Big 12 Championship Could be Out of Reach for Oklahoma State
Oklahoma State made the Big 12 Championship with two conference losses in 2023, but running the table is unlikely to be enough this season.
On Saturday, OSU lost 42-20 against Kansas State to fall to 0-2 in Big 12 play. While it seems that OSU’s playoff hopes and conference title chances are dashed, there is still some optimism to be found from last season’s campaign.
Although the Cowboys did not have the firepower to compete with Texas in Arlington, even making the game was an accomplishment as they held a 7-2 Big 12 record. While that is still in reach, OSU will likely be missing the key that got it into last season’s title game.
OSU’s 7-2 record was not enough on its own to get in. The Big 12 had two 7-2 teams, with Oklahoma joining Mike Gundy’s squad. OSU won that tiebreaker because it beat the Sooners head-to-head in the regular season.
Although Utah and Kansas State have each suffered a conference loss, those teams entered as the two favorites to win the conference and have the tiebreaker over OSU. Beyond that, OSU will not match up against other potential contenders, such as Iowa State and Arizona, making those tiebreakers a complicated mess should it get to that point.
However, that same concept does provide some hope for the Cowboys as well. Assuming OSU finishes 7-2 in Big 12 play, it would have wins against BYU, Texas Tech and Colorado, the only three teams currently 2-0 in conference games.
A 7-2 OSU could have key tiebreakers won and lost, with other contenders potentially making it past the Cowboys simply because of the schedule format.
Despite all of the potential complications in the Big 12 title race, it is only the first week of October games. There are another two months of contests to be played, and chaos is sure to ensue in the conference.
READ MORE: ESPN Projects Rough Finish to 2024 for Oklahoma State
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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.