Did Oklahoma State’s Massive Murray State Win Help Cowboys in Top 25 Polls?

The Oklahoma State Cowboys hoped to build a little momentum in the Top 25 AP and coaches polls after the Murray State win.

Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Eric Morris. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

For those keeping track, the Oklahoma State Cowboys received 52 total votes in last week's USA Today coaches and Associated Press Top 25 polls.

That came after the Cowboys massive 39-31 win over the Oregon Ducks. But going into that game Oklahoma State didn't have a vote in either poll. So, there was some expectation that the Cowboys would receive some votes, but they fell short of being included in the Top 25 in either poll.

But what about after their 59-0 win over Murray State? There's no question it was a dominant win. But it was also a win over a team that has won three games in the last two plus seasons. Voters were likely to take that into account, along with what else was happening across the country, including an expansion of Big 12 conference play.

The Big 12 goes full bore into league play next weekend as Oklahoma State is preparing for West Virginia. The question Sunday morning wasn't so much whether Oklahoma State would be ranked, but perhaps how close might they be to being ranked if they beat the Mountaineers next week?

USA Today Top 25

Oklahoma State 's Justin Bowick. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This week the Cowboys received 36 votes in the poll voted on by a select group of coaches in FBS. That put Oklahoma State sixth among those teams receiving votes.

That’s an improvement over the 16 votes the Cowboys received last week in the poll. At that time, they were 11th among teams that received votes, with Florida leading those outside the poll with 183 votes.

The coaches probably paid as much attention to what the Cowboys did on defense as they did on offense. OSU held Murray State to 160 total yards and pitched a home shutout for the first time since beating Savannah State in 2012. Miami transfer Markeith Williams led the Cowboys with five tackles as OSU substituted liberally in the second half. Defensive end Malik Charles intercepted pass. Defensive tackle Luke Webb blocked a field goal on special teams.

USA Today Top 25

Oklahoma State's Malik Charles. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

This week the Cowboys received 91 votes in the AP Poll voted on by the writers and broadcasters that cover the sport. That put Oklahoma State fourth among those teams receiving votes. Interestingly, this week's opponent, West Virginia, is just ahead of the Cowboys with 93 votes.

Last week the Cowboys received 36 in the AP poll. At that time, they were fourth among teams that received votes, with Washington leading those outside the poll with 172 votes.

OSU’s offense impressed against Murray State. With 662 yards it was the second straight week the Cowboys had at least 500 yards of total offense. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker threw for 324 yards and five touchdowns even though he only played through part of the third quarter. Wide receiver Justin Bowick had a career night with nine receptions for 178 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Caleb Hawkins had 73 yards on 11 carries as his night ended early.