Why Oklahoma State Isn’t Ranked in Top 25 After Stunning Oregon Victory

Trying to figure out why the Oklahoma State Cowboys are not in either Top 25 poll after their win over the Ducks.

Oklahoma State's Justin Bowick. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

What does a college football team like the Oklahoma State Cowboys have to do to get ranked in the AP Top 25 or the USA Today Top 25 Coaches Poll?

That’s the question after the Cowboys (1-1) fell short of being ranked in the Top 25 after their 39-31 upset of No. 6 Oregon on Saturday.

In the Associated Press Top 25, which is voted on by writers and broadcasters who cover college football, Oklahoma State received 36 votes, which put the Cowboys fourth behind teams that received votes, led by Washington’s 172 votes.

In the USA Today Top 25, which is voted on by head coaches in FBS, the Cowboys received 16 votes, which was 11th among teams that received votes. The most votes for a team that was ranked was 183 for Florida.

For good measure, the Cowboys didn’t receive a vote in the NFF/FWAA Super 16, a poll voted on by FWAA writers and College Football Hall of Famers.

So what gives? Why aren’t the Cowboys ranked?

Why Cowboys Aren’t Ranked … Yet

Those that vote on these polls don’t typically comment on why they vote for teams. There are likely two factors at work.

First, there is the Tulsa loss in Week 1. It probably remains in the minds of most voters and coaches even after the Oregon win. The Cowboys went to Tulsa and lost, 24-10, and did in a performance that was reminiscent of how the Cowboys played last year. This was likely a stunning turnaround for most voters.

Oklahoma State wasn’t expected to win against the Ducks. In fact, some though the game would be non-competitive. Some voters may be waiting to see if the Cowboys continue to win before casting their votes for them.

The second reason is where the Cowboys have been the past two seasons. Since reached the 2023 Big 12 Championship game and losing to Texas, the Cowboys have won only five games. OSU’s 21-game losing streak against FBS schools came to an end on Saturday, but the bad vibes of the past two years still linger.

Beating a team like Oregon is great for the program’s overall outlook. But many voters haven’t forgotten the past two seasons and probably want to see more success before voting for the Cowboys.

Go back to the preseason polls and there was some surprise that the Cowboys received votes in the first place. But they did in both the AP Top 25 and the USA Today Top 25. It probably shouldn’t be that surprising that they aren’t ranked — yet.