First Mike Gundy News Conference and South Dakota State A Very Worthy Adversary
STILLWATER – There were some 20 plus members of the media sitting in the chairs opposite Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy for his first pregame news conference of the 2024 season. Three local television affiliates were there, both major newspapers in the state, OSU Max, Triple Play Sports Radio as they will carry it live all season, and several websites including Pokes Report.
Very early the head coach about to start his 20th season as Oklahoma State head coach and year number 35 as part of the Cowboys football program was asked about starting with the No. 1-ranked team in the FCS, a two-time FCS national champion, and winner of 29 games in a row. Not exactly the game coaches and athletic directors have looked to hook up with especially right out of the gate.
“Those games are scheduled way further than a couple of years back,” Gundy said when asked if this is what he expected when South Dakota State was scheduled.
Gundy has always been open about his non-conference scheduling preference with an FCS team, a solid Group-of-Five opponent, and fellow Power Five and now Power Four opponent.
“You know I didn’t think I would still be around when we schedule Alabama, but that is creeping up, right? Four years?” Told that was indeed correct that Oklahoma State and Alabama play in Stillwater in 2028 and in Tuscaloosa in 2029. “I guess I’m going to be around for that. We have Oregon next season.”
Gundy admitted that when he saw South Dakota State scheduled that he didn’t picture the Jack Rabbits being as fierce as they are. They have the reigning Walter Payton Award winner (FCS Heisman) in quarterback Mark Gronowski. The head coach going into his second season, Jimmy Rogers, is 15-0 as a head coach. They were No.1 in FCS last season in total defense and scoring defense. They were No. 6 in total offense and scoring offense.
“This team has really come on the last four or five years,” Gundy profiled basically the Jack Rabbits. “The head coach has never lost a game. They’ve won a bunch of games in a row. The point being this is really a good game for us, as I said months ago essentially, we are playing a high profile non-conference schedule. This team can compete with the Power Four schools, which they’ve proven to do that.”
A big-time opener filling the FCS slot on the schedule. I can tell you right now if the Pokes lose then they will have to win the Big 12 to get into the CFP. Just the way it is now, but Gundy sounds like he wants tough schedules to count more with the CFP Selection Committee.
“We will hope that scheduling will be rewarded in the end,” Gundy opinionated. “That will be taken into account if you have a loss or two more than anyone else and/or more conference games should be rewarded. I think we are in a good position now to move in this direction.”
For now, the Jack Rabbits may be really good, but the status quo is you have to beat them even if they are the best of the lower level.