The new season of college football is nearly upon us, and while Arizona State is seeking to repeat as Big 12 champions, the rest of the conference will have something to say about that. In anticipation of the new season, we're breaking down each of the 15 other schools and where they stand heading into the year.
Today, we start off with the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
What happened last year
Oklahoma State entered the year with a Heisman candidate in Ollie Gordon and expectations of being one of the best teams in the Big 12. Then it all went sideways. Gordon, who was arrested for a DUI in the summer, saw a stark decline in production and the Cowboys suddenly became allergic to winning.
They finished 3-9, failing to win a single conference game for the first time in Mike Gundy's 20 years as a head coach. It was also the first time Oklahoma State had endured a losing season since Gundy's first year on the job, way back in 2005.
What's new this year
Better question: what isn't?
Gundy overhauled nearly his entire coaching staff, retaining just two assistants, each of whom arrived in Stillwater just last year. The two biggest changes are at both coordinator spots.
Doug Meacham, a former Cowboys offensive lineman, is the new offensive coordinator. Meacham was Gundy's pass game coordinator for his first eight seasons as head coach, and also called the offenses at Kansas and TCU for various stretches, though he hasn't held the role since 2021.
On defense, it's another longtime veteran in new coordinator Todd Grantham. A disciple of defensive stalwarts like Frank Beamer and Nick Saban, Grantham has 15 years of experience as a coordinator between college and the NFL. He most recently served two seasons as the defensive line coach for the New Orleans Saints, and he last called a defense on Dan Mullen's Florida staff.
Oklahoma State has also seen significant roster turnover, with 27 players transferring out. Gundy has welcomed in 38 transfer additions, but among his losses are the only two quarterbacks to have thrown a pass for Oklahoma State last year, outside of the graduating Alan Bowman.
Reasons for optimism
Honestly, there's not much right now. Gundy himself was brutally honest about his team's uncertainty at the Big 12 Football Media Days:
"I'm about go on vacation and I don't know who our starters will be at 8 of the 22 spots, not counting special teams" - Mike Gundy@Devils_Detail
— David Howman (@_DH44_) July 9, 2025
If there's any room for optimism, it lies in the fact that Gundy is a proven winner. His next win will be his 170th, and Gundy has never had consecutive losing seasons. He also seems to have his best years when people expect the least out of the Cowboys.
Couple that with the purging of last year's team, and it's conceivable that Oklahoma State could get back to a bowl game in 2025.
Reasons for skepticism
I mean, did you see the tweet above?
Gundy himself seems to be running out of answers. His fixes at either coordinator spot are two guys that haven't called plays since 2021, which was the first year for both NIL and the transfer portal. Whoever starts at quarterback will be someone who's never thrown a pass in a Cowboys uniform, and it seems likely they won't be the only one to start games for Gundy this year.
It's bleak enough when you just look at Oklahoma State's staff and roster, but then you zoom out and consider the rest of the Big 12. Arizona State is obviously the cream of the crop right now, but there are legitimate playoff contending teams all over this conference right now.
Oklahoma State draws an especially tough schedule, too. They travel to Eugene to face Oregon in Week 2 and will be on the road against Arizona, Kansas, and Texas Tech. They also face three of the top teams - Kansas State, Iowa State, and Baylor - at home, likely minimizing their homefield advantage.
Realistic expectations
It's really hard to bet against Mike Gundy, but this just might be the time to do it. His contract restructure after last year's disappointment makes it much easier for the university - whose president resigned back in February - to move on with another down year, and the sharks are circling Stillwater.
Best case scenario is probably winning six games and getting a bowl berth, but Oklahoma State may not be able to muster even that. Of course, all it takes is their quarterback - whoever it ends up being - getting hot in the same way Sam Leavitt did for Arizona State last year, but it's hard to bank on that.
The most likely outcome, and most realistic expectations for Oklahoma State, this year is another losing season. And if that happens, it's hard to imagine Gundy is still the coach.