The Oklahoma State hype train continues to gain passengers.
This time, FanDuel is asking one of the biggest questions surrounding the Cowboys entering the 2026 season: Could Oklahoma State become college football’s next Indiana?
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FanDuel posed the question while highlighting comments from college football analyst Josh Pate, who continues to see significant upside in Eric Morris’ first Oklahoma State team.
The comparison is certainly ambitious. Indiana completed one of the most remarkable turnarounds in college football history under Curt Cignetti, going from a struggling Big Ten program to a national champion in just two seasons.
Now Oklahoma State is attempting its own rapid rebuild. Morris inherited a program coming off a 1-11 season and immediately overhauled nearly the entire roster. The Cowboys brought in 91 newcomers this offseason, including 68 transfers, as Morris essentially rebuilt the program from the ground up.
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Much like Cignetti did when leaving James Madison for Indiana, Morris also brought several of his most important players with him from North Texas. That starts with quarterback Drew Mestemaker.
Mestemaker led the nation with 4,379 passing yards last season while throwing 34 touchdowns. Running back Caleb Hawkins, wide receiver Wyatt Young and several other former North Texas players also followed Morris to Stillwater. The group already knows how to win together.
North Texas won 12 games last season while producing one of the most explosive offenses in college football. The Mean Green led the country in both total offense and scoring before Morris took the Oklahoma State job. That existing chemistry is a major reason expectations have risen so quickly in Stillwater.
FanDuel currently lists Oklahoma State’s over/under at 6.5 wins while giving the Cowboys +2500 odds to win the Big 12 and +1600 odds to reach the College Football Playoff. Those numbers are notable for a program that hasn’t won a Big 12 game since 2023.
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Pate has been high on Oklahoma State throughout the offseason, previously identifying the Cowboys as one of his biggest dark-horse teams entering 2026. Still, duplicating Indiana’s historic turnaround would require Oklahoma State to make an enormous leap.
The Cowboys will get an early opportunity to show just how far they’ve come. After opening the season at Tulsa, Oklahoma State hosts No. 2 Oregon on Sept. 12. For now, Oklahoma State remains a team built almost entirely on potential.
But the fact that national analysts and sportsbooks are even mentioning a one-win team alongside the reigning national champion shows just how dramatically the perception of Oklahoma State football has changed under Morris.
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