Can Oklahoma State Avoid a Letdown Against UCF?
Oklahoma State won a big game last week and needs to refocus for another game on Saturday.
The Cowboys are looking to win their sixth straight conference game for the first time since winning seven straight in 2016. But after the emotional roller coaster of winning the last scheduled Bedlam game, the Cowboys need to get over that win as they prepare to play in Orlando.
While OSU has had some upset wins throughout the season, none were more significant than the win against Oklahoma. Still, OSU has managed to remain grounded after those other games.
Beating a top-10 team is always impressive and often follows with a celebration, especially when that team is a bitter rival that does not appear again on the schedule. While the competition in the game after is worse this time, the Cowboys could not follow up their Bedlam victory in 2021 with a win.
After beating the Sooners to advance to the Big 12 Championship at 11-1, the Cowboys faced the Baylor Bears for a chance to go to the College Football Playoff. The Cowboys scored only 16 points and got stuffed at the goal line in the final seconds to lose.
While the 7-2 OSU team going on the road to UCF will not have those same stakes, OSU has a history of falling after top-10 wins. In 2018, OSU did that multiple times.
After beating No. 6 Texas on homecoming, OSU traveled to Waco and blew a 10-point fourth-quarter lead, and lost in the closing seconds. OSU followed that up a couple of weeks later with a comeback win against No. 9 West Virginia at home.
Those were OSU’s only two wins in the final seven games of that regular season, needing both to earn bowl eligibility. But again, OSU followed up that win with a loss, this time at TCU.
On Saturday, the Cowboys will be looking to win their next game after beating a top-10 team in the regular season for the first time since 2016. If the Cowboys can pull it off, they will continue to control their destiny for the Big 12 title.
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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.