Analyzing the AP Poll: Voters Haven’t Completely Lost Faith in OSU

OSU suffered their first (and hopefully last) loss of the season on Saturday, 44-31 at the hands of the TCU Horned Frogs. Not surprisingly, the Cowboys dropped in the latest Associated Press poll from No. 6 down to No. 15.

It’s the Cowboys lowest ranking of the season so far. While this is the first time this season that not a single voter has Oklahoma State in the top 10, the important thing is that everyone still has OSU ranked in the top 25.

It’s a big flip from last week when no voters had OSU outside the top 12. Now? Not a single vote higher than twelfth. Most of the votes are in the 13, 14, 15 range.

There were a few voters who really lost faith in OSU after the loss. Dave Reardon dropped the Pokes from No. 5 to No. 21. The other voter who has OSU at their lowest point, No. 21, is Pat Caputo who had OSU No. 6 last week.

On the plus side, only 19 of the voters have OSU outside the top 15, which means most still believe this is a good team.

Here’s the thing, OSU’s goals are still in front of them; winning the Big 12 championship and making it to the College Football Playoff. They’re still in the top 15 with eight games remaining on the schedule. If you’re going to lose, it’s best to do so early. The Cowboys will have plenty of opportunities to improve their standing. Plus, it’s not like the AP poll has any real impact on who makes the Final Four.

So… on to the next one.