How Oklahoma State Has Fared in Conference Openers Under Mike Gundy
Oklahoma State is set for its conference opener, which could be its most important game this season.
The No. 14 Cowboys will host No. 12 Utah in a matchup featuring two of the favorites to win the Big 12. Whichever team wins will have an early advantage in the Big 12 Championship race.
Saturday’s game will be OSU’s first conference opener at home since the 2021 season when it beat Kansas State. Eventually, the Cowboys finished that regular season with only one conference loss and earned a trip to the Big 12 Championship, falling short against Baylor to end their best bid at the College Football Playoff.
With an expanded 12-team field, OSU will need a good start as the Big 12 projects to get only one or two teams in. Considering the conference champion is the only team guaranteed a bid to the playoff, OSU’s Big 12 opener against Utah could decide the conference’s fate.
Under Mike Gundy, OSU has hosted its Big 12 opener nine times, going 5-4 in those matchups, including back-to-back wins in 2020-21.
Although it doesn’t mean anything for Saturday’s game, it is worth noting that Gundy’s teams have always had at least two-game winning or losing streaks in conference openers. Since 2005, OSU’s conference openers in order have featured two losses, five wins, two losses, two wins, four losses, three wins, with last season’s loss to Iowa State potentially beginning a new multi-game streak.
Overall, Gundy is a near-even 10-9 in conference openers but has gone 14-5 in his first conference home games. Unsurprisingly, OSU has been better at home than on the road. Considering that OSU has won all but three home games since 2020, Boone Pickens Stadium fields one of the best home-field advantages in college football.
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IVAN WHITE
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.