Oklahoma State on Verge of Elimination from Bowl Contention
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Oklahoma State is set for more Big 12 action this weekend, but it could make the inevitable official.
On Saturday, OSU will head to Lubbock to face No. 14 Texas Tech. The Red Raiders are coming off their first loss of the season but still have arguably the best team in the Big 12. As one of the frontrunners for the conference’s spot in the College Football Playoff, they shouldn’t have many issues taking care of business against an OSU team that hasn’t won a Big 12 game since 2023.
Along with being on a years-long drought in conference play, the Cowboys haven’t beaten an FBS team since September 2024. With this being the eighth game of the season, that also means OSU is down to its final hopes of making a bowl game.
Of course, the Cowboys have effectively been out of bowl contention since losing to Tulsa. While at that point there were still plenty of games left to play, that loss showed that OSU might not be ready to compete with anyone of note.
That assumption turned out to be entirely correct, as OSU hasn’t had another game within one possession since that loss to its in-state rival, which also led to the firing of Mike Gundy. While falling out of bowl contention seemed inevitable for the Pokes for much of the season, this weekend could be when it officially becomes reality.
Sitting at 1-6, the Cowboys would need to rattle off five straight wins to get to bowl eligibility. Considering they will start that journey as nearly 40-point underdogs in Lubbock this weekend, it’s safe to say that won’t happen.
While this is the reality OSU football is in at this point, it’s still a stark reminder of how quickly things can change in college football. Just two years ago, OSU won 10 games, made the Big 12 title game, which led to an appearance in the Texas Bowl, marking the Pokes’ 18th straight bowl appearance.
The last time OSU missed bowl games in consecutive seasons was 2000-01, when Bob Simmons’ final season and Les Miles’ first season at the helm both ended with losing records. Of course, Gundy missed a bowl game only twice in his 20 full seasons as the Cowboys’ head coach, but this year likely would have been his third had he gotten the opportunity to see it through.
While nothing about OSU’s outlook will change on Saturday when the Cowboys are likely eliminated from bowl contention, it is still a reminder of how far the program has fallen.
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.