Oklahoma State is 7-8 in Big 12 Openers and Just 2-6 Since 2012

Mike Gundy is now below .500 in Big 12 openers in his tenure.

The Oklahoma State football team fell to Texas 36-30 on Saturday in Austin, moving Gundy to 7-8 in conference openers. The Cowboys have lost their past four Big 12 openers, last winning one at Texas in 2015.

Five of Gundy-era Big 12 openers have come against ranked foes. OSU is 1-4 in those games after Saturday’s loss.

There is a lot more that goes into this, primarily the opponent. OSU wasn’t supposed to beat a top-15 Texas squad, and it didn’t. This loss shouldn’t be as concerning as last season’s debacle against Texas Tech or 2017’s two-score loss when OSU was ranked sixth in the country heading into its game against TCU.

Still, the OSU faithful won’t be thrilled their team has started six of the past eight seasons 0-1 in Big 12 play. That same eight-year span is how long the Big 12 has had its current iteration of teams.

Luckily for Gundy and the program, the Big 12 opener isn’t always indicative of the season. Gundy’s overall record is 124-60, and he is now 72-49 in Big 12 play. Strangely, even though he’s 2-6 in Big 12 openers since 2012, he’s 37-19 in all other Big 12 games in that span.

There is also a reason for OSU fans to be optimistic about next weekend, as the Cowboys are 12-2 in the second Big 12 game of each season under Gundy. OSU is also 1-0 on ESPN+, which is where this weekend’s game against Kansas State can be found.