Burning Answers: Lessons Learned in Oklahoma State's Loss to Baylor

Oklahoma State couldn’t get a win in its first game without Mike Gundy, but it put up a fight.

OSU lost to Baylor 45-27 on Saturday at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, marking the team’s 12th consecutive loss to an FBS team. With interim coach Doug Meacham taking over for his first game at the helm, the Cowboys’ offense looked better than it has all season, tying its season-high with 27 points.

Although Baylor’s offense was too much for the Cowboys to keep up with, OSU showed some encouraging signs over the weekend.

Answers to burning questions for OSU's matchup with Baylor:

Will Mike Gundy’s firing give the Cowboys a boost or kill the energy?

OSU had arguably its most inspired performance of the past two seasons in Saturday’s loss. Despite the 18-point margin, the Cowboys competed throughout and had some opportunities to cut the lead in the fourth but couldn’t convert.

Overall, it’s difficult to say if the Cowboys were playing for Gundy or simply viewed this game as a chance to start fresh. In any case, this renewed energy in Stillwater could be something to watch as the season progress.

Is Doug Meacham a real option for head coach?

Ultimately, Meacham probably won’t be seriously considered for the head coaching job. However, he is at least putting together a resume that could force him into the discussion.

With plenty of trick plays and wrinkles to the offense combined with an improved energy from the entire team, Meacham’s role in rallying the team this week was clear. Putting an emphasis on having fun, Meacham made the most of being thrust into a tough situation.

If he can continue to get this type of performance and buy-in from the team for the next couple of months, he should have an opportunity to stay in Stillwater, even if it’s not as head coach.

How will fans react to the news?

For a Big 12 opener, the crowd in Boone Pickens Stadium was certainly lacking. Likely the worst crowd for a conference opener in over a decade, the Cowboys still can’t be too upset about the turnout, given the situation.

After rewarding a nearly packed stadium in Week 4 with an ugly loss to Tulsa, getting an official attendance of 45,689 is something to be satisfied with. While the game wasn’t nearly as bad as it could have been, the Cowboys probably didn’t do much to help their crowd sizes for the rest of the season with an 18-point loss to an unranked team.