College Football’s Top 50 Fanbases

22. Oklahoma State

The good

Mike Gundy has forced the college football world to pay attention to the goings-on in Stillwater, OK. That’s no small accomplishment given the proximity and prowess of some of the Pokes most important rivals.

The bad

It’s hard for Oklahoma State to get their moment in the spotlight without winning Bedlam, something that has eluded them more often than not. As long as Oklahoma has the upper hand in that series, the Cowboys are going to be in a holding pattern.

The bottom line

A singular mountaintop experience, like the one which the team narrowly missed in 2011, would have served to validate what those close to the Oklahoma State program already know. The Cowboys are an integral part of the state of Oklahoma both on the football field and in the culture.

An intrastate rivalry of this magnitude has elevated Oklahoma State into a more prominent position in the college football hierarchy. Once they go there, the Pokes held their own, despite failing to reach the pinnacle of the sport.