Series History: OSU, Colorado Face for Just Second Time in 10 Years

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Oklahoma State is set to host Colorado on Saturday for “America’s Greatest Homecoming.”

The Cowboys and Buffs have only played once since CU rejoined the league in 2024 and just twice in the last 17 years. But there is a storied history between the two schools.

Capsule

Overall record: CU leads 27-20-1
Neutral site meetings: Tied 1-1
Meetings in Stillwater: CU leads 12-11-1
Meetings in Boulder: CU leads 14-8
Past 10 meetings: Tied 5-5
First meeting (1920): CU defeated OSU 40-7 (Oklahoma City)
Most recent meeting (2024): CU defeated OSU 52-0

If we want to be technical, these two programs have been members of the same conference three times.

It started all the way back in 1960 when Oklahoma State joined the Big 7 to make the Big 8 (back when numerals meant something).

The two programs didn’t actually sever conference ties until 2010. They remained league rivals when the four Texas schools joined to expand to the Big 12 in 1996. CU left the league after the 2010 season to join the Pac-12.

The Bowl Matchup

Despite all the intra-league history, these two did manage to squeeze in a postseason matchup during that gap.

In the 2016 Alamo Bowl, Mason Rudolph slung it around for 314 yards and three scores and James Washington racked up 171 of those yards and a TD.

Justice Hill also chipped in 107 rushing yards and a touchdown while Chris Carson added 61 and a score on the ground to help No. 13 OSU trounce No. 11 Colorado 38-8.

Payback Time?

These two teams have met just once since Colorado’s return to the Big 12, and it was rough for OSU fans.

Shedeur Sanders racked up 438 passing yards and five touchdowns to just one pick and a pair of Buff receivers hit triple digits.

LaJohntay Wester had a season-high 175 yards and two scores on 11 catches and Travis Hunter hauled in 10 passes for 116 yards and the other three passing TDs.

Maealiuaki Smith threw for just 70 yards and two picks on the Cowboys’ side as they finished their hapless season with a 52-0 defeat.

The Barry Game

Before Drew did this:

Drew Mestemaker is him. No idea how he didn’t start at QB in high school. Putting it all on the line for Oklahoma State against Oregon https://t.co/mVKanXTK8Y

— Bobby Football (@Rob__Paul) September 12, 2026

Barry did this:

#okstate RT @si_vault: Barry Sanders goes airborne during a 1988 Oklahoma State-Colorado game: http://t.co/b01HOuieNS

— Oklahoma State Athletics (@OSUAthletics) July 16, 2013

The Cowboys headed to Folsom Field for a Big 8 opener against the Buffs. Both teams were undefeated thus far with Colorado boasting a stout defense that hadn’t given up more than 23 points to any opponent.

But the Cowboys had Barry Sanders.

It was a somewhat pedestrian performance by the eventual Heisman winner. He had 174 rushing yards on 24 carries. Four were scores. One was a 65-yarder and the other was iconic.

OSU’s defense forced six turnovers as well. That’s six more times an offense with Barry, Hart Lee Dykes and Mike Gundy got the ball. They took care of the Buffs 41-21 and would go on to finish 10-2 with a Holiday Bowl win over Wyoming.

Here’s the full clip if you want to see more Barry highlights.