Joel Klatt Ranking Oklahoma State No. 25 Shows Why Last Year's Record Doesn't Matter Anymore

One and eleven.

Normally, that's all you'd need to know about a team entering the following season.

A program coming off one victory isn't supposed to appear anywhere near a preseason Top 25.

Apparently, nobody told Joel Klatt.

The FOX Sports analyst ranked Oklahoma State No. 25 in his preseason Top 25, making the Cowboys one of the most fascinating teams on his entire list.

And his reasoning says as much about modern college football as it does Oklahoma State.

This isn't the same team that went 1-11.

Not even close.

New coach.

New quarterback.

Dozens of transfers.

New offensive system.

New identity.

Welcome to college football in 2026.

Klatt opened his Oklahoma State discussion with essentially the same question everyone should be asking.

How often does a 1-11 team enter the next season ranked?

Historically?

Almost never.

But Klatt believes that's one of the benefits of modern college football.

Programs can change immediately.

The transfer portal has eliminated the idea that every rebuild requires three or four recruiting classes before meaningful improvement can occur.

Oklahoma State is perhaps the ultimate test case.

The Cowboys didn't tweak their roster.

They replaced it.

Klatt noted Oklahoma State brought in 55 transfers, including 17 from North Texas.

So why should anyone evaluate the 2026 Cowboys based entirely on what happened to a completely different team in 2025?

This is where Klatt's optimism really begins.

Eric Morris didn't arrive in Stillwater selling hypothetical offensive potential.

He arrived after leading North Texas to the No. 1 scoring offense in the country last season.

And his résumé developing quarterbacks is difficult to ignore.

Baker Mayfield.

Patrick Mahomes.

Cam Ward.

Now Drew Mestemaker.

Klatt's point is pretty simple.

Morris has repeatedly demonstrated an ability to get production from quarterbacks.

There's little reason to suddenly expect that to stop at Oklahoma State.

This might be the most important part of the entire rebuild.

Oklahoma State didn't hire Morris and then ask him to teach his offense to a quarterback he'd never coached.

Mestemaker came with him.

We've talked throughout fall camp about the advantage that creates.

He knows the terminology.

He knows Morris' expectations.

He knows how the offense operates.

And Morris knows him.

Klatt specifically said he “loves” Mestemaker following Morris to Oklahoma State.

It's easy to understand why.

Of all the positions where continuity matters during a complete rebuild, quarterback sits at the top of the list.

Mestemaker's offseason has only added to the intrigue.

He attended the Manning Passing Academy and, according to Klatt's assessment, impressed people there.

That doesn't guarantee anything once Big 12 defenses start coming after him.

But it adds another piece of evidence to what Oklahoma State has been hearing throughout the offseason.

Mestemaker isn't simply the guy who followed Morris from North Texas.

He's becoming a legitimate national name at quarterback.

And now he'll operate an offense surrounded by significantly more resources at the Power Four level.

Ten years ago, Oklahoma State's situation would've looked completely different.

A 1-11 team would've entered the offseason trying to develop high school recruits and slowly rebuild depth.

Maybe Year 2 brings progress.

Maybe Year 3 brings contention.

That's not necessarily how this sport works anymore.

Morris can identify players who already understand his system.

They can follow him to Stillwater.

Oklahoma State can supplement those players with proven talent from elsewhere.

Suddenly, the roster can transform in one offseason.

That doesn't guarantee success.

But it makes rapid improvement possible in a way it simply wasn't before.

Let's keep this in perspective.

Oklahoma State is No. 25.

Not No. 5.

Klatt isn't predicting a national championship.

He's essentially saying the Cowboys deserve to be taken seriously.

That's an important distinction.

There are still enormous questions.

Can the defense hold up?

How quickly does Mestemaker adjust to Big 12 competition?

Can 55 transfers develop chemistry quickly enough?

Can Oklahoma State turn all this offensive talent into actual victories?

Those questions won't be answered in August.

But apparently Klatt has seen enough to believe the upside outweighs the uncertainty.

I've said throughout the offseason that Oklahoma State doesn't need nine wins for Year 1 under Morris to be successful.

A bowl game would represent meaningful progress.

Klatt ranking OSU changes none of that.

What it does change is the perception of the ceiling.

Maybe this isn't simply a rebuilding team trying to become respectable again.

Maybe there's enough offensive firepower to make things interesting immediately.

Maybe the Cowboys can surprise teams.

Maybe the turnaround can happen faster than expected.

That's why No. 25 feels significant.

Not because preseason rankings determine anything.

Because someone nationally is looking at what Morris built and saying:

Pay attention to Oklahoma State.

Joel Klatt ranking Oklahoma State No. 25 would've sounded ridiculous immediately after a 1-11 season.

Now?

You can at least understand the argument.

Eric Morris brought one of college football's best offenses with him.

His quarterback followed.

Seventeen North Texas transfers followed.

Dozens of additional transfers arrived.

Almost everything about Oklahoma State football changed.

That's the beauty—and insanity—of modern college football.

Last year's record still happened.

It just doesn't necessarily tell us anything about what happens next.

Oklahoma State went 1-11.

Joel Klatt has the Cowboys No. 25.

In the transfer portal era, both of those things can make perfect sense.