Will Oklahoma State Make a Bowl Game This Season?

The Cowboys' path to six wins isn't encouraging after a rough start to Big 12 play.

Oct 5, 2024; Stillwater, Oklahoma, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys offensive lineman Isaia Glass (72) claps hands with wide receiver De'Zhaun Stribling (1) after a touchdown against the West Virginia Mountaineers during the fourth quarter at Boone Pickens Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Purnell-Imagn Images / William Purnell-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State sits at .500 during its first bye week, and finding wins could be difficult in the second half of the season.

For the first time since 2007, OSU is 3-3 after six games. The Cowboys have also fallen to 0-3 in conference play for the first time since 2005, Mike Gundy’s first season as head coach.

OSU began the 2024 campaign expected to contend for a Big 12 title and a spot in the 12-team College Football Playoff. However, only six weeks into the season, OSU’s hopes for either of those are already gone.

Instead, the Cowboys must turn their focus to a much less glamorous goal: making a bowl game. To be eligible for a bowl game, teams must win at least six games, meaning the Cowboys will have to at least repeat their 3-3 record to finish the season.

Getting to six wins seemed like a given, considering the team’s momentum from last season. Yet, getting to that six-win mark might not even be the likely outcome. OSU’s matchup against West Virginia was crucial for OSU’s bowl chances, but a 24-point loss somehow sent the season into a further spiral.

The loss against the Mountaineers means OSU must win a Big 12 road game to make a bowl, with only two remaining home games. According to ESPN, OSU has at least a 50% chance of winning three of its remaining six games: Baylor, Arizona State and Texas Tech.

Of course, those numbers don’t necessarily mean anything, with OSU holding a 63.9% chance of winning against West Virginia before that game. The team has struggled mightily to begin conference play and its game at BYU next week seems like an obvious spot for the team to fall to 3-4.

Considering the hole OSU has dug might get deeper, the Cowboys’ streak of bowl appearances and winning seasons could come to an end this season.

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READ MORE: How Oklahoma State Can Benefit From Bye Week Before BYU Game

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