Summer Schedule Preview: Oklahoma State Faces a Top-Heavy Nonconference Slate in 2025

With the summer slog officially underway, it’s just a good a time as any to look forward to football. Hopefully, better football.

We’ll take a look at Oklahoma State’s upcoming 2025 schedule starting with the Cowboys’ nonconference slate.

Mike Gundy & Co. follow their tried-and-true nonconference philosophy by scheduling an FCS team, a Power Conference team and a Group of Five opponent. Seeing as it’s the only thing about last season’s schedule that garnered positive results, I guess they should stick with it. But I digress.

Let’s take a look at the first three opponents on Oklahoma State’s schedule.

Week 1: UT-Martin | Aug 28 | Stillwater

Series history: 0-0

Last meeting: N/A

This will be the first meeting between OSU and UT-Martin.

UT-Martin in 2024:  The Skyhawks went 9-5 last season and at 6-2, fell third in a four-way tie for the top of Big South-OVC standings. They fell to Montana State in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.

UT-Martin in 2025: UT-Martin will be without last year’s starting QB Kinkead Dent, starting running back Patrick Smith and its top two receivers in Trevonte Rucker and DeVonte Tanksley. Not accounting for the loss of a QB1, that group accounted for 21 of the Skyhawks 28 rushing touchdowns and 11 of their 24 receiving scores.

Of note: UT-Martin has a new defensive coordinator, promoting Jerry Partridge to the position after last year’s DC Brandon Butcher was hired by UTEP.

Week 2: Oregon | Sept. 6 | Eugene, Oregon

Series history: 0-1

Last meeting: UO 42, OSU 31 (2008)

No. 15 Oregon got the best of No. 13 OSU in the 2008 Holiday Bowl. There were records set on both sides, but the Ducks came out on top.

The Cowboys went up 10-0 and led 17-7 at halftime. The Ducks fought back to take a second half lead before Zac Robinson’s 1-yard TD run gave OSU its final lead. Oregon scored the final 14 points, half of which came on a 20-yard pass play before LeGarrette Blount slammed the door with a 29-yard TD run with three minutes to go.

Dez Bryant logged a career-high 13 catches for 167 yards. Both marks broke Holiday Bowl records, the latter edging out another Cowboy, Hart Lee Dykes, who had 163 receiving yards in the 1988 version. Oregon running back Jeremiah Johnson took off for a 76-yard TD run in the first quarter, which erased Barry Sanders’ 67-yard TD from that same year.

Oregon in 2024:  Oregon is coming off its best season in program history, going 13-1. The Ducks ran the table and won the Big Ten Championship in their first year in the conference, earning a No. 1 spot in the CFP Playoff Ranking, just to fall to Ohio State in the Rose Bowl.

Oregon in 2025: The Ducks are expected to take a step back from last year, but only slightly. As of the spring, Oregon’s QB competition is ongoing. The frontrunners are Dante Moore (formerly of UCLA) and Austin Novosad to take up for current Cleveland Brown Dillon Gabriel.

Of note: Despite replacing some big names, they have restocked well. 247 Sports tabs Oregon as No. 5 in both the team recruiting rankings and transfer portal rankings for 2025. Oregon is the only team in the top 5 of both rankings.

Week 3: Tulsa | Sept. 19 | Stillwater

Series history: 44-27-5

Last meeting: OSU 45, TU 10 (2024)

When the Cowboys and Golden Hurricane square off it will have been just over a year since the Cowboys’ 45-10 win in Tulsa. Consequently, as of writing, that’s the last time the Pokes got a W. Hopefully, it won’t be a full one-year drought for the Cowboys when these two take the field.

Tulsa in 2024: The Golden Hurricane struggled in two years under Kevin Wilson, which resulted in a split at the end of 2024. After a 4-8 finish in 2023, Wilson went 3-9 last year and just 1-7 in the American. He was fired prior to Tulsa’s season finale.

Tulsa in 2025: This past offseason TU called up former East Tennessee State head coach Tre Lamb from the FCS ranks to try to reverse the ship. He’s brought in a bunch of transfers to run his system but does return a veteran QB in Kirk Francis who dealt with injury late last season but appears to be the guy going forward.

Of note: Keep an eye for Ray Coney Jr. The former Freshman All-American linebacker followed Lamb over from ETSU, and he’s a baller. He totaled 97 tackles, 12 TFLs and five sacks while breaking up six passes and forcing two fumbles.