What Wins, What Loses Game for Oklahoma State Against Kansas State in 2026
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys start the final third of their 2026 season against the Kansas State Wildcats on Nov. 7.
It will be the first meeting — the first of many, both sides hope — of new head coaches. Eric Morris took over at Oklahoma State and Collin Klein took over at Kansas State. Per the modern game, both used the transfer portal liberally to get better.
But they’re building teams from different positions. Kansas State won six games last year before Chris Klieman retired. Oklahoma State won just one game, which finally ended the Mike Gundy era.
Here is what wins and what loses the game for the Oklahoma State Cowboys against the Kansas State Wildcats.
What Wins the Game for Oklahoma State
Win at Quarterback
The quarterback matchup is going to be key. Kansas State will have Avery Johnson, who is one of the best dual threat quarterbacks in the conference. If Klein has his way with his offensive scheme, Johnson could elevate to become one of the best quarterbacks in the country.
Oklahoma State has Drew Mestemaker, who is a different kind of quarterback. He’s going to be more in the pocket, but he can make quick passes, quick reads and take advantage of a multitude of weapons in the Air Raid game. He also has a great running back to lean on in Caleb Hawkins.
It will be the matchup of the game, even though they won’t square off directly against one another. But whoever has the better game likely walks away a winner.
Slow the Run Game
Kansas State has a running back that few in the conference are paying attention to. Joe Jackson is back for his junior season after he rushed for nearly 1,000 yards a year ago. The path is clear for him to be the full-time back after some rushers transferred away, including Dylan Edwards, who is at Kansas.
It’s up to OSU’s interior defensive line, led by potential starters Saadiq Clements and Jerry Lawson, along with rotational tackles like Enai White and Luke Webb. They’re going to need to get the push needed to get the Cowboys’ linebackers into the mix to slow Jackson down.
What Loses the Game for Oklahoma State
Losing the Turnover Game
Kansas State’s offense has a penchant for not turning the football over. That’s a staple that goes back to the legend, Bill Snyder, who was Klein’s head coach and boss after the Heisman Trophy finalist transitioned to coaching. Protecting the football is going to be key to whatever the Wildcats do on offense.
Oklahoma State wasn’t good at the turnover game on either side of the ball. Their turnover margin was one of the worst in college football and they created one of the lowest turnover totals on defense. OSU must correct that and the Cowboys must walk away from this game with a positive turnover differential. If they don’t, it’s likely the game ends in a loss.
Playing from Behind
Oklahoma State can score points in bushels in this offense. It could be among the top offenses in the country and while that talent and scheme can help them come from behind, when the Cowboys are on the road, they need to avoid it. That’s especially the case when it comes to playing Kansas State in Manhattan. The Wildcats are good at protecting leads at home and the last thing OSU should want is to be a touchdown or two down in the fourth quarter. It’s a recipe for a loss.
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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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