MANHATTAN — Amid the season that Kansas State football has had, it’s strange to consider that the Wildcats could be walking into some sort of trap game, but that’s just how bad Oklahoma State has been over the last two seasons.
The Wildcats and Cowboys will meet on Saturday, Nov. 15, for an 11 a.m. game at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma.
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K-State (4-5, 3-3 Big 12) can’t afford a loss against a team that hasn’t won a conference matchup in two years. The Wildcats need the win, in addition to one out of their final two games, to become bowl eligible.
Oklahoma State (1-8, 0-6 Big 12) has been a disaster as it plays under interim coach Doug Meacham. The Cowboys fired longtime coach Mike Gundy early in the 2025 season.
Kansas State vs Oklahoma State prediction
Oklahoma State might be the worst Power 4 team in the country, and there would be plenty of Group of 5 programs you’d rank above it as well. That’s how rough the season has been for a program that is more concerned about finding its next head coach right now than winning on the field.
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That hasn’t stopped the Cowboys from playing hard under Meacham, with plenty of players hoping to prove themselves worthy of staying on the roster going into next year or putting film on tape for their next school.
Oklahoma State ranks among the worst in the country in most defensive categories while allowing 38.8 points per game, the second worst in all of college football. The Cowboys have struggled to defend the pass, get off the field on third- and fourth-downs and in the redzone.
It’s not like the offense is much better, ranking at the bottom of the Big 12 in passing and scoring. Averaging 15.2 points, the Cowboys have gotten some good games out of running back Rodney Fields Jr., who is averaging 68 yards per game, but has a pair of games in which he ran for 110 or more, going for 163 and a touchdown against Cincinnati.
Quarterback injuries have been a problem for the Cowboys, but they should be fine on Saturday, with Zane Flores likely getting the nod. K-State is familiar with Flores, having recruited him in high school. Flores is coming off a career-best performance, throwing for 235 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a loss at Kansas.
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Kansas State vs Oklahoma State scouting report
Why Kansas State has an advantage: The Wildcats should be better in every aspect of this game. They have the quarterback, the weapons on offense and a solid enough defense to shut the Cowboys down and maybe get some guys off the bench some experience in the second half.
It wouldn’t be a surprise to see a few career-best performances come from the Wildcats’ stars. Perhaps a season-high rushing game from Avery Johnson is in order, while Joe Jackson tries to find some consistency on the ground. Expect the defense to create a few takeaways, as it has all season.
Why Oklahoma State has an advantage: The only thing that has been consistent for Oklahoma State this season has been its pass blocking, which is graded by Pro Football Focus as one of the better groups in the Big 12. Its best grade of the season actually came against Texas Tech, which arguably has the best pass-rush in the nation.
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A clean quarterback, who is coming off his best game, could give the Wildcats some fits, especially when their pass-rush hasn’t been the most consistent.
The Cowboys’ defense is the worst in the Big 12, but it hasn’t been terrible against the run and the pass rush isn’t horrible. It does seem like the Oklahoma State is going to have to play a near-perfect game to pull this off.
Kansas State vs Oklahoma State score prediction
Kansas State 35, Oklahoma State 14
Wyatt D. Wheeler covers Kansas State athletics for the USA TODAY Network and Topeka Capital-Journal. You can follow him on X at @WyattWheeler_, contact him at 417-371-6987 or email him at wwheeler@gannett.com
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State vs Oklahoma State scouting report, predictions for Big 12 game
