Oklahoma State Closing in on First Winless Big 12 Season
Oklahoma State has never gone winless in Big 12 play, but that appears to be the likeliest outcome in 2024.
On Saturday, OSU lost to TCU 38-13 in Fort Worth, falling to 3-7 and 0-7 in conference play. After entering conference play with a top-15 ranking and hopes of making the College Football Playoff, OSU has not won a game.
The Cowboys escaped their Week 2 game against Arkansas with a double-overtime win. Reminiscent of some of OSU’s improbable wins in 2023, the Cowboys looked ready to make another run this season.
However, the Cowboys seemingly used all of their magic in their matchup against an SEC foe. OSU hasn’t won a game since Sept. 14 and has been uncompetitive in most of its Big 12 games.
Throughout Mike Gundy’s first 19 years in Stillwater, OSU had a losing record in conference play only five times. In that same span, OSU has eight 10-win seasons. Not only is OSU unaccustomed to losing conference records, it has been spoiled with the best stretch in school history under Gundy.
Of course, that means the response to a 3-7 season is much different than when OSU had consistent losing seasons under Pat Jones and Bob Simmons in the ‘90s. The Cowboys’ 1994 campaign was the final under Jones, and the most recent season OSU went winless in conference play.
In 1994, the Cowboys were in the Big 8, with the Big 12 still a couple of years away from forming. The Cowboys have only two more chances to avoid the same fate as the 1994 team and perhaps for Gundy to avoid Jones’ fate.
OSU hosts Texas Tech in the home finale after a bye week before finishing the year at Colorado on Black Friday. Considering OSU’s final two opponents have combined to lose only six games this season, it could be a rough finish to the season, with a 3-9 record staring at the Cowboys.
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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.