Oklahoma State is back in the AP Top 25. Following a 41-24 road win over West Virginia, the Cowboys jumped to No. 19 — their first AP ranking since September 2024. Eric Morris has taken OSU from a 1-11 season to a 3-1 start and a top-20 ranking just four games into his tenure.
Oklahoma State is officially back in the national rankings. The Cowboys made their 2026 debut in the Associated Press Top 25 on Sunday, checking in at No. 19 following Saturday night's 41-24 road victory over West Virginia.
It's the first time Oklahoma State has appeared in the AP Top 25 since Sept. 22, 2024, when the Cowboys were ranked No. 20. It's also OSU's highest ranking since reaching No. 14 one week earlier.
The recognition continues a remarkable turnaround to begin Eric Morris' first season in Stillwater. Oklahoma State opened the season with a 24-10 loss at Tulsa but responded by upsetting then-No. 6 Oregon 39-31 at Boone Pickens Stadium.
The Cowboys followed that with a dominant 59-0 victory over Murray State before traveling to Morgantown for their first Big 12 game under Morris. OSU trailed West Virginia 14-3 during the first half and 21-13 early in the third quarter before taking control. The Cowboys scored 28 of the game's final 31 points to win 41-24, snapping an 18-game Big 12 losing streak in the process.
The offense piled up 609 total yards against the Mountaineers, helping OSU climb to No. 3 nationally in total offense. Drew Mestemaker threw for 389 yards and three touchdowns, Caleb Hawkins rushed for 180 yards and Wyatt Young caught eight passes for 192 yards and a touchdown.
Oklahoma State's defense also closed the game emphatically, forcing three turnovers on downs and a punt on West Virginia's final four possessions. The Cowboys are one of five Big 12 teams included in this week's AP Top 25.
BYU leads the conference at No. 10, followed by No. 12 Texas Tech and No. 13 Utah. Oklahoma State is No. 19, with Houston directly behind the Cowboys at No. 20. Cincinnati and Arizona are also receiving votes.
There is another interesting connection in the rankings for OSU. Oregon, which the Cowboys beat earlier this month, is ranked No. 15 after defeating then-No. 12 USC on Saturday.
Oklahoma State hasn't quite cracked both major polls, however. The Cowboys received 126 points in the US LBM Coaches Poll, placing them effectively No. 26 and first among teams outside the Top 25.
Still, Sunday's AP ranking marks another significant step for a program that finished 1-11 and winless in Big 12 play last season.
With the exception of 2025, Oklahoma State has now appeared in the AP Top 25 during every season since 2008.
Four games into the Morris era, the Cowboys are 3-1, riding a three-game winning streak, 1-0 in the Big 12 and officially one of the nation's Top 20 teams.
