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Oklahoma State Football

At 3-6 Overall, This Oklahoma State Team Has to Look at the Fixes for the Future

November 4, 2024
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STILLWATER – It’s real easy. I can give you the state of Oklahoma State football as it stands right now int he 2024 season. The team is 3-6, bordering on ending any chance to continue its’ streak of bowl games and winning seasons that stretches for 18 years. This team is 0-6 in the Big 12 and all by themselves in last place in the conference. Did I expect this? No, but that is what it is. No denying. It is tough for people in the college football business. 

Pat Kinnison - Chief Photographer
The results this season have not been what the program worked 365 days to achieve.

This business is a 365 days a year process. You work all year as a staff in assembling a roster, most of the time through recruiting although that has gradually changed since the transfer portal and is about to change even more with increased NIL and the revenue sharing (roughly $15-17 million in most Power Four programs) with the schedule May final settlement of the House vs. NCAA class-action lawsuit. That will bring the 105 roster limit for football. You work on offensive and defensive systems and schemes. The players work on strength, speed, and conditioning. You practice and prepare for the season.

“As a staff, we want to put our players in the best position based on who have available,” head coach Mike Gundy repeated in his Zoom press conference today.

Gundy never holds back. His people in the athletic department sometimes wish he would, Gundy’s frank way of communication has been known to rub people the wrong way. He held back nothing when asked about dealing with the outside criticism, which is raging with each loss. 

Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics
Gundy has been fighting every step of the way this season..

“Unfortunately in life, most people are weak and as soon as things start to go not as good as what they thought they fall apart and panic,” Gundy explained. “They start to point the finger at people. You see it everyday in all walks of life. That is why I refuse to watch TV and watch the news because I get tired of people bitching and complaining about this and that instead of just doing something about it and trying to make it better. That is what happens in college athletics. It’s just on the bigger stage and in most cases the people bitching and complaining are the same ones that can’t pay their own bills.”

Gundy kept going, but all that does is deflect from what he said that I thought was really important to the future of the Oklahoma State football. First, I’m going to clear up recent rumors. Gundy is not packing up his office. I promise that when Mike Gundy gives up the reigns of Cowboy football it won’t be after a season like this, even if his team found a way to win the last three games and continue the bowl streak. Gundy will turn the program over in good condition, better than he found it. He believes in that. 

“What we try to do, as I mention to the team all the time, is the most important thing you can do in life is to make sure you are maximizing your opportunity to be the best person you can be and the best you can be at whatever it is that you do,” Gundy also threw out on the Zoom conference.

Gundy talked about the future, talked about how college football’s days of amatuerism are long gone. This is a professional sport, players will move to where they get paid. His staff, primarily scouting, recruiting, and roster building staff have been hard at work preparing for the upcoming months of adding recruits and more important adding portal acquisitions. There will be monetary values placed on all players. The overall staff will have to decide who is kept and who will have to go as the current roster of 142 will have to be shrunk far beyond the players that have exhausted their eligibility.  

Bruce Waterfield/OSU Athletics
This is a promise. Next season’s roster will have somewhere between 40 percent to 60 percent change to it.

“What is important for all of the Oklahoma State fans to know is that we are very aware of what is going on” Gundy made clear. “At some point in life we have to put trust into somebody and I think they need to trust that we have a good plan for whats going on here for the big picture. We have answers and sometimes they might not be short term, sometimes they may be long term answers. Secondly, in the end the very best thing peolpe can do, I tell our players, is 100 percent buy in. You have to be on somebody’s team. You can’t go through life by yourself. Those are long answers and a very broad picture for how we hold ourselves accountable.”

Gundy mentioned many times that the total number in football at Oklahoma State is 212. That means 70 staffers beyond players. Right now, every one of those staffers had best be following the guideline of maximizing what it is they are supposed to do. 

I would say that is pretty important for now, the final three games, and the immediate and long-term future.

Discussion from...

At 3-6 Overall, This Oklahoma State Team Has to Look at the Fixes for the Future

1,226 Views | 15 Replies | Last: 30 min ago by Roughrider
rcfb
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Full quote: "it's just on the bigger stage where people can voice their opinion. And in most cases, the people that are negative and voicing their opinion are the same ones that can't pay their own bills. They're not taking care of themselves. They're not taking care of their own family. They're not taking care of their own job. But they have an obligation to speak out and complain about others because it makes them feel better. But then, in the end, when they go to bed at night, they're the same failure that they were before they said anything negative about anybody else"

lol, Why would you say such a thing about your own fanbase HCMG?
RC4OSU
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Well that is the straw that broke the camel's back for me. Born in Stillwater, attended Oklahoma State University, season ticket holder. I have the right to complain about a football program that played for a Big 12 Championship and returned 95% of its starters, and is now winless in conference play. I pay my bills and take care of my family very well. Mike Gundy can kiss my ass!! You do NOT speak to Loyal and True fans in that manner. Changes need to be made and I expect they will, but after those comments, Gundy is on the top of that list.
PokeSmot75
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Clown show. Dude has his head stuck so far up his own arse he can't tell if he is talking or farting anymore.
TUSKAPOKE
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OSU Athletics/HCMG I am not weak and do not panic under pressure. I have no debt, pay my bills, own my home outright, am retired and had enough career success to be in a hall of fame. My family has three generations of graduates from A&M/OSU and been a supporter for over 60 years. You are in charge and paid well. This type of season has been coming on for a while now. I have written little or said little negative about it and been supportive until your comment. This season sucks and you are responsible for it. You are not earning that $21,000+/day you make. Earn your pay or retire and someone may contribute for your statue. Your comment about the fan base *****ing being a certain socio-economic group is wrong because I am pointing my finger at you now and do not fit it.
aggie1
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You guys are all mo**ns. People like you that know nothing of football, most likely give little or no NIL money, are the problem. We are at the bottom of NIL money and low in budget. If it wasn't for Boone we'd be where we were in the 90s. Get over yourselves.
PistolD
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Because he wants out imo. He loves to show he thinks he's untouchable and has no supervision until they don't wish to take his crap and exercise their supervisory role on the organizational chart. He's smart enough to know this can't be defended so he wants out!

Calling his fan base losers who can't pay their bills or feed their family just because they aren't happy being last in the conference and winless is ultimate arrogance and completely tone deaf. Good luck getting support from those same people who are mostly graduates with well paying jobs that allow them to buy season tickets.
RC4OSU
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Bless you heart!
OctaviusRex
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So being 3-6 and 0-6 in conference with highest paid staff in the B12, after returning pretty much the whole team who made the CCG is…..good to people who actually KNOW football?

Ohhhh wait I see your point, the recruiting is on fire! Our class is ranked "checks notes" …..oh 63rd.

Well I guess that's pretty good for us, we can't be expected to compete with the likes of Kansas State and Iowa State in terms of resources. Maybe we should try throwing more money at the highest paid staff in the B12? Will that fix us having literally the worst defense in FBS?
Hawkn86
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Two thoughts....

1. Fans come in all shapes, sizes, levels of wealth, religions, ages, etc. I have no idea why coach is talking about people who can't pay their bills or take care of their family or whatever. I love coach Gundy but his team sucks this year and his skin seems to be getting really thin. He deserves a chance to fix it but should stop talking about the fans. It comes with the job at OSU and everywhere.

2. Why does future roster size limits keep creeping into so many articles? Scholarship limits are increasing by 20! INCREASING BY 20! So, it's simple...walk-ons will be eliminated and MORE scholarship players will be added. Also, EVERY program is playing by the same rules and almost every program currently has a bloated roster due to the extra year of eligibility. Could the Pokes scrape by next year with 20 guys on the OL instead of 24 or 16 guys at WR instead of 20?!?

Stop whining about it or if you feel bad for the walk-ons then give them the extra scholarships!
PaloDuroPoke
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What an idiot. Coach Gundy has lost his players, his coaches, and now his fans. The beauty of being a successful coach, former player, and alum is everyone has grace and patience when you fall short of your goals or have a clunker year. The only way to screw that up is by attacking the people that pay your bloated salary. You sir have accomplished that goal and will find support hard to come by from here forward.
Personally, I've always appreciated the cowboy culture and passion for turning your players into good men. It is what our university and alumni have represented long before Mike Gundy showed up. Unfortunately, Gundy's actions the past 3 years have had the opposite effect on the players. Here are a few examples. How about a little humility. It's not about you sir. The blame game and finger pointing is pathetic from you. Look in the mirror and accept your role in failure, the blame starts and ends with you. This is not a character trait you should be showing the people in your organization and particularly the kids. Secondly, stubbornness is a quality you have perfected and the decisions you've made with assistants and players, is proof. Just look at the decline in the results. Stubbornness and pride are not qualities that make for good marriages or job performance that you profess to appreciate.
As a proud alum, successful husband and professional, long time season ticket holder/supporter, I'm disappointed in your conduct and how you have represented my university and its interests. Your focus and priorities obviously have changed and your selfishness' and pride are not in the best interest of our program. You have no room to preach about society when you exemplify the problems associated with it. It's obvious the challenge of the new world of college football is to big for you. I ask that you step aside, retire, and let someone with the drive and passion for OSU fans and our program to take over from here. The damage you have done is irreversible.
TUSKAPOKE
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You need to calm down before you stroke out. You have no idea what many of us give and have given. You are the one full of something. It is more than NIL when you practically have the entire team back, including the Doak Walker winner, that played for the conference championship last year. Open your eyes.
RC4OSU
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Excellent response, Brother!
CProc7
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I would say calling out your fans is weak and a loser mentality. Starts out by saying he doesn't watch the news blah blah then knows what fans are saying? We suck as bad as we ever have with on paper maybe the best teams ever and the fans are the losers? lol Won't call out the horrible coaches but will call the fans losers. This makes me more sad than a ****ty football team. I wouldn't mind a full reload of OC DC and now HC
Joe Khatib
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Your synopsis is well put! I would add to Mike Gundy TO STOP IT AND STOP IT RIGHT NOW!!! DON'T ACT LIKE PAT JONES DURING HIS LAST COUPLE OF YEARS WHERE HE TURNED PEOPLE OFF WITH SOME OF HIS COMMENTS!!!
Roughrider
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Who pays your bills, Mike? Forget you. Time to dry up your money.
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