How Much Can Oklahoma State's Bye Week Help?

Oklahoma State is looking for a complete turnaround after a devastating 69-3 loss to Oregon last week. Gundy has had an extra week to prepare for Tulsa this upcoming Friday, but will that extra week make a difference?

The Cowboys are favored heading into the Week 3 matchup, but they have a lot more to prove than just being able to win against a 1-2 Tulsa team. With OSU’s only win being a mediocre outing against UT Martin, the Pokes need to show that they have some spark to turn the season around.

Will the extra week help the Cowboys that much? The Cowboys had two bye weeks last year in Week 7 and Week 12, and although they didn’t win the following weeks, they did have some of their best performances of the 3-9 season. 

Week 8: BYU 38, OSU 35

Last year, OSU went on the road to take on No.13 BYU and almost pulled off one of the best upsets of the entire college football season. Ollie Gordon II had three total touchdowns on what felt like a perfect night, until quarterback Garret Rangel left the game with a broken collarbone. 

This was a spark that the Cowboys hadn’t seen since their win against Tulsa last year, and it seemed like the team had finally found some sort of momentum. 

The quarterback play of Rangel and the dominance of the offensive line to open up holes for Gordon II are what made this possible. If quarterback Zane Flores and this year’s offensive line can play as the team last year did coming off a bye week, Tulsa might be in for a beating. 

Week 13: Texas Tech 56, OSU 48

After seven straight Big 12 losses, everyone thought not even a bye week could keep OSU in this game. Instead, Maealiuaki Smith threw for 316 yards and two touchdowns to lead the Cowboys in their highest scoring game of the year. 

Smith showcased another example of how, after a bye week, OSU’s quarterbacks rise to the challenge and keep the Cowboys in the game. 

Although in both of these examples OSU ultimately lost, they at least showed enough firepower to compete with the best in the Big 12. 

If this same play is shown this coming Friday, the Pokes should have no problem ending the weekend 2-1.