The Oklahoma State vs. Tulsa matchup opens the 2026 season with plenty of intrigue in the Gateway Turnpike Classic. Oklahoma State begins a completely new era under head coach Eric Morris, while Tulsa gets the Cowboys at home one year after stunning its in-state rival in Stillwater.
Oklahoma State enters Saturday as a double-digit favorite. Still, the Golden Hurricane have enough returning talent at quarterback — and enough recent history on their side — to make this a fascinating Week 1 matchup.
Game Information
Matchup: Oklahoma State Cowboys at Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Date: Saturday, September 5, 2026
Kickoff: 2:45 p.m. CT
Location: H.A. Chapman Stadium — Tulsa, Oklahoma
TV: ESPNU
Spread: Oklahoma State -13.5
Moneyline: Oklahoma State -581 | Tulsa +460
Over/Under: 59.5
Odds are based on FanDuel Sportsbook lines available September 3 and are subject to change.
Saturday will mark the 78th meeting between the programs. Oklahoma State leads the all-time series 44-28-5, but Tulsa won last year’s meeting 19-12 in Stillwater, snapping a 10-game Oklahoma State winning streak in the rivalry.
Matchup Overview
Embed from Getty ImagesVery little about this Oklahoma State team resembles the group Tulsa defeated last season.
After consecutive winless seasons in Big 12 play, Oklahoma State made one of the biggest offseason resets in college football. Former North Texas head coach Eric Morris takes over in Stillwater, bringing an offensive system that produced some of the nation’s most productive attacks during his time with the Mean Green.
The Cowboys added more than 90 newcomers, including a significant collection of Morris’ former North Texas players. Quarterback Drew Mestemaker, running back Caleb Hawkins and wide receiver Wyatt Young headline the group making the move to Stillwater.
That familiarity could allow Oklahoma State’s rebuilt offense to get moving much faster than a normal first-year system.
Tulsa, however, isn’t simply waiting around to become the first opponent of the Eric Morris era.
Quarterback Baylor Hayes returns after throwing for 2,158 yards and 12 touchdowns as a redshirt freshman in 2025. Hayes set Tulsa freshman records for passing yards, touchdown passes, total offense, and 200-yard passing performances. One of those games came against Oklahoma State, when Hayes threw for 219 yards in Tulsa’s upset victory.
That experience gives Tulsa a legitimate opportunity to make things uncomfortable early, especially in front of a sold-out home crowd.
3 Key Storylines
1. The Eric Morris era officially begins
Embed from Getty ImagesThere may not be another Power Four roster in the country that looks more different from last season.
Oklahoma State brought in more than 90 new players as Morris attempts to immediately rebuild a program that went 1-11 in 2025 and enters the season on an 11-game losing streak.
The good news is that Morris brought much of his offensive infrastructure with him.
Mestemaker enters Week 1 having thrown for at least 200 yards in 15 consecutive games, while Hawkins has scored multiple touchdowns in six of his last seven appearances. That continuity should give the Cowboys a significant advantage compared with most programs undergoing this much offseason turnover.
Saturday provides the first opportunity to find out whether Oklahoma State’s massive reset can produce immediate results.
2. Baylor Hayes gives Tulsa a chance
Tulsa has an important commodity in a season opener: a quarterback who has already proven he can play at the FBS level.
Hayes wasn’t perfect as a freshman, but his 2,158 passing yards and 12 touchdowns established him as one of the building blocks of Tre Lamb’s program.
Tulsa has also added an explosive weapon alongside him in former Old Dominion running back Trequan Jones. Jones averaged an impressive 7.5 yards per carry last season, finishing with 792 yards and six touchdowns on just 105 carries.
Oklahoma State has more talent on paper, but Tulsa has enough offensive firepower to punish the Cowboys if its rebuilt defense struggles with communication early on.
3. Can Oklahoma State erase the memory of 2025?
Last year’s 19-12 loss to Tulsa became one of the defining moments of Oklahoma State’s disastrous season.
Now the Cowboys have an immediate opportunity to change the direction of the series — and the program.
Most of Oklahoma State’s roster wasn’t around for last year’s loss, but the significance remains. The Cowboys haven’t won a game since September 2025 and will be trying to end an 11-game losing streak Saturday afternoon.
For Tulsa, there’s little reason to be intimidated. The Golden Hurricane already proved they can beat Oklahoma State and now get the rematch at H.A. Chapman Stadium, where Tulsa holds a 21-17-2 advantage over the Cowboys historically.
That should create one of the more interesting environments of Week 1.
GDC Betting Breakdown
Spread Pick:
Oklahoma State -13.5
Laying nearly two touchdowns on the road with a team coming off a 1-11 season sounds dangerous.
But this isn’t really the same Oklahoma State team.
Morris essentially imported the foundation of a North Texas offense that already understands his system, beginning with Mestemaker at quarterback. Instead of spending Week 1 figuring out terminology and timing, many of Oklahoma State’s most important offensive players have already played together.
Tulsa should generate some offense, but Oklahoma State’s talent and depth advantage eventually becomes difficult to overcome.
The Cowboys pull away in the second half and cover the number.
Pick: Oklahoma State -13.5
Total Pick:
Over 59.5
There are enough offensive weapons on both sides to push this game into the 60s.
Oklahoma State should play considerably faster and more aggressively offensively under Morris, while Tulsa has an experienced quarterback in Hayes and a potentially explosive rushing threat in Jones.
Tulsa scoring somewhere in the low-to-mid 20s would put the Over in a favorable position if the Cowboys’ new offense performs anywhere close to expectations.
There is some Week 1 uncertainty here, but this matchup has more offensive upside than last year’s 19-12 meeting would suggest.
Pick: Over 59.5
Moneyline Pick:
Oklahoma State -581 — Pass
Oklahoma State should win this game, but there’s very little value laying this kind of price on the road with a program debuting a new coaching staff and almost an entirely new roster.
Use the spread rather than paying the premium on the Cowboys moneyline.
Pick: Pass
⭐ GDC Best Bet:
Oklahoma State -13.5
This pick comes down to confidence in Eric Morris’ offensive system.
Oklahoma State hasn’t simply added new players. It added a collection of players who already know exactly what Morris wants to do offensively.
That should matter tremendously in Week 1.
Tulsa can keep things interesting early, especially with Hayes at quarterback, but Oklahoma State should have too many ways to create explosive plays once the Cowboys settle into the game.
Confidence: 7/10
GDC Final Prediction:
Oklahoma State 41, Tulsa 24
Don’t be surprised if Tulsa makes Oklahoma State sweat during the first half.
Hayes gives the Golden Hurricane stability at quarterback; the home crowd should be energized, and Tulsa knows it can beat the Cowboys after doing exactly that last season.
But Oklahoma State’s offseason transformation should eventually show.
Mestemaker and Morris already know how to operate together, Hawkins gives the Cowboys another dangerous weapon out of the backfield, and Oklahoma State possesses more depth across the roster.
The Eric Morris era begins with a win — and Oklahoma State finally snaps its 11-game losing streak.
Final Picks
- Spread: Oklahoma State -13.5
- Total: Over 59.5
- Moneyline: Pass
- Best Bet: ⭐ Oklahoma State -13.5
Betting lines can change leading up to kickoff. Always compare available numbers before placing a wager and wager responsibly.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Josh Mahler
Editor/Founder | Game Day Collective
@realJoshMahler
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