realistically, they can’t.
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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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