Bowl Game Far From Guaranteed for Oklahoma State in 2025

The Cowboys are having a transformative offseason, but it might not be enough to get the program back on track. 

Over the offseason, Oklahoma State has been a revolving door for coaches and players alike. With new coordinators and assistants set to roam the sidelines with an abundance of transfer portal signees, OSU will look far different from the 3-9 team from 2024. 

However, the team having a different look doesn’t necessarily mean the team will see different results. The standard for OSU football under Mike Gundy has been to compete for a Big 12 title, but those expectations have to be adjusted going into next season. 

A successful bounce-back season for the Cowboys would be a trip to a bowl game. While that goal is well within reach, it’s far from a certainty. 

While the school a player came from doesn’t necessarily indicate their talent level, most of OSU’s incoming transfers came from a non-power conference team, and many of OSU’s power four transfers had a limited role at their previous stop. 

That doesn’t mean they don’t have the skills to compete in the Big 12, but it does mean there will likely be an adjustment period. Considering OSU’s nonconference schedule of UT Martin, Oregon and Tulsa, the team likely has two easy wins and a blowout loss to begin the year, which will effectively tell us nothing about the newcomers in Stillwater. 

That will push the Cowboys’ ability to evaluate the team into Big 12 play. Considering how last season went, it might just be impossible to say if OSU’s slate will be among the easiest or hardest, but after beating no one in the Big 12 last season, every game will give Gundy’s group something to prove. 

If OSU can exhibit the Cowboy culture that has defined the past two decades in Stillwater, it could surprise everyone and be in the mix for the Big 12 title like in 2023. Yet, the Cowboys are at their lowest in decades and could have to fight for any game on their schedule. Finishing below .500 would be a failure, but it simply can’t be ruled out.