Jan 2, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA; Oklahoma State Cowboys cornerback Justin Gilbert (right) celebrates with wide receiver Justin Blackmon (center) and head coach Mike Gundy after the 2012 Fiesta Bowl against the Stanford Cardinal at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Cowboys won 41-38 in overtime. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Should Oklahoma State Claim 2011 National Championship?

Originally posted on Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI
By Ivan White | Last updated Aug 20, 2025 6:00 PM ET

Oklahoma State’s best year didn’t come with the glory of a national title, but it might not be too late to change that.

Throughout the Mike Gundy era, OSU has seen its best stretch in program history by a wide margin. With eight 10-win seasons in Gundy’s tenure, the Cowboys’ past two decades have helped them become one of the premier programs in the entire country.

While the consistent success and various years competing for Big 12 titles have certainly helped OSU reach that status, it’s hard to imagine the school is in this tier of national excellence without its 2011 campaign. That season is often referred to as the best year in OSU history, and for good reason.

Matthew Emmons-Imagn Images

In 2011, behind a takeaway-heavy defense and the elite connection of Brandon Weeden and Justin Blackmon, OSU went 12-1, winning the Big 12 with a 44-10 win in Bedlam and won the Fiesta Bowl, marking the school’s only win in a BCS bowl. While that year is remembered fondly, there is still something that keeps fans up at night, wondering what could have been.

Sitting at 10-0 and ranked No. 2 in the country, the Cowboys were upset at Iowa State, ending their perfect season and dropping the Pokes back down to No. 3. While their dominant win over a good Oklahoma team to win the conference was impressive, it wasn’t enough to get back into the top two.

Time for the Cowboys to claim a national title?

Earlier this week, Auburn made headlines when it announced that it was claiming several more national championships. While most came before the modern era of official national champi onship games, there was one outlier, with the Tigers claiming the 2004 crown.

While 2004’s BCS championship was won by the USC, which has since been vacated, Auburn’s claiming of six others show that the 2004 claim was more about the Tigers’ 13-0 record and being left out of the national title game than the championship being vacated.

Considering that OSU would have had a chance to compete for the national title only three years later in a College Football Playoff setting and was left out of the national championship game in one of the closest calls in BCS history, the Cowboys might have a legitimate claim.

Add in that OSU won its conference while Alabama wasn’t afforded the opportunity, with the Cowboys also beating No. 4 Stanford in the Fiesta Bowl, and OSU might be well within its rights to claim the 2011 crown as its own.

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

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