'Out of Sight, Out of Mind': Mike Gundy Not Following Sooners Without Bedlam
Oklahoma State’s biggest rival isn’t on the schedule this season or on the mind of the Cowboys’ coach.
OSU is 3-7 entering its final two games, and this season has been nothing like what the team expected coming into the year. Meanwhile, Oklahoma left the Big 12 for the SEC and is on the verge of missing a bowl game as well.
When asked about OU’s struggles a few weeks ago, OSU coach Mike Gundy deflected the question, citing his own program’s concerns. But with mid-November coming around and no Bedlam matchup on the schedule, Gundy again expressed little interest in OU’s season.
“It’s almost like, what’s that quote, ‘Out of sight, out of mind,’” Gundy said. “I almost don’t really even pay attention. I don’t even know who they play each week anymore.”
Like the Cowboys, the Sooners also had a bye last week, but Gundy said he didn’t even know that. Without a Bedlam game on the schedule, keeping an eye on the Sooners has become unimportant.
While the rivalry might never end off the field, the lack of a game in Stillwater or Norman has already started a drift between the programs themselves.
“Generally, I would keep an eye on them on a little bit because I knew that we had to play them,” Gundy said. “But I haven’t even really paid attention to much of anything that’s gone on down there.”
Without any possibility of a Bedlam matchup for the next few years, it is unlikely that Gundy has to start paying attention to the Sooners again anytime soon. Last season, OSU upset Oklahoma in the final scheduled meeting 27-24 at Boone Pickens Stadium.
That matchup encapsulated what has made the rivalry so special and such an important part of falls in Oklahoma. Still, that won’t change the fact that OSU and OU will continue to go through seasons without ever crossing paths.
The rivalry is sure to come back at some point, but for now, the Sooners are getting no attention in Stillwater.
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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.