Oklahoma State football: What can the Cowboys do for an encore in 2022?
By John Scimeca
The Oklahoma State football program and head coach Mike Gundy have set a high standard for the 2022 season best on last year’s results.
Despite being picked to be a middle-of-the-pack Big 12 team vying for a spot in the Top 25, the Cowboys overcame a sluggish start to the year to finish 2021 with a 12-2 record, tying the record for the most wins in school history.
OSU beat Texas on the road, defeated in-state rival OU for the first time since 2014, reached the Big 12 Championship Game, and capped the season with a Fiesta Bowl win against Notre Dame.
After tying the single-season school record with 12 wins in 2021, what will Oklahoma State football do in 2022 as an encore?
In the process of reaching 12 wins, the Cowboys were led by what may have been the best defensive unit in school history. Senior linebackers Malcolm Rodriguez and Devin Harper set the tone for a group that set several school records and consistently led OSU to win close ballgames.
OSU fans were, at moments, grasping for more in 2021. The Cowboys came within inches of winning their first Big 12 title in a decade in Arlington, Tex. against Baylor, starting with a first-and-goal with moments left before getting stuffed at the goal line in an excruciating fashion. Even in the game against Iowa State, a last-minute comeback attempt fell short in a 24-21 loss that prevented OSU from enjoying an undefeated regular season.
With a couple of bounces going the other way, OSU could have secured its first-ever spot in the College Football Playoff, becoming the first Big 12 school other than OU to do so.
The aftermath from 2021 wasn’t terribly surprising, despite the negative impressions that may appear at the surface level. Defensive coordinator Jim Knowles left for a substantial pay raise to take the same position at Ohio State, a perennial national title contender.
Several defensive players hit the transfer portal, too, in addition to several team leaders graduating. Defensive back Jarrick Bernard-Converse is now playing for Brian Kelly at LSU, while safety Tanner McAllister followed Knowles to Ohio State.
What should we expect to see from Gundy and the Cowboys in 2022?