Bye Week Won't Magically Fix Oklahoma State's Problems

Oklahoma State is looking to bounce back from its horrendous loss against Oregon, but a bye week won’t save the Cowboys on its own.

On Saturday, OSU had one of its worst losses in program history, falling to Oregon 69-3, with the 66-point margin marking the largest in a defeat in the Mike Gundy era. While OSU was tasked with facing one of the top teams in the country and was an undeniable underdog, the issues displayed in that matchup go beyond the expectation of a loss.

The Cowboys have been one of the top teams in the country throughout the Gundy era, but his time as the leader of one of the nation’s elite programs could be coming to an end if things don’t turn around. Of course, whether he is a Cowboy or not, OSU might simply not be an elite program anymore.

Although one rough season could be seen as a fluke, the continuation of problems from last season into 2025 might paint a different picture entirely. Still, it’s important to remember that Oregon is a legitimate contender to win the national championship, and the Cowboys might have simply been overpowered against a group it was clearly outmatched against going in.

While that is the optimistic view on this situation, that viewpoint also comes with the idea that the Cowboys’ Week 3 bye will save them in a way. OSU has been saved in some capacity by byes in the past, as seen by the 2023 win against Kansas State to ignite a five-game winning streak.

However, this is a much different team with a roster that was built in a much different way. Although the Cowboys should be able to come out and get a win against Tulsa following a bye week, there is no guarantee that things will suddenly be perfect moving forward.

If anything, this week is far from the typical bye week. Along with the fact that it comes after Week 2, this is basically an extension of fall camp for the Pokes.

With so many new faces and some position battles still yet to be won, there are some real concerns that OSU’s problems will only get worse. This bye has the opportunity to help in some of those areas, but it certainly can’t fix them all.

Having an extra week to recover from Oregon and prepare for Tulsa is undeniably good for the Cowboys, but there is some real debate to be had about how good it is.