Oklahoma State's Game vs. Utah To Set Tone For Conference Slate
The Oklahoma State Cowboys finished non-conference play on Saturday, getting their season off to a 3-0 start. Those games don't count, though. Well, sort of.
The non-conference games were tune-up games for Oklahoma State, giving them a look at what needs to be cleaned up before taking on their conference schedule. They got a good look at where they can improve, and where they did improve with some tweaks.
However, conference relalignment has hit, and, while the departures of Oklahoma and Texas leave the Big 12 wide open, eight additions have been made to the conference in the past two years.
The Cowboys are being thrown into the fire to open up their conference schedule, too. They get Big 12 play underway by taking on a new conference foe in the Utah Utes, currently ranked No. 12 in the land. It'll be a top-15 matchup in Stillwater as Oklahoma State is ranked No. 14 in the nation.
The only other ranked matchup, currently, on the Cowboys schedule? Kansas State -- one week after Oklahoma State takes on the Utes. They've got to travel to Manhattan, KS, to make matters worse.
A win against Utah on their home field, backed up by their home fans, will ultimately be a tone-setter for Oklahoma State. A top-15 win before they head to Kansas State could be huge in helping the Cowboys ride momentum into the matchup and trying to secure two victories.
For better or for worse, the Cowboys get their two toughest conference battles right at the beginning of Big 12 play. They've got to win the conference to get in the College Football Playoffs, and splitting the two games, at the very least, is crucial in them making the title game.
The injury status of Cam Rising is crucial to the potential outcome next weekend in Stillwater, but the two foes of the Cowboys are both also threats in the Big 12 and to make the College Football Playoffs -- and the next two games post an opportunity for Oklahoma State to stand out as the best team in the conference.
Needless to say, it'll be a defining two weeks for the Pokes.
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KADE KIMBLE
Kade is a strategic communications student at Southwestern Oklahoma State University, where he also minors in Sports Management. He has been covering the Oklahoma City Thunder with InsidetheThunder.com since the 2022 season after having followed the team since its early days.