Bleacher Report Projects Oklahoma State at No. 22 in Preseason Poll
Oklahoma State could be among the best in the country next season.
After winning 10 games and making their second Big 12 title game in three years, the Cowboys are looking to build on that momentum in 2024. As head coach Mike Gundy enters his 20th season in the role, the Cowboys have an opportunity for their best season in his tenure.
OSU will begin its journey for a College Football Playoff spot next month, and it is likely to begin the year ranked for the first time since 2022. Under Gundy, the Cowboys have begun the season ranked in the AP poll eight times. In that span, OSU has reached as high as No. 9 in the preseason in 2009 and 2011 and has been in the top 15 in another four seasons.
In Bleacher Report’s projection of the AP preseason poll, OSU came in at No. 22. If that proves to be correct, it would be OSU’s lowest ranking in the AP preseason poll in the Gundy era, edging the No. 21 placement in 2016. It would be the second-lowest placement in team history, just above the No. 24 ranking in 2003.
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The Cowboys were one of four Big 12 teams in the ranking, and they were the lowest of the four. Kansas State and Arizona came in at Nos. 20 and 19, respectively. Meanwhile, Utah’s No. 15 spot was the best in the Big 12. Recent conference departures Oklahoma and Texas managed Nos. 16 and 4, respectively.
While OSU has almost every starter from last season returning, the same success is far from guaranteed. Another 10-win campaign would be a success for the Cowboys, but getting where they haven’t gone before could make it one of the most memorable.
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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.