STILLWATER, Okla. — Oklahoma State’s 2026 football season, as simulated in EA Sports’ College Football 2027, unfolds like a rollercoaster: a blowout, a stumble, a record-setting romp, and a late-season surge that has the Cowboys at 8-2 through 11 weeks. The simulation, run by an O’Colly reporter on a PlayStation with 15-minute quarters on Heisman difficulty, was observed by head coach Eric Morris.
It began with a Week 1 demolition of Tulsa, a 65-3 win that saw quarterback Drew Mestemaker throw for 515 yards and Wyatt Young haul in 20 catches. Mo Horn delivered three interceptions, including a 76-yard pick-six, while Sam Keltner went a perfect 10-for-10 on field goals.
Week 2 brought a reality check. Ranked No. 25, OSU fell to Oregon 58-24, with Mestemaker throwing two interceptions and Oregon’s Dante Moore throwing for 580 yards and five touchdowns. Two failed fourth-down attempts inside Oregon’s 20-yard line proved costly.
The Cowboys rebounded in spectacular fashion. A Week 3 matchup against FCS Midwest—standing in for Murray State—ended 146-13, with Caleb Hawkins rushing for 102 yards and three touchdowns in the first quarter alone as OSU led 49-0 after 15 minutes.
Donovan Green caught 17 passes for 271 yards and three scores. ### A Season of Swings A 31-20 win at West Virginia followed, with Mestemaker throwing for 351 yards and three touchdowns—all to Young, who earned his third Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week honor. The defense held WVU’s Michael Hawkins Jr. to -2 rushing yards. After a bye, OSU outscored UCF 38-7 in the second quarter of a 68-35 win, forcing four turnovers.
Then came the stumble in Houston. Ranked No. 18, OSU fell 62-40 as Mestemaker committed six turnovers—four interceptions and two fumbles—knocking the Cowboys out of the Top 25. They clawed back in Week 8, beating Colorado 62-45 behind Hawkins’ 208 rushing yards, 57 receiving yards, and five total touchdowns, re-entering the rankings.
Bowl eligibility was clinched in Week 9 with a 49-30 win at Iowa State, after Cyclones quarterback Jaylen Raynor left with an injury. A nail-biting 26-24 victory at Kansas State followed, sealed when Tate Romney intercepted Avery Johnson with 3:39 left and Keltner converted a 38-yard field goal. ### The Statement Win The marquee moment came in Week 11.
No. 13 OSU hosted No. 5 Texas Tech in EA’s Game of the Week, and the Cowboys handed the Red Raiders their first loss, 30-27. Horn recorded his second pick-six of the season for a 20-10 lead, OSU forced four turnovers, and KD Jones scored a 12-yard touchdown run with 2:11 left. The Week 12 game at Arizona State was not completed in the source material.
What remains to be seen is whether this simulated Cowboys squad can carry its late momentum through the season’s final stretch.
