By the time the sun goes down in Tucson on Saturday, the Arizona Wildcats are expected to have their fourth victory of the season, matching the win total from last season and having the best start to a season since 2019.
Sometimes expectations don't match reality, but there's a reason Arizona is a 20.5-point favorite to beat Oklahoma State on Saturday, which is the most the Wildcats have been favored to win a game over a Power 4 opponent since the Oregon State game in 2017.Β
After firing longtime head coach Mike Gundy after 20-plus seasons, Oklahoma State is one of four Power 4 programs to let go of head coaches midseason, along with UCLA, Virginia Tech and Arkansas. The dismissal of the head coaches opened up a 30-day transfer portal window for the programs.Β
Since the firing of Gundy, who was replaced by interim head coach and offensive coordinator Doug Meacham, and defensive coordinator Todd Grantham, who was let go after OSU surrendered 612 yards to Baylor last week, the Cowboys have lost roughly 10 players to the transfer portal, including safeties Dylan Smith and David Kabongo.
Arizona head coach Brent Brennan reacts after a touchdown against Kansas State in the first half of a Sept. 12 game in Tucson, Ariz.
Despite the 12-game losing skid to Power 4 opponents and the players entering the transfer portal, "I'm going into this thing expecting them to give us their best shot," said Arizona head coach Brent Brennan.
"I'm expecting them to be ready to play in all three phases," Brennan said. "I know if we want to play the football that we want to play, we have to be locked in and totally dialed into redline. So, whatever they do is what they do. We have to adjust and play through."Β
Added Brennan: "I think you have to be ready for anything. But at the end of the day, we have to do a great job of making adjustments in game. You have to do that every game, but obviously this situation is a little bit different. We know they've got great football coaches on that staff and they've got great personnel. They'll be ready to play."Β
Oklahoma State showed some grit in the first half of its 45-27 loss to Baylor last week β trailing 28-20 at halftimeβ but was outscored 17-7 in the second half. The Cowboys had a season-high 448 yards of total offense in their first game under Meacham. Freshman quarterback Zane Flores threw a career-high 232 yards and no interceptions.Β
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy looks up during the first half of a Sept. 6 game in Eugene, Ore.
"We respect them and we know everyone on that plane is going to play as hard as they can," said Arizona tight end Sam Olson. "They all want to be there and they want to be playing. We're ready for them to play as hard as they can and we're going to try and match that."
If there's any team under pressure on Saturday, it's an Arizona team coming off a 25-point loss to 14th-ranked Iowa State, and that's hosting a team that fired its head coach two weeks ago and is in free-fall mode.Β
Brennan isn't naive. He knows the Wildcats are aware of how much they're favored to win by, and the Arizona coach is encouraging his players to eschew looking at the narratives surrounding both programs going into this game βΒ "rat poison," as former Alabama head coach Nick SabanΒ would call it.Β
"There's always all that stuff out there, so for our players, can we focus on our process and really be locked into what we have to get done right now?" said Brennan. "And then the next moment, the next moment and stay locked into that space. I think that gives us the better chance to play the football that we want to play."Β
