Oklahoma State, Mike Gundy Must Overcome the Noise in 2025

The Cowboys could have a chance to compete in a wide-open conference.

Head coach Mike Gundy stands on the sidelines 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

Oklahoma State is looking to bounce back next season, but there will be some obstacles in the way.

OSU is under two months away from kicking off its season opener against UT Martin. Over the next several weeks, the Cowboys will get going in fall camp and look to make strides toward becoming the best version of themselves.

One of the biggest questions coming into next season is what the best version of OSU could actually look like. Last season, OSU went 3-9, which resulted in a massive overhaul of the coaching staff and roster.

Still, Mike Gundy is returning for his 21st season as head coach, giving the Pokes some stability as they enter a pivotal year for the program. Expectations aren’t necessarily high for the Cowboys, but their hopes of getting back to a bowl game are certainly within reach.

After failing to win a conference game last season, OSU is expected to be among the worst in the Big 12 next season. While there isn’t a preseason media poll this year to give the Cowboys an exact spot, they are entering 2025 in the bottom tier of the Big 12 and looking to climb out of that hole.

In a recent CBS Sports article, Shehan Jeyarajah posed the burning question for each team entering next season. His question for the Cowboys was, “How is Mike Gundy handling the pressure?”

Of course, the pressure CBS is referring to is the pressure of trying to perform up to his program’s standards after an abysmal year. In addition to that general pressure, much of the optimism surrounding next season has been about Gundy’s ability to perform when his teams have been counted out.

However, this will be a much different challenge than the others Gundy has faced over the year. When OSU has needed a bounce-back season under his watch, it has been a matter of helping a seven-win team get to 10 wins.

This year, that challenge is getting a three-win team to six wins and beyond. The challenge of doubling the win total in one season is tough, but if Gundy has shown anything throughout his career, it’s that he’s always up for a challenge.

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