The final game of the 2026 season for the Oklahoma State Cowboys will be somewhat fitting. It’s against the Kansas Jayhawks, a team with similar problem.No, the Jayhawks didn’t go 1-11 last season like the Cowboys did. They went 5-7. No, Kansas didn’t fire its head coach, Lance Leipold, like Oklahoma State did with Mike Gundy. No, the Jayhawks didn’t pull nearly 90 new players out of the transfer portal for this season like new OSU head coach Eric Morris did. But there is one thing the Jayhawks and the Cowboys have not done since 2023 — go to a bowl game. Kansas won nine games that season while Oklahoma State reached the Big 12 Championship game for the second time in three years. Since then, it’s been all downhill for both teams. The ride has been far bumpier for Oklahoma State. So how could Kansas, a team coming off back-to-back five-win seasons, ruin Oklahoma State’s season? Well, winning, of course.How Kansas Could Ruin Oklahoma State’s SeasonOklahoma State head coach Eric Morris. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters ConnectThe game is late enough in the season where either team could have something on the line. Likely, it’s a bowl game berth. While some analysts are high on the Cowboys after the hiring of Morris and the infusion of talent, most have picked them to finish in the middle of the back in the Big 12. Last year that was a 5-4 finish in league play and, in most cases, a bowl game. For the Cowboys, that’s the minimum this season. After two years of not winning a single Big 12 game, going 5-4 in Big 12 play would be a massive improvement and likely guarantee a bowl game. Here’s why. Oklahoma State will play Tulsa, Oregon and Murray State in non-conference. The minimum for OSU is to finish 2-1. Tulsa is essentially a revenge game after last year’s loss and the Golden Hurricane finished under .500. Murray State won one game last year. Absorbing the loss to Oregon, combined with those two wins, sets the Cowboys up well. Then, all OSU has to do is go 4-5 in Big 12 play to reach a bowl game at 6-6. Obviously, Morris has much higher expectations. But that’s the minimum. If the Cowboys are a middle of the road team in the Big 12, they will hit that number. But what if they struggle more than expected? What if they had to Boone Pickens Stadium on Nov. 28 with just three league wins and five overall wins. Then a bowl game appearance is on the line. For Morris and the Cowboys, a bowl game means 15 extra practices and a head start on next season. That’s what a win would mean. A loss would make the season a massive disappointment in some ways and put Morris back on the recruiting trail with a little less to use to get players to buy into his program. That’s how Kansas could ruin Oklahoma State’s season. Deny the Cowboys a bowl berth. Add us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow