NFL
By: Brock Vierra
I would like to start by recognizing the great work that Mike Gundy has done at Oklahoma State. He has proudly served the university as a player, assistant coach, and now head coach. He has put tremendous talent into the NFL, he has won multiple NY6 bowl games with the Cowboys and Stillwater will never forget the 2011 season. However, football is a cruel game and sometimes things must come to an end. It is time for Oklahoma State and Mike Gundy to envision a future without each other.
I’ve said this for some time now and it remains true that Mike Gundy has hit his ceiling with the program. At multiple times during his tenure, OSU has been at the doorstep of a National Championship yet failed in their efforts every single time. Gundy has repeatedly jumped over hurdles and put together impressive performances when OSU is the underdog but his inability to win the easy games consistently combined with both his inability to beat OU and win conference championships spells out a clear narrative, he has stalled.
I was willing to give him the benefit of the doubt when his team secured a birth in the 2021 Big 12 Championship Game but that all went away when Gundy and the Oklahoma State Cowboys had the ball at first and goal with less than a minute remaining in the game and yet, despite having 4 chances inside the 10 to score, they failed. The playcalling was conservative, the execution was awful and it was yet another game thrown away by the Cowboys.
Yes, they won the Fiesta Bowl that year over Notre Dame but how could we forget that OSU was down 28-7 at one point. That’s not the mark of a championship program.
The real question for OSU and for Gundy is how badly do they individually want to win a Natty because it’s clear they won’t be able to do it together. For Gundy, he’s a really good head coach and maybe he’s limited by having a perennial title contender in the same state, recruiting the same guys. Maybe he’s limited because people don’t see OSU at a premier program. I don’t know but if you look at the coaching history of OSU, both Jimmy Johnson and Les Miles have gone on to win a national title at their future homes.
For OSU, they’re entering a new era. After this season, Bedlam will most likely never be played again. They welcome four more members to the conference when Arizona, Arizona State, Utah, and Colorado join the Big 12 and they need to adequately adjust to the expanded conference. They lost a lot of talent in the portal this year and it seems that this is becoming a common occurrence for the Cowboys.
Not only are they losing talent, they’re also not bringing in talent at the level that they should. With every year, the divide between Oklahoma State’s import and export of talent gets larger and larger while simultaneously being unable to adapt to this era of NIL and the portal. All hallmarks of a dying program and further evidence that Mike Gundy is falling below standard.
It’s clear with their on-field performances that Oklahoma State is not in a position to compete for a Big 12 title anytime soon. With TCU and Kansas being standout performers, Kansas State continuing to defy expectations, and the inclusion of Utah who has won back-to-back Pac-12 Titles along with Colorado who is setting the standard on how to build a program, a new voice is needed in Stillwater.
For Mike Gundy, I refuse to believe it’s the end for such an overachiever. There are certain jobs around the country that could use a guy like him. However, it is clear that a clean and amicable separation is best before resentment grows and such a revered legacy gets tarnished.
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