Oklahoma State Cowboys defensive end Jaleel Johnson (95) sacks Arizona State Sun Devils quarterback Sam Leavitt (10) in the first half the college football game between the Oklahoma State Cowboys and the Arizona State Sun Devils at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Nov., 2, 2024. SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Reigning Big 12 Champs Looking to Avoid Oklahoma State's 2024 Fate

Originally posted on Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI
By Ivan White | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 12:31 PM ET

Oklahoma State had a disastrous 2024 season, and another Big 12 squad will be looking to avoid a similar demise.

Coming into last season, OSU was among the top contenders to not only compete for a conference championship but also earn a spot in the College Football Playoff. By the end of September, both of those dreams had already been dashed.

Meanwhile, the Arizona State Sun Devils were also having a season much different than expected. Picked to finish dead last in their first season in the Big 12, they shocked the country. Arizona State managed to not only exceed expectations by outperforming their 16th-place preseason ranking, it won the Big 12.

While the Sun Devils had some key departures, including star running back Cam Skattebo, they are still expected to be among the Big 12’s best in 2025. However, Kenny Dillingham’s team will need to take some notes on what went wrong for OSU last season.

SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

In ESPN’s recent article predicting the top obstacle for each top 25 team, regression was pegged as Arizona State’s biggest worry. The main concern from Bill Connelly was the team’s ability to keep up with its incredible performance in close games last season.

Arizona State went 6-2 in one-score games last year, mirroring some past Big 12 contenders that fell off in that area the following year. OSU was one of those teams.

In 2023, when OSU won 10 games and earned a spot in the Big 12 Championship, it went 5-1 in one-score games. With Ollie Gordon’s unbelievable year, the Cowboys seemingly had some magic in their thrilling wins.

The Sun Devils had a similar team of destiny feel last season. Of course, being great in one-score games one season doesn’t mean that it will be an area of concern in the following year.

However, the trend of Big 12 teams having a significant dropoff in those contests should be somewhat worrying for the Sun Devils. Meanwhile, it might give OSU a glimmer of optimism for next season after going 1-2 in those games last season.

Winning in the Big 12 is difficult, and a few points can be the difference between a memorable title-winning year and a season to forget.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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