Mike Gundy expecting his Cowboys to flourish in expanded Big 12

LAS VEGAS — The league’s longest-tenured coach returns an elite team, and after falling short in the Big 12 Championship Game last season, he’s ready to finish the job this time around.

Mike Gundy is well aware of what he has in his locker room, which is a plethora of players with experience, production and leadership. It’s hard to argue with that when quarterback Alan Bowman threw for 3,460 yards in 2023, which were the seventh-most in school history.

The reigning Doak Walker Award winner Ollie Gordon will be returning to the backfield after leading the FBS in rushing yards. Not to mention All-Big 12 performer Brennan Presley is one of the best slot receivers in the country. The cherry on top for Gundy’s offense is the big boys up front. After all, the offensive line basically returns intact, and has tremendous depth. Gundy knows that’s a great recipe for success in the Big 12, and is enjoying how everything is coming together.

The defense is looking strong too, with arguably the best linebacker duo in the country in Collin Oliver and Nick Martin. The two combined for a jaw-dropping, 213 tackles, including 31.5 for loss and 12 sacks last season. They know how to set the tone, and the rest of the defense feeds off their energy.

At the end of the day, Gundy just wants to watch his players spread their wings this fall. However, games aren’t played on paper. Despite the high ranking in the Big 12 Preseason Media Poll last week, Gundy wants his squad to stay focused on the task at hand.

“Now it’s going to be on them, their leadership, their willingness to work hard and stay hungry,” Gundy said. “In that, it’s easier to work from behind and get to that point during the season, than it is to be out front and stay there, in my opinion, because I don’t want the team to think that they’ve arrived because they certainly haven’t.”

What Gundy wants to avoid is another rough start  for his team like last year. That’s why he refuses to let his players stay complacent. Practices are going to be more intense in fall camp, there’ll be more attention to detail, and leaders have to emerge. Although Oklahoma State has momentum after coming off a 10-win campaign, Gundy continues to emphasize that last season’s success is in the rearview mirror.

“I’m just guessing that teams that we’re playing do care less about what we did last year, and they’re going to try to beat us,” he said. “So I stressed that to the team, and I feel comfortable with the leadership, the maturity with the guys we have, and that they’ll be able to push themselves hard in August.”

The Cowboys have a decent schedule, but Gundy will need to keep his foot on the gas when they navigate through the Big 12 gauntlet. It helps that Oklahoma and Texas are no longer around to tangle with, so the path to the Big 12 Title should be easier for Oklahoma State. The 56-year old has the perfect opportunity to takeover the conference, and Cowboy fans are due for something magical.

“The players, they’re working hard, and we’ve got great leadership, so I’m really excited about our team, and about the direction we’re moving.”