Can Oklahoma State Prove Doubters Wrong Next Season?

The Cowboys are hoping to have a much better year in 2025.

Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy speaks with the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Oklahoma State needs to bounce back in a big way to reclaim its status among the nation’s best.

Last season, OSU had one of the worst seasons of any team in the FBS. After winning 10 games in 2023, OSU’s hopes of another Big 12 Championship appearance and a possible College Football Playoff berth were quickly dashed.

After winning only three games in the 2024 season, OSU had to make some significant changes to get ready for 2025. With the Cowboys looking to overcome their struggles from last season, they overhauled the coaching staff and brought in numerous players through the transfer portal.

With a new roster and an almost entirely new coaching staff, expectations are for the Cowboys to be back in a bowl game and begin their climb back toward Big 12 contention. While those changes should make things different next season, there are still a lot of moving parts that could keep the Cowboys from success.

Still plenty of doubters

OSU will enter next season unranked, and it even failed to receive a single vote in the preseason coaches poll. While preseason polls don’t matter much, the Cowboys’ status as one of the middling teams in college football has been somewhat proven by their inability to get into the top 25 or even receive votes.

In CBS Sports’ recent poll ranking all 136 FBS teams, the Cowboys were among the worst among power conference teams, landing at No. 64. Of course, after winning only three games a year ago, the Cowboys aren’t going to receive much benefit of the doubt beyond having a proven head coach.

Considering the Cowboys likely weren’t among the top 100 teams in the FBS last season, the No. 64 spot shows some progress for the Pokes. Still, OSU has a lot of work to do to get back to where it wants to be.

How can OSU turn things around?

The simple answer is winning. After all, winning solves everything in sports. Of course, winning isn’t an easy thing, as evidenced by OSU winning three of 12 contests last fall.

While a win at Oregon seems unlikely, the Cowboys should be in a position to win every other game in 2025. Obviously, that doesn’t mean they will win or should be expected to win every game.

However, it does mean that OSU should be competitive enough to have a chance to win every time it takes the field in Big 12 play. Assuming these offseason changes can work out as intended, the Cowboys won’t be sitting at No. 64 for long.

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