Burning Questions for Oklahoma State's Bout with No. 6 Oregon

Oklahoma State is set for its first road game of 2025, and it could easily be the toughest matchup on the slate.

Last week, OSU opened the season with a 27-7 win against UT Martin, but it wasn’t necessarily the most impressive win. Still, the Cowboys will be hoping to remain unbeaten against No. 6 Oregon this weekend.

Obviously, that will be easier said than done against a squad that expects to compete for a national championship. If Mike Gundy and company can put together a solid performance, there might be a chance for one of the best wins in recent OSU history.

Burning questions for Oklahoma State against No. 6 Oregon:

Is Zane Flores ready for the moment?

Coming into this season, there was always a chance that Flores would earn the starting job, and despite Hauss Hejny starting in the opener, the job hadn’t been completely won. With Hejny sidelined for the next few weeks, Flores will be getting the nod and will get his first start against one of the most intimidating defenses in the country.

While Flores didn’t have the greatest opening game, he was solid and appeared more comfortable as the game progressed. With Gundy recently describing Flores as someone with a calm demeanor who shouldn’t be too intimidated by the moment on Saturday, he might be ready to deliver a memorable performance.

Can Todd Grantham’s defense perform against an elite offense?

There’s almost no doubt that the Ducks will have one of the most explosive offenses in college football again this season. However, if the Cowboys are going to slow down Dan Lanning’s squad, Grantham’s defensive strategies will need to be nearly perfect.

Considering the Cowboys are rebuilding that end after having one of the worst defenses in the FBS in 2024, there’s certainly still a chance things get ugly and look similar to the product that Bryan Nardo put on the field over the past two seasons. However, with the toughness and physicality that OSU brought against UT Martin, there might be a chance for OSU to stick around if the defense executes against Oregon.

Will this game be helpful at all?

Considering that OSU just failed to cover a three-touchdown spread against an FCS team, there should be some serious doubts about the payoff of playing a top 10 team on the road. On paper, Oregon should destroy the Cowboys in virtually every area.

With OSU still trying to figure things out with so many new faces on both sides of the ball and the sidelines, facing a team clearly out of its league could simply be pointless. However, if the Cowboys can compete and keep the game relatively close, it could end up being a perfect runway into their first bye week.