Which Oklahoma State football games are most important Ranking Cowboys' 2025 schedule

STILLWATER Oklahoma State still has a few weeks of critical practice time to prepare for the start of the football season, and no year in the Mike Gundy era not even his first has been as important as this one.But specifically, which games will be the most important on this Cowboy schedule?After posting a 3-9 mark last year, gauging the importance of the games on OSUs schedule is tricky.The Pokes face some teams that are viewed as serious contenders for the Big 12 title, and those games are obviously important.

But they also have some games that rate higher on the winnability scale, and when youre trying to bounce back from a winless league season, those games are clearly of high importance.So the measure of overall importance is weighted differently from week to week.Lets take a look at how the schedule shakes out in order of importance:More: How would Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy fix college football? He has an idea1.

Sept.

27 vs.

BaylorThis one ranks high in multiple forms of measurement.

Baylor is a solid opponent with a splash of rivalry mixed in.

Its a home game for the Cowboys, and they need to win as many of those as possible.

And its the Big 12 opener, coming off what the Pokes hope is a momentum-building non-conference run.

This will set the stage for an October schedule that includes multiple beatable opponents, and getting a Big 12 win in the books early will be meaningful to the program and the fans.

2.

Sept.

6 at Oregon (2:30 p.m., CBS)Lets not pretend like a win is expected here.

The on-field result is for the Cowboys to look competitive for good stretches of the game.

Thats where the importance of this one spikes.

Its important that OSU not get beat down from start to finish.

This cant look like the Colorado game of 2024.Holding your own in Autzen Stadium will be beneficial for the team, but also for the outside perception of the program, considering this one will be nationally televised on CBS.3.

Oct.

11 vs.

HoustonHeres where placing a value on the importance of a game can get a little wonky.

This one ranks immediately behind the Oregon game, yet for the complete opposite reason.This is a game the Pokes must win.

Houston looks to be the weakest Big 12 opponent OSU will face at Boone Pickens Stadium, and it comes at a point in the schedule where OSU could pick up a few wins.

Dropping games like this will be a sign that not much has changed in the last year.4.

Nov.

15 vs.

Kansas StateThis is an interesting one.

Being in mid-November, who knows how much the projections of these two teams will have changed.But as of right now, this looks like an important game because Kansas State is a likely contender for the league title.

Yet OSU tends to play the Wildcats well in Stillwater.

It was a Friday night against K-State in 2023 that the whole season turned around, and OSU is 8-1 at home against the Cats dating back to 2000.5.

Nov.

29 vs.

Iowa StateThanksgiving weekend games havent been the best for OSU lately.Theres the aforementioned 52-0 loss at Colorado last year and the ugly defeat in the rain against West Virginia in 2022, sandwiching a double-OT win over BYU in a game that never shouldve been that close.Making this one a little more difficult, Iowa State could be playing for a spot in the Big 12 Championship Game, while OSU might be fighting for a bowl bid.

6.

Oct.

4 at ArizonaBased on current expectations, either Arizona or UCF is considered OSUs most beatable road opponent.

But this one comes earlier in the season, so that bumps it up the rankings.If these Cowboys can click early, October could have more than a couple wins waiting.7.

Oct.

18 vs.

CincinnatiThis will be homecoming weekend at OSU, which always brings a fun energy to the stadium.

And like Houston, Cincy should be in the lower tier of the Big 12.

This game also comes the week after OSU hosts Houston, so it could be a chance for back-to-back wins.

8.

Nov.

1 at KansasThis will be OSUs first trip to the newly renovated David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium, but not their first time facing KU quarterback Jalon Daniels, a sixth-year senior.

If the Cowboys are going to be better than a 6-6 team, theyll have to win games like this.9.

Sept.

19 vs.

Tulsa (6 p.m., ESPN)Isnt No.

9 a little high for a non-conference game against a Group of Five team the Pokes should beat? Maybe.

But they absolutely have to win this one.

And its the get-right game after Oregon.

OSU has an open week after the trip to the Pacific Northwest, then the Friday night home game against Tulsa.

If things go bad in Eugene, this is the chance to flush it before Big 12 play begins.10.

Oct.

25 at Texas TechTech looks ready to make the leap into legitimate conference contender status, and Lubbock is always a difficult place to play though OSU has had some success there.

If OSU catches fire against the earlier part of their October schedule, this game skyrockets up the importance rankings.

But if not, a loss here isnt going to feel like a massive failure.11.

Nov.

22 at UCFThe Knights look to be in the bottom tier of the conference, so this is a winnable game.

Of course, the last trip to Orlando, a 45-3 beatdown in the pouring rain, still haunts some folks.

Sandwiched between home games against Kansas State and Iowa State, this will be a tough spot for the Cowboys.

12.

Aug.

28 vs.

Tennessee-Martin (6:30 p.m., ESPN+)Despite the opponent, you could argue for this game to be much higher on the list.

The Thursday night opener will teach the Cowboys a lot about themselves, and they need to gather as much information as possible before heading to Oregon the following week.

But beyond that, it needs to be a basic, boring blowout for the Pokes.

More: Oklahoma State football WR Ayo Shotomide-King ready for next step in unique journeyScott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman.

Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK.

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