What the Cowboys' Game Against Oregon Could Mean for Their Season

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are just one day away from going into Eugene, Oregon, and taking on the No. 6 Ducks. The Cowboys opened the season last week with a 27-7 win against UT Martin, but Oregon is a whole different battle.

The Ducks are coming off a 59-13 win against Montana State, where they proved that they were a contender this year yet again, even getting a first-place vote in the AP Top 25 Poll this week.

This highly anticipated matchup for the Cowboys could very well have huge implications for how the rest of the season shapes up.

National Attention

There is going to be some level of attention every time you play a ranked team, and the lights get even brighter when they’re top 10. If the Cowboys can at least keep the game close, spotlights could start to turn their way.

Oklahoma State still has a lot to prove after its 3-9 season last year, and walking into Eugene and putting on a show could be exactly the start the Cowboys need for a comeback year.

National attention could be a blessing, but it could also be a curse. If the Cowboys underperform, any momentum they had last week could be gone. On the other hand, if they do come prepared for the task at hand, they could gain a target on their back for the rest of the season.

Deciding Playmakers

Against the biggest opponents is when you find out who your leaders are and who the guys you can lean on are. This week against Oregon will determine who can rise to the occasion and who Gundy will look to when the job needs to get done.

First-time starter at quarterback Zane Flores will be looking to prove why the spot should be his. After Hauss Hejny went down with a foot injury last week, Flores is expected to take every rep in this game against the Ducks. If Flores can find a way to claw out a win, he might not give up the starting spot even when Hejny returns.

The Cowboys will also be looking to see how players like Terrill Davis, Gavin Freeman and Kalib Hicks perform under the pressure.

Confidence

The whole country has basically counted the Cowboys out of the game, but that doesn’t mean they’re right. This new Oklahoma State team is not trying to be defined by how last season went.

The Pokes understand how big this game is, and they know how they could shock the world by putting up a fight. Coach Mike Gundy is potentially fighting for his job this season, and Gundy is never a man to lie down in a big moment.

Even though it is only Week 2, the Cowboys are using this game as a test of who they really are and how they want their season to be defined.