Good Saturday to Sit Out Cowboys Hold Steady in Polls

STILLWATER – Sitting out Week No. 4 of the college football season didn’t hurt the Oklahoma State Cowboys at all. In fact, Oklahoma falling from the ranks of the unbeatens and losing their Big 12 Conference opener to Kansas State, allowed the Cowboys to move up to No. 7 in the USA TODAY Coaches Poll. As usual, the Associated Press media poll doesn’t value the Cowboys (No. 9) as much and moved Tennessee ahead of them and kept Kentucky (31-23 win over Northern Illinois) and USC (17-14 win over Oregon State) ahead of them. Oklahoma’s loss was a microcosm of evidence of what we expected in the Big 12 and somewhat across college football. The Big 12 is wide open and that is now truly evidenced by four league teams in the polls and another five getting votes for the poll(s). Kansas State is No. 25 in the Associated Press poll. Yes, that is nine of the 10 teams in the Big 12 at least in the mention for Top 25 consideration. The only team not receiving some votes is 2-2 West Virginia.

Oklahoma State will now prepare for the first of what promises to be quite a few Big 12 games that will impact the rankings, the Big 12 Championship picture, and potentially, the College Football Playoff. The Cowboys are at No. 14 Baylor for a rematch of last season’s Big 12 Championship Game that will kickoff at 2:30 p.m. and be televised on FOX Sports. 

Head coach Mike Gundy will not only have a well rested team that is 3-0 and looking to stay unbeaten, but also as healthy as they have been since the beginning of fall camp. 

Fortunately, the polls don’t matter much as these polls dictate some pecking order on highlights and scores at the bottom of the screen of television coverage and really, nothing more. 

The only ranking or poll that has true meaning starts in late October with the CFP selection committee releases their rankings.