Preseason Bowl Projections: Where National Outlets Have the Cowboys Bowling in 2026

The Cowboys’ decorated bowl streak snapped two years ago, but there are predictions the Pokes could start anew in 2026.

We found three preseason bowl projections that include Oklahoma State. Although it might seem silly to read too much into bowl projections in August, this provides a nice lens of how some of the national outlets view the Cowboys’ season going. So, let’s break it down.

ESPN: Texas Bowl vs. Tennessee

ESPN’s Mark Schlabach and Kyle Bonagura combined powers for bowl projections. Schlabach had the Cowboys’ back in Houston for the Texas Bowl, while Bonagura didn’t have the Cowboys listed in any bowl.

The Texas Bowl is designated to pin the Big 12 vs. the SEC. Oklahoma State has played in that game twice recently — in 2023 and 2019.

OSU finished the 2023 regular season at 9-3, putting the Pokes in the Big 12 title game against Texas. The Cowboys would go on to beat Texas A&M 31-23 in the Texas Bowl to cap off that season.

The Cowboys were 8-4 entering the Texas Bowl in 2019 — again against Texas A&M. The Aggies took that one 24-21.

Across the past 10 Texas Bowls, the Big 12 team entered that bowl with an average record of 7.5-4.5 (two 9-3s, three 8-4s, three 7-5s and two 6-6s).

As for the potential matchup, the Cowboys and Volunteers have met just once on the gridiron. Tennessee shut out the Pokes 31-0 in 1995 in Knoxville.

Under OU alum Josh Huepel, the Vols went 8-5 in 2025, finishing in the middle of the pack in the SEC.

Athlon Sports: Texas Bowl vs. Missouri

Another Texas Bowl prediction, so all of the stuff in the last section about what it would mean the Cowboys’ record would be also applies here.

The Cowboys and Tigers have met twice since the latter joined the SEC going into the 2012 season.

The first was at the Cotton Bowl following the 2013 season, when the Tigers beat OSU 41-31.

The Cowboys got that win back at the 2018 Liberty Bowl, with Taylor Cornelius leading OSU to a 38-33 win against Drew Lock’s Tigers.

The 2026 season will be Eli Drinkwitz’s seventh in Columbia. The Tigers went 8-5 last year after back-to-back double-digit win seasons.

CBS Sports: Liberty Bowl vs. Missouri

It’s all connected somehow.

CBS Sports’ Brad Crawford also has the Cowboys facing the Tigers but in the Liberty Bowl.

As noted, it would be a rematch of the 2018 Liberty Bowl that OSU won. OSU entered that game at 6-6.

A spot in the Liberty Bowl would likely mean the Cowboys season went a bit worse than the two Texas Bowl projections. In the past 10 Liberty Bowls (not including 2020), the Big 12 representative entered the game with an average record of 6.7-5.3 (two 8-4s, three 7-5s and five 6-6s).

Also of note: the Big 12 is on a four-game losing streak in the Liberty Bowl, with Cincinnati, Texas Tech, Iowa State and Kansas all falling in the game the past four seasons.