Utah's Top 25 matchup at Oklahoma State features an interesting storyline

Utes and Pokes will do battle with two experienced QBs

Jamie Sabau/Nathan J. Fish/imagn Images/The Oklahoman

The 12th-ranked Utah Utes are gearing up for their biggest challenge of the season as they travel to Stillwater to take on the No. 14 Oklahoma State Cowboys. This game marks just the second time these two teams have met and their first clash as Big 12 rivals.

For Utah, a decisive victory could solidify their position as front-runners in the conference and elevate their chances of securing a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. This showdown may also be a preview of a potential rematch in the Big 12 championship game later in the season.

One of the intriguing storylines heading into Saturday's game is the battle between two of the oldest quarterbacks in college football: Utah’s Cam Rising and Oklahoma State’s Alan Bowman.

Rising, 25, slightly older than Bowman, has had an eventful career. After transferring from Texas and leading Utah to two Pac-12 championships, he is now returning to the Big 12 after the dissolution of the Pac-12. Rising missed all of last season due to a knee injury suffered in the 2023 Rose Bowl but is expected to make his return to the field this fall. He has one more year of eligibility left but has expressed that he doesn't plan to use it.

Bowman, on the other hand, began his college career at Texas Tech in 2018 before a series of injuries sidelined him. After a stint as a backup at Michigan, Bowman moved to Oklahoma State, where he finally earned a starting role again in 2023.

Despite their veteran statuses, neither Rising nor Bowman holds the title of the oldest player in college football, as that honor belongs to Miami’s Cam McCormick, entering his ninth year of eligibility.

Kickoff for the Utah vs. Oklahoma State game is set for 4 p.m. ET on FOX.