Oklahoma State was given no shot at beating No. 6 Oregon, not after losing at Tulsa last week nor a 66-point thumping by the Ducks last season.
The Cowboys were seemingly the only ones who believed and they did it on a wild Saturday in Stillwater, beating Oregon 39-31 in the first major upset of the college football season.
The win gave coach Eric Morris a memorable moment in his first win at Oklahoma State and sent Cowboys fans pouring onto the field.
“I don’t know if I can top this," Morris told ESPN after the game. "I’m not going to retire, but I might think about it tonight.”
Everything appeared to be against the Cowboys (1-1).
They had lost 21 straight games against Football Bowl Subdivision opponents and 12 straight overall spanning two seasons, their only win against FCS Tennessee Martin in the 2025 opener. Oklahoma State was blown out 69-3 by Oregon last season, was coming off a lackluster 24-10 loss to Tulsa and entered Saturday's game as 23 1/2-point underdogs.
The Cowboys never flinched even after a long weather delay, stifling Oregon’s vaunted offense while racking up 554 total yards.
Quarterback Drew Mestemaker overcame two interceptions on tipped passes to throw for 317 yards and two touchdowns, adding a pinballing 10-yard TD run that put the Cowboys up 36-31 with 4 1/2 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
“This is the best moment of my life, honestly,” Mestemaker said. "Not even close.”
Michigan wins without extra second
No extra second on the clock, no problem for Michigan.
Bouncing back from controversial win over Western Michigan, the Wolverines knocked off No. 11 Oklahoma 17-10 to end a week of turmoil.
Michigan was the butt of jokes and dropped out of the AP Top 25 following the 13-12 win over Western Michigan on a Hail Mary after the officials put a second back on the clock.
The Wolverines (2-0) shook off the tumult and focused on the Sooners, shutting down their offense and clinching the win with a late interception.
"Everything that we were looking for in this game was missing last week,” Michigan first-year coach Kyle Whittingham said.
The main event
No. 1 Ohio State (1-0) at No. 4 Texas (1-0) on Saturday night is expected to be one of the best games of the season. This series is only 21 years old and the Buckeyes lead 3-2 after last year's 14-7 win in Columbus.
There are stars aplenty with quarterbacks Julian Sayin and Arch Manning, receivers Jeremiah Smith and Cam Coleman and running backs Bo Jackson and Hollywood Smothers. Many figure the outcome here could impact seeding for the College Football Playoff bracket in early December, though both teams have a murderer's row of opponents between now and then.
The Texas secondary will try to keep Smith in check for a third straight time and grab the Longhorns' first win over a No. 1 team since they beat Oklahoma 45-35 in 2008.
The winner also gives either the Big Ten or the Southeastern Conference bragging rights. The SEC was a combined 16-0 through Week 1 while the Big Ten went 17-2.
Heisman Trophy watch
Manning and Sayin will have a prime-time showcase for Heisman voters and Miami QB Darian Mensah looks every bit a favorite.
Mississippi quarterback Trinidad Chambliss is in that mix, too. A year after throwing for nearly 4,000 yards, the fifth-year player threw for 336 yards and three touchdowns, adding 60 yards and a TD on the ground in the season-opening win over Louisville.
Chambliss will likely have another productive day against Charlotte on Saturday, but he may not play a full game — the Rebels are 45-point favorites.
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