Oklahoma State Needs Reasonable Expectations for First Year of Eric Morris Era

Oklahoma State is ready for a big shift in momentum, but there should still be patience.

Over the past couple of years, OSU football has been in the gutter. With only four wins over the past two seasons, and no win over an FBS squad since September 2024, the Cowboys have been in a tough spot lately.

Of course, things are looking much better in Stillwater as of late. With new OSU head coach Eric Morris coming in, the program is already making strides toward becoming a perennial Big 12 contender again.

But it’s important to remember that’s exactly what they are: strides toward becoming a contender. These big flashy moves in the transfer portal won’t be enough to suddenly thrust the Pokes into the upper echelon of the Big 12.

Sure, in this era of college football, it’s reasonable to expect the turnaround that OSU is looking to make should take less time than it would’ve a decade ago, but it will still take some time. After all, the Cowboys won one game in 2025 and haven’t even seen Morris coach a game with the program yet.

That’s not to say that there’s zero chance that the Cowboys are a playoff dark horse still in the Big 12 hunt by the time November comes around next season. But that certainly shouldn’t be the expectation, nor should it be something viewed as a reasonable expectation for the Cowboys.

A successful season in Stillwater is as simple as making a bowl game. Ideally, Morris’ first season at the helm will be successful enough that simply making a bowl game won’t be seen as real success in years to follow.

But for year one? A bowl game for the Pokes after going 4-20 in the past two years should be more than enough.

Having a reasonable expectation like that could also make the high end of potential outcomes for OSU even more meaningful. The Cowboys are bringing in basically an entire new roster and coaching staff after going 1-11 last season.

If Morris and company can come into that situation and somehow be a legitimate contender in the Big 12 in his first season, it would be one of the best stories in college football. While there’s no reason to simply tell OSU fans not to be extremely optimistic going into next season, the Cowboys not reaching the high end of what 2026 could be should simply be expected and not come with disappointment.