Oklahoma State Shouldn't be Judged on Wins and Losses in 2025

Oklahoma State needs to bounce back next season, but it shouldn’t necessarily be judged on wins and losses.

Last season, the Cowboys had arguably the most disappointing season in program history. After being expected to compete for a Big 12 title and maybe even a national championship, OSU went 3-9, losing every game in conference play.

That horrible season prompted the program to nearly clean house, firing both coordinators while head coach Mike Gundy took a pay cut. Add in a massive overhaul on the roster thanks to departing seniors and the madness of the transfer portal, and OSU is in a position to have a much different season in 2025.

However, having a much different season doesn’t necessarily mean a much better season. The Cowboys still have plenty of work to do to get back to contending for conference titles, but these big moves in the offseason should get them one step closer.

Considering that, the Cowboys have one thing in mind next season, and that’s to reach a bowl game to potentially start another streak of winning seasons. While anything short of a winning season would still be disappointing, it might not be wise to judge the Cowboys solely on their final record.

For example, a 5-7 season where OSU had multiple close losses and a heartbreaking loss in the season finale to miss a bowl game would be disappointing but would still show some clear progress. With a couple of first-year coordinators and a roster that has little to no chemistry going into the season, it’d be difficult to be truly upset with a performance like that.

Meanwhile, a 5-7 season where OSU starts 3-7 with various blowout losses before winning a couple of games that have become relatively meaningless could prompt another offseason of uncomfortable conversations. 

Of course, winning does solve everything. So, if the Cowboys were to have a season similar to either of those examples but finish the regular season 6-6, then it’d be impossible to call the season disappointing, even if OSU actually played at the level of a 10-win or three-win team throughout the year.

The possibilities are endless for the Cowboys in 2025, but it’s important to remember that process is ultimately more important than results in a rebuilding year like this.