Oklahoma State Could Have Advantage With Weaker Schedule

Oklahoma State needs to have a bounce-back season, and its schedule is working in its favor.

After winning only three games in 2024, the Cowboys are among the most interesting teams in the Big 12 going into next season. For the first time in nearly 20 years, Mike Gundy’s squad is coming off a losing season without a bowl appearance.

Considering all of the success Gundy has had in his time at OSU, it seems unlikely that statement will hold true in consecutive seasons. Obviously, the key to the Cowboys’ season will be as simple as winning games they couldn’t last season.

However, this season will have a bit of a twist to it that the Cowboys can work with. They have one of the weakest schedules in the Big 12.

Sure, a weak schedule might not mean much on paper for the team that just finished without a conference win last season. Still, with so many changes, this team is set to be much different, ideally in the right direction, in 2025.

In CBS Sports’ recent ranking of Big 12 teams’ strength of schedule, the Cowboys came in at No. 11 on the list. With a Week 2 matchup against a potential top 10 Oregon team factored in, OSU’s conference schedule would likely rank even weaker.

So, with a weak schedule, things should be quite easy for the Cowboys, right?

Clearly, that doesn’t mean everything in the Big 12. The Cowboys will be fighting for their lives each week next season, hoping to overcome their struggles from last season and emerge as a postseason team again.

Considering that Arizona State was viewed as the conference’s worst team this time last season before being the Big 12’s only playoff representative, strength of schedule isn’t a foolproof calculation, especially in July. 

Still, if the conference generally plays out as expected, OSU will have an opportunity to play some winnable games while also getting some of its toughest in Stillwater. In this era of college football, it’s nearly impossible to predict future success, particularly in the Big 12, but the Cowboys seem to have a great opportunity to make some noise next season.