Jul 9, 2025; Frisco, TX, USA; Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy speaks with the media during 2025 Big 12 Football Media Days at The Star. Mandatory Credit: Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

Can Oklahoma State be Perennial Big 12 Contender Again?

Originally posted on Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI
By Ivan White | Last updated Aug 2, 2025 1:19 PM ET

Oklahoma State is set for another rocky season, but there could still be hope for consistent success.

OSU spent most of the first two decades of the Mike Gundy era contending for a Big 12 title. While there were down years throughout his first 20 seasons, Gundy’s squads typically only had those bad times last for a year or two before ascending right back into the Big 12 title picture.

Typically, those dropoffs were the result of key players leaving and the team essentially looking to set the foundation for its next era of success. After a three-win season in 2024, it might seem like the Cowboys are ready to bounce back in 2025.

However, if that formula holds true, 2025 should actually be the reset year. 2024’s failures were simply a result of poor play from a squad that was expected to be in that Big 12 title race. After making the conference championship game in 2023, the Cowboys didn’t make many changes in the following offseason, which might have led to some complacency and a lack of motivation.

SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With the 2024 season now behind the Cowboys, they will be looking to bounce back in 2025. With so many new faces on the roster and the coaching staff, adjusting to everything in a short amount of time will be critical for the Cowboys.

Although this offseason contained more change than just about any team in college football and is unlikely to be fully replicated by OSU again soon, the program still must adapt to this era. Having significant roster movement, specifically through the portal is simply the expectation in today’s game.

That also means the former formula of having a young squad ready to go and compete is likely gone. OSU won’t have the luxury of letting a Mason Rudolph or a Spencer Sanders sit around and wait their turn for a year.

Those types of players simply transfer if their number isn’t called the day they step on campus. Whether those decisions are actually helpful for the players is still a debate, but the point is that the Cowboys are unlikely to be some golden exception to that rule.

So, can the Cowboys still find ways to be a consistent Big 12 contender?

Of course they can. With Gundy at the helm, OSU has a culture and a system that has led to immense success. Finding ways to adjust that system to fit the roster-building of today will take time, but with the recruits OSU is adding and the team’s recent portal success, the Big 12 might soon run through Stillwater again.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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