Records say one thing, ratings say Oklahoma State and S Dakota State are even

Oklahoma State comes in 3-1 and S Dakota State sits at 1-2, a gap that suggests one team has clearly outplayed the other. Versus disagrees. The Cowboys have tumbled 39 spots since the preseason, from No. 15 all the way to No. 54, while the Jackrabbits have slipped 17 spots to No. 55, leaving the two separated by a single place in the Division I ratings.

The product grades back up how close this is. Oklahoma State grades out at A in both offense and defense, while S Dakota State checks in at A- on offense and B+ on defense, still the highest overall rating anywhere in the Summit League. Oklahoma State's No. 38 scoring offense lines up against a S Dakota State defense ranked 103rd in Division I, a matchup that could decide which team's recent stumble, a narrow loss at Tulsa for the Cowboys and a blowout loss at Texas for the Jackrabbits, looks like the outlier.

The teams last met in March 2025, when S Dakota State won 74-68 at a neutral site. This one is not a conference game and comes with S Dakota State at home, where Versus still favors Oklahoma State to win, 72-67, giving the visitors a 64 percent chance.