Oklahoma State Near Bottom of Big 12 in 2025 SP+ Rankings
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Oklahoma State is coming off of a rough season, and it isn’t projected to have a much better run in 2025.
The Cowboys have spent the offseason going through numerous changes. Narrowly avoiding firing Mike Gundy was one of the most critical points of the offseason, but Gundy was one of the few on the coaching staff who earned the right to coach for the Cowboys in 2025.
With new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham replacing Bryan Nardo, who led one of the worst defenses in the FBS last season, and new offensive coordinator Doug Meacham looking to overcome the stagnant nature of Kasey Dunn’s crew, the Cowboys have a much different look. Add in the fact that OSU brings back less production than most teams in the country, and the Cowboys have made it clear their goal is to get as far away from the 3-9 season as possible.
While the Cowboys have done a solid job of altering their team, in theory, it might not work in practice. Of the incoming players OSU will welcome next season, many will be true freshman, and those from the portal are almost all coming from a smaller school or a situation where they received little to no playing time.
Perhaps those players are ready to make a step up in competition or simply needed a change of scenery to thrive, but there is plenty of reason to have doubts about the newcomers. That doubt was also vindicated by the first SP+ rankings for the 2025 season.
On Thursday, ESPN’s Bill Connelly released his first rankings for the new year, and the Cowboys did not see a favorable placement. OSU ranked No.73 in the FBS out of 136 teams. Along with being in the bottom half of the FBS, the Cowboys are ahead of only one Big 12 team, with 14 conference foes ahead of them.
Houston at No. 78 was the only team below the Cowboys, with the teams above them ranging from Kansas State at No. 19 and Arizona at No. 66. OSU could be a surprise team and make a patented Mike Gundy run in the Big 12, but odds don’t appear to be in OSU’s favor as spring ball approaches.
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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.