We Told You: Oklahoma State Football Summer of Doom and Gloom

STILLWATER – I wondered into Barnes and Noble on May Avenue this afternoon (June 8) and I was certain what I would find. I’m no dummy, I called ahead and yes, they had just put the Athlon Sports and Lindy’s Sports 2025 College Football Preview magazines out on the chelf. I’ve always been a sucker for preseason football magazines. Part of it is that it’s another signal that summer is on and the start of football isn’t that far away. The other part of it is a curiosity to see how well somebody hundreds of miles away, with little access can deciphur what is going on in the Oklahoma State program,  any program for that matter. If I write an Oklahoma State preview and it is full of inaccuracy and flat out mistakes then I should be shot. Head coach Mike Gundy gives us awesome access. Now, part of that is not reporting everything you see, and in my case, knowing what is okay to report and what isn’t. Believe me, the job isn’t easy and sometimes I’ve told too much. 

Robert Allen - Pokes Report

Oklahoma State preview in Athlon Sports.

Back to the freshly published magazines, and I’ll be honest, knowing when their deadlines are, I think both magazines did much better than I would have imagined. Now, to give you a good idea on how early the deadline are, both magazines had the top four conference champions getting the byes in the CFP. That is no longer, the bye got to the top four teams by CFP ranking.

I believe former Oklahoman OSU beat writer and OSU journalism instructor and O’Colly campus newspaper advisor John Helsley wrote for Athlon Sports. His depth chart was reasonable, actually spot on for when he turned it in. It has changed some since. In the story he was fair in his assessment. 

“No team in America may be more reliant on striking gold through the transfer portal than the Cowboys, who could finish with 40 newcomers – or more,” wrote Helsley. 

It will be more. Athlon Sports picked Oklahoma State to finish 13^th in the Big 12. They had no top games to watch, none of the top 10 transfers listed, or top 10 recruits listed. Their 2025 high school recruiting class was ranked sixth in the Big 12. 

The assistant coach from another Big 12 school that gave the anonymous scouting report spoke out of both sides …

“No one should count out Gundy, but this might be the biggest challenge of his entire run there … Provided they get a quarterback, I wouldn’t worry a ton about that offense, but there’s a lot of questions here (on defense), and it could be another losing year.”

Robert Allen - Pokes Report

Lindy's picked OSU last in the Big 12 where they picked their top pick Arizona State last season.

I told you this is the summer of doom and gloom, Mike Gundy’s teams have never been picked this low or had this little thought of them. Lindy’s Sports magazine was worse. I have no idea who wrote the preview. I recognized some names from around the Big 12, but nobody that would have any great insight into Oklahoma State. Kevin Flaherty wrote the Big 12 preview and Oklahoma State was picked dead last. He wrote some high and low, similar to the unknown assistant coach in Athlon Sports.

“Mike Gundy hasn’t traditionally stayed down for long,” Flaherty wrote. Then added, “Easy to see Oklahoma State climbing out of the cellar, but we wouldn’t bet on it right now.”

Only Cowboy to make any All-Big 12 mention was OLB/edge Malik Charles on the third-team. I believe he’ll do better than that. The Cowboys had a top recruit listed in four-star freshman linebacker Carl’Veon Young of Midwest City Carl Albert.

Robert Allen - Pokes Report

OSU preview in Lindy’s.

Running back Rodney Fields Jr. made the “Oklahoma” cover of the magazine. Their depth chart was not as accurate as Athlon Sports and on defense they did not even have the right base personnel. 

“As Gundy pointed out, maybe that’s not the worst thing after a winless conference season (to overhaul the staff and roster). It’s a fresh start that could produce some unlikely outcomes.”

The overwhelming aspects of all this that OSU fans need to remember:

1. Oklahoma State has been picked to win the Big 12 on ocassions and not lived up to it.

2. With the transfer portal and closed practices, most media have no idea what a team has looked like.

3. Arizona State – Oklahoma State and the portal makeover resemble what Arizona State ino the offseason prior to 2024. The Big 12 media and most magazines picked them last or close to it. The Sun Devils won the Big 12 and took Texas to double overtime in the CFP quarterfinal.