Oklahoma State's 2025 Season Set to Determine Direction of the Program

More than 12 games are on the line this fall as OSU gets ready for opening kickoff.

Head coach Mike Gundy walks on the field during an Oklahoma State spring football showcase at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, April 19, 2025. | NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Cowboys are only a few days away from kickoff of one of the most important seasons in program history.

It might seem crazy to say that this upcoming season will go down as one of the most important in Oklahoma State history, but it’s hard to overstate the potential consequences that could come along with every outcome in 2025. Sure, coming off of a three-win season, there won’t be any significant expectations for the Pokes.

While winning a Big 12 championship isn’t exactly on the list for the Cowboys this season, they will be looking to be much more competitive against their conference competition. Likely needing four conference wins to go bowling, OSU doesn’t have much of a choice but to get some key wins in games that most people will be picking against it.

Overall, the entire future of the program will hinge on what happens this season. While a pedestrian six-win season wouldn’t exactly catapult the program or show it’s in the gutter, a simple showing of competent football would be a statement in itself.

The Cowboys don’t need to set the world on fire or see the world around them burn again for the season to mean something significant in the bigger picture.

The fate of the program is on the line

Of course, after the Cowboys went 3-9, a somewhat big shift is expected with all of the changes in the offseason. Assuming the Cowboys can at least show some legitimate improvement, the general consensus will likely be that the program is moving in the right direction again, with the number of wins determining the exact magnitude of success.

However, if OSU were to fall short of making a bowl game, the ramifications could be massive. While OSU could be cut some slack for a five-win season because it would likely include a nonconference road loss to a top 10 Oregon team, anything below that threshold could see an even more intense offseason of change than the one that just happened.

It’s no secret that Mike Gundy is on the hot seat, but it would take another disastrous year for his job to open this winter. Yet, that could be on the table for the Cowboys.

It could also send the program spiraling. After two decades of consistency, failing to be successful with even Gundy at the helm could be a sign that OSU’s golden era is over.

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