Head coach Mike Gundy looks at the score board during an Oklahoma State spring football showcase at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, April 19, 2025. NATHAN J. FISH/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cowboys Near the Bottom of Big 12 Preseason Power Rankings

Originally posted on Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI
By Taylor Skieens | Last updated Jul 3, 2025 1:13 PM ET

Following a 3-9 season a year ago from the Cowboys, the expectations from the college football community have been virtually non-existent... but you can't tell that to the Oklahoma State coaching staff.

In a recent post from College Football Live ranking Big 12 teams according to ESPN FPI, the Oklahoma State Cowboys found themselves in the 14th spot in the preseason Big 12 rankings. From the outside looking in, it is very understandable why the Pokes are at the bottom.

The Cowboys lost a majority of their offensive production from a season ago and enter the 2025 season with a virtual clean slate. The Pokes will likely start a quarterback this season who has never taken a snap for the Cowboys. That goes the same for the receiving core, which features many brand new faces.

Despite a coaching and roster overhaul, many around the organization feel as if the Cowboys can make some things happen on the football field this season. The Oklahoma State coaching staff put in the work this summer on the recruiting road and put together a team worthy of shocking college football this season.

Big 12 pre season power rankings according to ESPN FPI.

What would you change? pic.twitter.com/TE5gs2CIeX
— College Football Live (@CollegeFBonX) July 3, 2025

The Pokes loaded up for the 2025 year but have something special brewing in the 2026 recruiting class. Oklahoma State secured a commitment from the No. 1 player in both Oklahoma and Arkansas for the 2026 cycle, along with Oklahoma's top running back prospect KD Jones.

For now, the Cowboys will have to prove the naysayers wrong. Kansas State is the early favorite to finish atop the Big 12, followed by defending champion Arizona State and BYU. The only programs predicted to finish worse than the Pokes are Arizona and Houston.

A middle-of-the-pack finish is a reasonable prediction for the Cowboys this coming season, and no one needs the Pokes to overachieve more than head coach Mike Gundy. There has been a resurgence in the program and things are potentially looking up in Cowboy country.

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

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