ESPN Ranks Oklahoma State Football Top 20 in Analytics-Based Metric

The Oklahoma State Cowboys are most likely going to be a ranked program heading into the 2024 college football season. They made the Big 12 title game last season and won the Texas Bowl, finishing the season 10-4 behind one of the best college football players in Ollie Gordon.

Evidently, the Cowboys project to be even better than last season as they're returning a majority of their squad and are unlikely to have early-season woes like they did in the 2023 season.

Included in plenty of way-too-early 2024 college football rankings, it's hard to imagine Oklahoma State isn't included in the inaugural AP Top 25 poll. Still, different publications and media outlets include the Cowboys in their rankings, and that includes ESPN in their analytics-based rankings.

Bill Connelly of ESPN released his SP+ rankings, which saw Oklahoma State ranked No. 20 in the analytics-based metric. The SP+ metric is based on returning production, recent recruiting and recent history.

When looking at the Cowboys, they are strong in two of those three categories. They're returning Gordon, the Doak Walker award winner looking to repeat, as well as his entire starting offensive line. Alan Bowman will be back under center with his wide receiver corps. Offensively, the team will be as good if not better than last season.

The returnees don't stop there, either. In the era of the transfer portal, returning talent can be so, so valuable, and the defense is doing the same, returning multiple key contributors. 

With Bryan Nardo ready to take on his second season as the program's defensive coordinator, having returnees familiar with the new system is going to be a benefit, but the overall consistency within the program will be a big reason the program will be able to be so solid next season.

While the recent recruiting isn't the most eye-popping metric for Oklahoma State, recent history does favor the Cowboys. They played in the Big 12 title game in 2021 and 2023 each, and have been one of the most consistent programs in the College Football Playoff era, though they never played in the four-team playoffs.

With as consistent as Oklahoma State has been over the last decade-plus, it's unsurprising to see the Cowboys getting some love ahead of the 2024 college football season, and the team truly could find their way into the 12-team playoffs.