Trap Game or Tune Up? Sizing Up Tulsa on Oklahoma State’s 2026 Schedule

Last year’s loss to Tulsa remains a bitter taste in Oklahoma State’s mouth. So how does that change the approach to this year’s matchup?

Oklahoma State head coach Eric Morris. | DOUG HOKE/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Eric Morris probably doesn’t know much more about Oklahoma State’s loss to Tulsa last year beyond what he saw on game tape.

It wasn’t pretty. Oklahoma State lost a game it should have won, 19-12. The Cowboys were inept on offense, unable to close the deal on most of its possessions while the defense did enough against the Golden Hurricane to win. It’s the kind of miss that haunts teams for an entire season.

It certainly followed Oklahoma State. The loss was the final straw when it came to head coach Mike Gundy, who was let go. Doug Meachem replaced him as the interim coach, but the Cowboys lost every Big 12 game for the second straight year. OSU athletic director Chad Weiberg hired Morris to fix this.

First up in his debut season? Tulsa. Isn’t that always the way? Is this a trap game or a tune-up?

An Opener Oklahoma State Needs to Win

Tulsa Golden Hurricane quarterback Baylor Hayes. | James Guillory-Imagn Images

Lost in Tulsa’s upset of the Cowboys is that the Golden Hurricane wasn’t much better than Oklahoma State was a season ago. The Cowboys ended up going 1-11. The Golden Hurricane went 4-8 under head coach Tre Lamb, who was in his first year guiding the program. Tulsa should be better in Year 2. But, like any other Group of 6 program, he’s had to deal with significant transfer portal turnover, in addition to the loss of several players that were out of eligibility.

Oklahoma State shouldn’t have lost to Tulsa last season. The Cowboys still had a significant talent gap over the Golden Hurricane. Tulsa entered that game 1-2 and had only beaten an FCS team. But in-state games like this can turn games like this into something unrecognizable by game’s end. And for OSU fans, it was. It was the first time Tulsa won in Stillwater since 1951.

Morris has received high marks for his transfer class. It includes 17 players from his North Texas team that reached the American Conference championship game. Most of the roster is filled with transfers or true freshmen. Only a handful of players return from last season. ESPN recently named his transfer portal class No. 14 in college football. He’s building the Cowboys for a quick turnaround.

But Lamb has lured an intriguing class too. ESPN ranked Tulsa’s transfer class the 19th most intriguing transfer portal class. Lamb prioritized power conference talent and signed 1l players with that experience. He’s building something that could be sneaky good in 2026.

Just how sneaky good Tulsa will be in the opener remains to be seen. What Oklahoma State can be to start the season remains to be seen. That’s why this looks like a tune up on paper is most certainly a trap game. The Cowboys must treat it that way.