OSU Football: Cowboys Open as Long Shot for National Title

OSU is looking to make some noise next season, but it might be an uphill climb.

Oct 21, 2023; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys head coach Mike Gundy argues a call during the first quarter against the West Virginia Mountaineers at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports / Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

Oklahoma State has high hopes next season, but there might not be many believers outside of Stillwater.

Last season, OSU won 10 games, made the Big 12 Championship and nearly made a New Year’s Six game. Going into 2024, OSU has more returning production than almost any team in the country and is confident it can win the Big 12 for the first time since 2011.

With the introduction of the 12-team playoff in 2024, the Cowboys could have at least an outside shot of winning a national title. However, Vegas seems to believe it is more complicated than just a slight outside shot.

With less than three months before the season starts, the Cowboys' national title odds are 200/1. That puts them in a tie for the 26th-best odds to win it all.

Odds to win @CFBPlayoff

UGA 3/1
Ohio St 4/1
Texas 7/1
Oregon 8½/1
Bama 13/1
Ole Miss 15/1
LSU 17/1
Florida St, NDame, Penn St 25/1
Clemson, Miami, Michigan 40/1
A&M, Tennessee 50/1
USC, Utah 60/1
Mizzou, OU 65/1
Kansas St 75/1
Arizona, Kansas 125/1
Auburn, NC St, Nebraska 150/1…

— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) June 3, 2024

The 200/1 tier has an interesting mix of teams alongside OSU. Big 12 newcomer Colorado which won four games last season, and national runner-up Washington are among the teams with the same odds as OSU.

As for the Big 12, OSU is tied for the fifth-best national title odds in the conference with Colorado and Texas Tech. Utah has the best odds at 60/1, tied for 16th-best, followed by Kansas State, Arizona and Kansas.

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Despite not having great odds to win a national title, previous OSU teams have outperformed Vegas’ expectations. Just last season, OSU easily surpassed its preseason win total of 6.5 games. 

Although the Big 12 has plenty of talent at the top, OSU’s continuity could carry it to the Big 12 title game again next season. There might not be a favorable schedule in the conference next season, but OSU will only have to play two of the four teams ahead of it in national title odds.

Those matchups against Utah and Kansas State will be the Cowboys’ first two Big 12 games. With a potentially tricky nonconference schedule, if OSU can get past the first five weeks unscathed, the Cowboys will likely be in the driver’s seat for the Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff spot.

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