Oklahoma State Cowboys Have New Top 25 Ranking Entering Houston Showdown
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys are preparing for their second Top 25 opponent of the season. This time, they'll do it as a Top 25 team themselves.
The Cowboys (4-1, 2-0 in Big 12) who are coming off a 42-28 victory over the UCF Knights, will travel to Houston on Saturday to face the Cougars in what has emerged as a key Big 12 matchup with Top 25 implications. The game is set for 6:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on Fox.
It will be Oklahoma State's second straight game as a ranked team but its first against a Top 25 opponent as a ranked team.
Cougars head coach Willie Fritz is already imploring his fans to fill up TDECU Stadium, which holds 40,000, for the game. The Cougars got some embarrassing PR during their game with UCF as their stands were not filled for an 11 a.m. game. With a Top 25 team coming to town, filling the stadium shouldn't be a problem for Houston.
So how much did OSU’s win over UCF help them in the polls? Here are the updated USA Today US LBM Top 25 and the AP Top 25 after Week 6.
USA Today US LBM Top 25
The Cowboys were No. 20 in this weekend’s US LMB Top 25, which is voted on by head coaches in FBS, including OSU’s Eric Morris.
The Cowboys were not ranked going into Saturday’s game with UCF and the coaches have been slower to put Oklahoma State in the Top 25 than the media that votes on the AP Top 25. But the Cowboys had improved their vote total every week since receiving 16 votes after the Oregon win in Week 2.
Offensively against UCF quarterback Drew Mestemaker threw for 304 yards and two touchdowns as he played his first game of the season without committing a turnover. Running back Caleb Hawkins had an early fumble but bounced back to rush for 83 yards and catch two passes for 32 yards. Wide receiver Justin Bowick nearly had another 100-yard receiving game, as he caught six passes for 98 yards and a touchdown. Wide receiver Wyatt Young also had a touchdown reception.
Previous Weeks
Preseason: 22 votes
Week 1: No votes
Week 2: 16 votes
Week 3: 36 votes
Week 4: 126 votes
Week 5: 187 votes
AP Top 25 Poll
The Cowboys held steady at No. 18 in the AP Top 25.
The Cowboys struggled defensively in the first half with tackling and by the end of the contest the unit held UCF to 375 total yards. More importantly, it limited the Knights to seven points in the second half after the Cowboys played them to a 21-21 draw at halftime.
The biggest defensive play of the game was safety Evan Jackson's scoop and score in the fourth quarter off a Knights fumble, a touchdown that gave the Oklahoma State Cowboys a 35-21 lead and essentially iced the game. Linebackers Ethan Wesloski and Tate Romney combined for 31 tackles, with Romney finishing with two tackles for loss.
Previous Weeks
Preseason: 8 votes
Week 1: No votes
Week 2: 36 votes
Week 3: 50 votes
Week 4: No. 19 (345 votes)
Week 5: No. 18 (477 votes)
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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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