Head Coach: Mike Gundy is entering his 20th season as the head coach of Oklahoma State with a 166-79 record. Gundy is tied with another Big 12 coach, Kyle Whittingham for the 2nd longest tenure in College Football. He’s brought the Cowboys to multiple conference title games and won it in 2011 when they should have made the national title (instead we got treated to the most boring game of all time.) Gundy is also known for some funny rants especially the “I’m a man, I’m 40” rant in 2007.
Program Outlook: There are several programs vying to be the flagship program in the new look Big 12 and Oklahoma State is one of them. They’ve been a consistent contender for the conference every year and even though there’s the occasional down year they haven’t had a losing season since 2005. They’ll be a factor in the conference title race just about every season.
How does the 2024 Roster look?: This is one of the most experienced rosters in the country, just about everyone is back from last year’s team. Often times the most dangerous teams that come from this conference are the ones with lots of experience. The offense was good a lot of the time but there were times where this unit just completely collapsed and they’ll need to work on more consistency. QB Alan Bowman is back for his 7th (!!) year, it’s been a long journey he flashed a lot of ability at Texas Tech but kept getting hurt. Eventually Bowman transferred to Michigan and vanished from the sport before hitting the portal again for Oklahoma State. He will need to work on the interceptions he threw 14 last season and a lot of them late in the year. The star of this offense needs no introduction RB Ollie Gordon is one of the best in the game, with a less than star studded class of QBs he has a real shot at the Heisman this year. Oklahoma State MUST make sure he touches the ball 20 times a game, they were undefeated when that happened last year. This offense is balanced because the Cowboys have a great group of receivers to throw to, it’s one of their deepest groups in years and they’re lead by Brennan Presley who’s one of the best in the Big 12. The offensive line got shuffled a bit last year but they found a lineup and improved with it now 4 starters are back. There’s some good competition but this offensive line might be the best in the Big 12. Oklahoma State’s defense did some good things last season but it struggled against the run which sometimes played a part in their random collapses (see the UCF game.) They did a great job making teams very uncomfortable when they tried to pass. A lot of the defensive line is back but it’s also going to be really fun to see how transfer defensive end Obi Ezeigbo does, he’s coming in from Gannon University a D2 team but now is set to take on a big role here. The guys coming back also know how to eat up space and let this star group of linebackers work. Nick Martin and Collin Oliver are absolute nightmares for an offense to prepare for, Martin is the leader of the defense while Oliver is the enforcer, he forced 4 fumbles last season. The secondary is experienced and has just about everyone back. There were occasional rough points but another year together could really have this unit flying around, on a good day they do a fantastic job forcing turnovers. There’s really no reason this roster can’t win the Big 12.
Screenshot from fbschedules.com1
2024 Schedule Thoughts: This schedule has it’s challenges but nothing this roster can’t overcome. The non-conference schedule is a lot of fun. The opener is a real doozy though, it might be a FCS team but this is a powerhouse they’re inviting into Stillwater. South Dakota State has won back to back FCS national titles and most power ratings would have rated them as a Top 25 FBS team the last couple years. The Jackrabbits might seriously be their toughest non-conference opponent. Next Oklahoma State plays Arkansas, fun fact Oklahoma State is closer to Arkansas than any of their SEC mates (the next closest is Oklahoma who Arkansas also doesn’t play) for how regional this game is the programs haven’t met since 1980, glad they’re finally making it happen. Oklahoma State then plays at Tulsa, a type of in-state game that is becoming more rare in today’s landscape so it’s one to embrace, respect to Oklahoma State for scheduling it. It’s trail by fire to open the Big 12 slate, Oklahoma State faces the 2 favorites right off the bat and hosts another contender in West Virginia before going on the road to a challenging unfamiliar environment at BYU. The schedule is expected to ease up after that. The path to the playoff is wide open.
Vegas Projection: Oklahoma State’s win total is set at 8.5 with the odds geared toward the under. Vegas hasn’t liked the Pokes much this offseason, but the public has, the win total started at 7.5. Oklahoma State is currently 3rd in Big 12 championship odds at +800, they were 6th earlier this offseason at +1100.
2024 Best Case: Oklahoma State is ready for this season and the tests ahead. They handle South Dakota State, Arkansas and Tulsa to open 3-0 and set up a showdown with Utah. The Cowboys come out firing to a quick lead and put the Utes away early to take command of the conference and they don’t let up the following week against Kansas State either. With those games handled the conference is now theirs to lose, but they don’t lose it. Oklahoma State outlasts tough road challenges on their slate and take care of business at home to an undefeated regular season record. The Pokes find Kansas waiting for them in the Big 12 championship but run past the Jayhawks to win and reach the playoff as a 2 seed. Oklahoma State finds a familiar nemesis in their first playoff game as they take on Texas, Alan Bowman shreds their secondary while their defense forces turnovers to beat the Longhorns. Oklahoma State then follows it up with a win over Clemson in the next round. The Cowboys find themselves in an OSU vs OSU national title game as they take on Ohio State. The Cowboys know Will Howard well and use that to their advantage to frustrate him and force a couple turnovers while Ohio State stubbornly throws more than usual. They receive vengeance for the 2011 team that should have made the national title and win it all. Gundy has solidified himself as one of the best coaches in the sport, and meanwhile all Oklahoma can do is watch at home after a miserable 6-7 season in their first year in the SEC.
2024 Worst Case: The early schedule can change the trajectory of the season in a hurry. Oklahoma State is shocked by South Dakota State in the opener which immediately sets them back, and it doesn’t get any better the next week as they lose to Arkansas. They’re a team without confidence going on the road and they suddenly find themselves losing to Tulsa. The last thing they needed after this rough stretch is the 2 toughest conference games up front but that’s exactly what they get. A promising season has faded to a disaster 0-5 start and a 4-8 finish, Gundy’s first season without a bowl since his first season and fans wonder if he’s lost it. Even worse Oklahoma makes the playoff and even wins a game.
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