2025 Gives Mike Gundy Opportunity to Get Oklahoma State Back on Track

Oklahoma State has been in a position to compete for the Big 12 for most of the past two decades, but its path forward isn’t certain.

The Cowboys are coming off of a 3-9 season that ended with the firing of both coordinators and some massive changes to the roster through graduation and the transfer portal. Still, Mike Gundy is around as the head coach and going into his 21st season in that role.

OSU has been known for its consistency and ability to outperform recruiting rankings and expectations over the course of Gundy’s tenure. However, with high expectations last season and a flat result, OSU’s future has never been less certain.

With the wild west of NIL and the transfer portal overtaking college sports, Cowboy football is one of many programs around the country dealing with a new normal. Despite the early struggles OSU has had adjusting to this new world of college football, the Cowboys seem to have settled into the new era this offseason.

Although they had no choice considering the long list of departures, OSU brought in a plethora of players through the transfer portal and has hired many new coaches to help bring in a new era in Stillwater. Of course, the real question is still whether any of this will actually matter on Saturdays this fall.

The Cowboys seemingly had one of their most talented rosters loaded with experienced players in 2024 and failed to win a single conference game. Without much clarity on who will become OSU’s top players next season, the Cowboys have suddenly become one of the toughest teams to predict, which falls right into Gundy’s wheelhouse.

OSU was expected to be a perennial Big 12 contender with the departures of Oklahoma and Texas. Yet, it seems the Cowboys might be stuck in a spot where they will not have the year-to-year consistency they had in the mid-2010s.

Gundy has proven his ability to get his teams to overperform their perceived talent in his two decades as head coach. While his job was seemingly on the line this offseason, he will get another opportunity in 2025 to prove the Cowboy culture is more than just a saying.

That might not mean Gundy takes this team back to the Big 12 Championship, but a Gundy team that has been counted out has typically been the most dangerous.

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