Oklahoma State's Bedlam Loss Shows Cowboys Have a Long Road Ahead
Oklahoma State had an exciting and promising start to the season, but its latest game showed the Cowboys still have a long road ahead.
On Saturday, OSU entered Paycom Center for a Bedlam matchup against No. 13 Oklahoma. The Cowboys sat at 6-2 and had hopes of pulling an upset against their biggest rivals.
Instead, they got pummeled.
OSU never looked to be on or near the same level as the Sooners throughout the night, trailing by double figures for almost the entire game. The Sooners moved to 10-0 and maintained their status as one of the best in college basketball so far this season.
It was by no means a bad loss for OSU because of who they lost to. It might not even be a bad loss. But it sure felt like one.
In the new era of conference realignment, a neutral-site Bedlam matchup might be the new normal. While that would be a major disservice to the fans of both teams, no one cares less about the fans of college sports than the folks making the decisions. Still, the outcome of Saturday’s game would likely have been the same in just about any venue.
OSU’s schedule lightens up for the next two contests, hosting Tarleton State and Oral Roberts in Stillwater for what should be a couple of easy wins. However, the Cowboys will have nothing close to a guaranteed win on the slate for the rest of the year.
The Big 12 is the premier conference in college basketball and has been for some time now. OSU’s inability to make any noise in the conference over the past decade is why Steve Lutz is now in charge.
No one expects the Cowboys to be good or even compete for an NCAA Tournament spot. At least, that was the case coming into the season. Optimism brewed after a strong start and some tough losses in the Charleston Classic.
Yet, after an embarrassing loss in Oklahoma City in this season’s only Bedlam matchup, it’s hard to find a path to success for the Cowboys when Big 12 play rolls around.
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Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.