How Mike Gundy, OSU Have Fared in Big 12 Openers

It’s a treacherous proposition for Mike Gundy, those conference-openers. For Oklahoma State’s winningest football coach ever, it’s been a prickly thorn in his side.

As the Cowboys prep for Saturday in their Big 12 opener against West Virginia, Gundy looks to even the score — literally — in those games. He’s 7-8 on his career in Big 12-openers ahead of this weekend since he took over in 2005, but an even more worrying trend has emerged of late: Since 2012, OSU and Gundy are just 2-7 in those games.

The Pokes enter Saturday on a four-game losing streak in Big 12 openers, last winning one in 2015 in a tight Texas contest.

Perhaps that explains why OSU is only a touchdown favorite at home against a West Virginia team that was picked to finish eighth in the league this preseason.

Here’s a look at how the Cowboys have fared in Big 12 openers under Gundy.

West Virginia is 1-0 on the season after smacking Eastern Kentucky two weeks ago and is coming off a bye week. The Mountaineers last win in the series came in 2014, but these two teams always play tight — with three of the last five matchups decided by a touchdown or fewer.