Is Oklahoma State the Worst Power 4 Team in College Football?
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Oklahoma State’s spot in the college football landscape isn’t pretty, and it doesn’t appear to be improving any time soon.
On Friday night, OSU lost 19-12 to Tulsa, marking its first loss to the in-state rival this century. With Mike Gundy firmly on the hot seat after two decades of success in Stillwater, there might not be much going the Cowboys’ way at any point this season.
Sitting at 1-2 going into conference play, there is a real possibility that OSU finishes the season at 1-11. While Gundy and company still seem relatively confident in their ability to continue improving and turn things around, they aren’t capable of competing in the Big 12 if the product on the field doesn’t change dramatically.
After going 0-9 in conference play last season and seeing a significant dropoff in talent, the Cowboys’ path to winning a single Big 12 game isn’t an easy one. In fact, the Cowboys will almost certainly be underdogs in every game the rest of the season, with a real possibility of being double-digit underdogs in each contest.
COLLEGE FOOTBALL SP+ TOP 766, WEEK 5
— Bill Connelly (@ESPN_BillC) September 23, 2025
* No. 1 vs. No. 2 this week!
* Arkansas -114 Arkansas Baptist
* UTRGV -87 Rio Grande
* Oberlin lost 63-0 to No. 381, while Maine Maritime lost 63-0 to No. 671, therefore MARITIME HOLDS ONTO NO. 766 GO MARINERShttps://t.co/Jeq1s2TKJF pic.twitter.com/UjVQWMCta2
In Bill Connelly’s SP+ rankings after Week 4, the Cowboys unsurprisingly earned the lowest ranking of any Big 12 team. Of the 16 teams in the conference, West Virginia is 15th at No. 77, with the Cowboys ranking another 12 spots below at No. 89.
As for whether or not OSU is the worst power conference team, that title belongs to Stanford, which sits at No. 107. While there is a sizeable difference between OSU and Stanford, even the Cardinal have won a conference game, beating Boston College, which ranks No. 75. For comparison, OSU’s lone win came at home against FCS squad UT Martin, which sits at No. 234 with an 0-4 record.
Going solely off of resume, OSU might have a clear case for being the worst team in the Power Four. Considering Tulsa is considered one of the worst teams in the American, there might not be a single conference in the country OSU would have a winning record in.
In the SP+, there are only three schools below the Cowboys, with No. 90 Purdue and No. 91 Northwestern joining Stanford. If OSU’s game against Baylor goes as well as the 20.5-point spread anticipates, the Cowboys should be able to dip even further.
Only two years ago, OSU was in the Big 12 Championship Game. Now, it’s in danger of going an entire season without an FBS win.
Ivan is a sports media student at Oklahoma State University. He has covered OSU athletics since 2022 and also covers the OKC Thunder for Inside The Thunder and Thunderous Intentions.