Oklahoma State Remains Lone Team Winless in Big 12 Play
Oklahoma State has staked its claim as the worst team in the Big 12.
Entering Week 8, OSU was one of three Big 12 teams sitting at 0-3 in conference play. Baylor and Kansas joined OSU on the list as a couple of the most underwhelming teams in the conference this season.
On Saturday, Kansas expectedly earned its first win against Houston at home. Meanwhile, Baylor went on the road to upset Texas Tech in dominant fashion, handing the Red Raiders their first Big 12 loss.
OSU looked poised to exit the winless section of the Big 12 on Friday night, leading No. 13 BYU in the closing moments. However, OSU’s defense allowed a couple of huge plays, including a 35-yard touchdown pass with 10 seconds left to earn its fourth-straight loss.
The Cowboys’ quest for a win in conference play will continue at Baylor next week, but after the Bears’ huge day in Lubbock, that game seems much more difficult. Still, the Cowboys are littered with injuries, making any matchup a challenge.
The most recent crushing injury came late in the second quarter when Garret Rangel was tackled hard on his 56-yard run, keeping him out for the rest of the night. After the game, OSU coach Mike Gundy said Rangel would be out for a while.
With only five games left on the schedule, any significant injury could easily leave Rangel on the sideline for the rest of the season. With Zane Flores out for the year, Alan Bowman will step back into the starting role for the foreseeable future.
Regardless of who OSU has on the field offensively, Bryan Nardo’s defense seems likely to spoil any good performance. OSU has given up at least 38 points in its last three contests, and that seems unlikely to improve any time soon.
With Baylor dropping 59 points on Texas Tech and carrying momentum into its game against OSU, the Cowboys’ quest for their first Big 12 win could extend into November.
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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.