HornSports is counting down the games of the 2014 football season. For this series, each opponent was ranked according to “most important games”, which is defined as those games having the biggest impact on the program’s outlook and the 2014 season.
The main question to ask is “How would a win help bolster Texas’s national perception?“
The Countdown – #3 Oklahoma State Cowboys
Analysis:
The final three games for the Longhorns are all crucial to the season – if you have been following this series, you know what those three games are. First up in the final three, and No. 3 in the series is the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Some might argue that the Baylor game means more to the national perception to Texas than the Oklahoma State game. I disagree with that. The Oklahoma State game is in Stillwater plus the last Texas-Oklahoma State game ended with controversy.
On the OSU campus and even in some circles nationally, Mike Gundy is seen as a football genius. He doesn’t haul in big recruiting classes, but is normally right in the mix for the Big 12 title. Coach Gundy gets players that fit his system and when it all clicks, the results are outstanding.
That’s why the Oklahoma State game means more than the Baylor game – forget the preseason magazine rankings, Mike Gundy and the Cowboys are a proven commodity in the Big 12. Not to mention this game will be the next to last regular season game for the Texas Longhorns, meaning it the Longhorns win the games they are supposed to win and steal a few others, they could end up in a situation much like the one they were in last year. Beating Oklahoma State convincingly in Stillwater will help bolster UT’s national perception.
About Oklahoma State University
Founded in 1890, Oklahoma State University was a university even before Oklahoma was a state. It was originally called Oklahoma Territorial Agricultural and Mechanical University. Once Oklahoma became a state in 1907, the name was shortened to Oklahoma A&M University. In 1957, the school officially changed their name to Oklahoma State University. Like many schools in the Big 12, Oklahoma State has a rich history of agriculture but offers over 200 undergraduate majors.
Stillwater, Oklahoma is a very small town but is situated near 4 major metro areas. Those metro areas include Oklahoma City (1 hour by car), Wichita (2 Hours),Tulsa (2 hours) and the DFW Metroplex (4 hours). Notable Alumni include country singer Garth Brooks, golfer Hunter Mahan and Rickie Fowler, T. Boone Pickens, and US Senator Tom Coburn.
Oklahoma State football has a mixed history. While the program produced football greats like Thurman Thomas and Barry Sanders, it is barely over .500 for their all-time record. In fact, OSU just recently (2011) elevated their record over .500 and is currently only 19 games over that mark despite playing more than 1100 games.
The turnaround of the program started when Oklahoma State hired Les Miles as their head coach in 2001. Miles led the Cowboys to 3 straight bowl games – the previous time that the Cowboys did that was between 1983-1985. OSU had 1 undefeated season in 1945 but have also had 3 winless seasons, the last one occurring in 1991.
