Ranking Every Oklahoma State Game in 2024 - No. 12: Colorado
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Oklahoma State’s 2024 season had a fitting finale against one of the Big 12’s best.
Entering the 2024 season, OSU had hopes of winning a Big 12 title and securing a spot in the College Football Playoff. After winning 10 games a year earlier and bringing back almost all of their important players, the Cowboys were seen as a surefire pick to have a big year.
Instead, the Cowboys went 3-9 and had the worst season of the Mike Gundy era. Finishing without a conference win also stung for the Cowboys, with a Black Friday matchup at Colorado ending the long, disappointing season.
OSU lost that matchup to Colorado 52-0, marking the largest loss of the season and only shutout. While the season was already lost, there was still some remaining hope that OSU’s young players could show out in the finale.
However, Maealiuaki Smith’s second start was a perfect example of just how poorly the Cowboys played. He threw for only 70 yards and was benched in the second half in what would be his final game as a Cowboy.
OSU’s offense overall was atrocious, gaining only 147 yards and turning it over four times. Simply put, nothing went the Cowboys’ way in this matchup.
While there were other bad losses with much more on the line for the Cowboys, this game gets the last-place spot in the rankings because of how pathetic the team looked. In the opening minutes, it seemed clear that only one team was even interested in playing the game.
With many players checked out and already knowing it was their final game at OSU, the effort was minimal. Beyond that, there was a general awkward feeling because of the inevitable firings that were soon to come for Bryan Nardo and Kasey Dunn.
Although OSU looked good in nonconference play and had some close calls in conference games, this game in Boulder was a perfect encapsulation of the season. OSU simply had no juice and couldn’t compete with the team on the other side.
However, that should change going into next season. With many changes to the coaching staff and roster, Mike Gundy’s 21st season could look much different than his 20th.
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.