Did the Baylor Bears break Mike Gundy?
Let's go back in time for a second. We are in the 2021-2022 college football season, and the Big 12 is stronger than it has ever been. Atop the conference and playing for the Big 12 conference championship were the Baylor Bears, headlined by quarterback Blake Shapen and now NFL wide receiver Tyquan Thornton, and the Oklahoma State Cowboys, led by quarterback Spencer Sanders.
In a back-and-forth battle of wills, the Bears and Cowboys had exchanged touchdowns and field goals all game, leading to a fourth-quarter drive with under 2 minutes to go, led by Spencer Sanders. Down 5 points, the only way the Cowboys were going to secure a spot in the College Football Playoff would be to score a touchdown on this final drive. Spencer Sanders had managed to get the Cowboys into the red zone and was 2 yards away from potentially securing a postseason run. With only two yards to go, one would think that the 5th-ranked team in the nation would be able to punch the ball in for a score...
The defensive effort by Baylor on the following four possessions is still discussed today, and what some would say marked the beginning of the end for Mike Gundy. On both 1st and 2nd & Goal, the Cowboys attempted to run the ball up the middle and were met with a brick wall of defenders both times. On third down, Sanders faked the handoff and tried to throw the ball over the middle, but was broken up by a Baylor defender. Finally, on 4th down, with the game on the line, running back Dezmon Jackson was given the ball and looked to get outside. Still, the lateral movement and speed of Baylor safety Jairon McVea were just enough to prevent Jackson from making it into the endzone, marking a massive win for the Bears.
4 years ago, Oklahoma State was one yard away from the college football playoffs.
— Barstool Big 12 (@BarstoolBig12) September 23, 2025
Now Mike Gundy is fired after a 1-2 start and a 3-9 season the year before.
Life comes at you fast…. pic.twitter.com/vgXrAij8VK
Did this lead the Tuesday's news?
Following the loss in that game, the Oklahoma State Cowboys and Mike Gundy have not been able to find anywhere near that level of success, with things taking a turn for the worse in 2024. In the 2024 season, Mike Gundy and company finished with a 3-9 record. Although Gundy may have been the head coach for a while, after going 3-9, eyebrows were raised, and Gundy's job was in the proverbial hot seat. Couple that with a disappointing 1-2 start to the 2025 season, Gundy's firing was imminent.
Who knows where things would be in the present if Baylor were to have lost that game back in 2021, and if Oklahoma State had gone on a postseason run. The fact remains that the loss to Baylor in 2021 marked a turning point for Gundy and the beginning of his downfall at Oklahoma State.
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Josh started covering Baylor athletics in July 2025. Prior to Baylor Bears on SI, he worked as an intern for TheMichiganInsider at 247Sports. Josh graduated from the University of Michigan - Ann Arbor, with a bachelor’s degree in economics, where his passion for collegiate athletics continued to grow after attending his first game in The Big House. Combining his analytical background and his affinity for collegiate sports, Josh enjoys providing his unique perspective on the shifting dynamic equilibrium of the collegiate athletics landscape. When not watching sports, Josh enjoys cooking a nice meal, running, and traveling to new places with his friends and family.