Oklahoma State's Nonconference Success a Distant Memory
Oklahoma State started the season well, but nonconference play is a distant memory.
The Cowboys dropped to 3-7 on Saturday night to clinch a losing season and be eliminated from bowl eligibility. The 38-13 loss at TCU was another example of how bad OSU has been this season.
OSU was outgained by 100 yards, allowed 6.3 yards per rush and didn’t score until the second half. As much as OSU fans have come to expect results like this in Mike Gundy’s 20th season, it has been a drastic difference from how the team started the year.
Before OSU rattled off seven losses to begin Big 12 play, it was expected to be on upset alert to begin the season. The Cowboys hosted back-to-back FCS champions South Dakota State.
Entering Stillwater on a 29-game winning streak, the Jackrabbits were supposed to be a tough task for the Cowboys. Instead, OSU took care of business handily, winning 44-20.
After that game was never in doubt, the Cowboys had another tough task at home against an SEC squad. OSU trailed by two touchdowns to Arkansas in the second half but rallied to take a late lead.
Eventually, the Cowboys escaped the Razorbacks in a double-overtime thriller to remain unbeaten. After the Cowboys used some magic to get a win in Week 2, things looked promising in Stillwater.
A week later, Alan Bowman threw for 396 yards and five touchdowns against Tulsa to set up a top 15 matchup to start Big 12 play. With plenty of momentum on their side, the Cowboys were ready to make an early season statement against Utah, the Big 12 preseason favorite.
Instead, OSU fell flat against Utah and continued to fall flat for the next six games. After looking like a legitimate College Football Playoff contender, the Cowboys are out of bowl contention heading into their second bye week.
This season has been a failure for almost everyone involved, and results like Saturday’s have become regular. Fans in September couldn’t have imagined a 3-7 record, but fans in November are stuck trying to figure out how this team even won three football games.
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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.