10 Thoughts on the Annual Oklahoma State 2020 Preseason Survey

The ballots are in, the people have spoken. OKC Dave has emerged from his Wolf Blitzer-shaped cave with the results of the 2020 Oklahoma State fan survey. Go read the results!

Here are 10 thoughts I had on what he found.

1. Replace Nate Silver

And replace him with Oklahoma State football fans.

Over the last 12 surveys, fans have predicted a total of 103 wins. The team has won 104 games over that time period. The most we have missed the mark is roughly 2 games on three occasions: 2010, 2012, and 2018.

That’s insane! No other fan base would even be within 10 other than maybe Alabama because they would predict undefeated seasons and they’ve probably only lost 10 games over the last 12 years. Unbelievable work by us.

2. Recent Scars

Here’s a look at win confidence for the games this year.

I will regret typing this, but Tulsa, Kansas, WVU and Tech should all be 5 percent higher, and maybe Iowa State and KSU as well!

3. How Much Season?

This one fascinates me.

My initial reaction was all of them, but that’s probably not right, is it? I guess I look at the PGA Tour on a daily basis, and while they had a few issues early on they have largely been able to do it well without many positive tests and without any cancelations. It’s different because of the nature of a team (and because of the nature of amateur athletes), but that’s where my first reaction comes from.

4. Bedlam

How is OU not 100 percent here? Related: How was OU only 44 percent and 50 percent a decade ago?!

5. Texas, Not Back

This always makes me laugh!

Also, TCU has been the most overrated on average going into the Big 12 over the past eight years. Texas is second, and Oklahoma State (!) is narrowly third.

6. Offense/Defense

OSU’s offense remains far more efficient than its offense, but our perception (or at least our outlook) has favored the defense over the last four years. Part of that is because the offense always sets high expectations (i.e. 2017 -> 2018 when OSU lost Rudolph and Washington).

7. Negative Interest

This chart surprises me not at all. It’s how I’ve been feeling, and I suspected many of you have been feeling as well. It’s a bummer, too, because if not for COVID then the bar here would have been somewhere in that 2015 and 2017 range.

8. Title Time?

This one is tough to see, although I don’t disagree with it. And I think it has less to do with where OSU is at as a program (although that’s some of it) and more to do with the nature of the current playoff system and that OSU basically has to run the table to win a title (which is almost never going to happen even with the most talented teams).

Also, even if it gets in the playoff, we might have a Washington or Michigan State situation on our hands depending on the opponent. Spoiler: There will be blood.

9. Cade

Remember five years ago when 96 percent of OSU fans were looking more forward to OSU football than OSU basketball? That was just 60 months ago!

My response to this …

10. Gundy and PFB

Mike Gundy and Pistols Firing have the same approval rating trajectory. You do hate to see it.

As always, thank you again to Dave for his work. If you haven’t read all of the returns, you can do so here.