Ranking Every Oklahoma State Game in 2024 - No. 5: Texas Tech
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Oklahoma State finished last season without a Big 12 win, but it had a close call near the end.
The 2024 season was a complete disaster for the Cowboys. After entering the year expecting to be in the College Football Playoff conversation, they couldn’t even manage to win a single conference game.
Despite the fact that OSU went winless in Big 12 play, it still had some opportunities to pick up some wins throughout the year. However, it never capitalized on those chances and entered its final home game at 3-7.
Already out of bowl contention, the Cowboys didn’t have anything to play for, but they also had nothing to lose. That resulted in the Cowboys starting true freshman Maealiuaki Smith against Texas Tech, giving the young quarterback a chance to show off his skills.
Brief hope for the future
In the 56-48 loss, OSU was competitive throughout, and it was largely thanks to Smith’s play. After Mike Gundy had said he wasn’t ready for most of the season, injuries and Alan Bowman’s struggles gave Smith the opportunity he had been waiting for, and he took advantage.
Smith finished the day completing 26 of his 35 passes for 316 yards, two touchdowns and an interception. The back-and-forth nature of the game felt like a 2010s Big 12 contest, and it gave OSU some hope that it might have found its quarterback of the future.
Of course, Smith would end up transferring to Ole Miss in the offseason, but his play on Senior Day was enough to give the Cowboys at least a little optimism after falling to 3-8.
Can’t win the close ones
OSU’s defense let down the offense in a big way against the Red Raiders. While OSU’s offense was able to keep up with Texas Tech and continued to tie the game, it simply didn’t get an opportunity to take the lead, as Bryan Nardo’s unit consistently gave up big plays and touchdowns.
The Red Raiders finished the day with 540 yards of total offense, with quarterback Behren Morton providing 401 of those yards through the air. Of course, the Cowboys had a big performer as well.
Ollie Gordon shined in his final game in Stillwater, tallying 15 carries for 156 yards and three touchdowns, channeling his 2023 self. While OSU’s offense wasn’t enough to get the job done, it was certainly one of the most entertaining games of the Cowboys’ season.
Ranking Oklahoma State's 2024 season
No. 12 Colorado
No. 11 West Virginia
No. 10 TCU
No. 9 Arizona State
No. 8 Kansas State
No. 7 Utah
No. 6 Baylor
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.