Oklahoma State Could Overcome Haunting Mistake in 2025

Oklahoma State made a mistake years ago, but it might have finally made up for it.

In 2021, the Cowboys were one of the best teams in the country. That OSU squad was the first to rival the 2011 team in terms of fighting for a spot in the national championship race.

While other teams in between had been preseason dark horses or made surprising runs into November, no team had been as close as the 2021 team. While the 2021 team was great and arguably rivaled the 2011 team, it was much different than almost every other successful team in the Mike Gundy era.

In 2021, OSU’s rise to national contention was led by its incredible defense. Up to that point, the Gundy era had been known almost exclusively for a high-flying, high-scoring attack.

Yet, the offense in 2021 was rather pedestrian compared to some of the previous Big 12 contenders in Stillwater. While it was a flip from the typical path to success, OSU was more than capable of adapting and riding its defense.

That formula appeared to be a new winning one that the Cowboys might be able to ride for years to come. Instead, it came crashing down before the team even hit the offseason.

Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles was the mastermind behind OSU’s defense and its incredible turnaround over the past few seasons. After OSU fell short against Baylor in the Big 12 Championship, he left for a bigger contract at Ohio State.

While in 2021, it made sense that OSU couldn’t cough up the money to keep Knowles around, it seems like a shortsighted mistake four years later. With so much money being thrown around with NIL and the transfer portal, the Cowboys probably should have thrown everything they had at a defensive coordinator who has since won a national title.

However, the Cowboys might be able to overcome that mistake in 2025, with new defensive coordinator Todd Grantham looking to instill a new culture. After OSU was one of the nation’s worst defenses under Bryan Nardo, it has a chance to bounce back and set the tone for a new era in 2025.

While there is no guarantee that Grantham will magically fix all of OSU’s problems, his immense experience at this level and the NFL could be exactly what the Cowboys needed to put together an elite defense.