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Oklahoma State has been a perennial top-25 program for the better part of the last 15 years under head coach Mike Gundy. Yet, somehow, the Cowboys are consistently one of the most underrated teams in the country each season.
247Sports' National College Football Analyst Josh Pate shared his thoughts on Oklahoma State and why the Cowboys always seem to fly under the radar during the latest episode of Late Kick Live on Thursday.
"Oklahoma State's incredible," Pate said. "They never get talked about nationally. Oklahoma State — I had to look this up to make sure it was true. Someone texted me the stat. Since 2008 — that's a long time ago. Since 2008, they only have two seasons where they have failed to win at least eight games. They've got seven double-digit win seasons since 2008. Seven. I think Mike Gundy won (Big 12) Coach of the Year in 2010 and [2021], there was like a 10-year span between him winning Coach of the Year. He won double-digit games five times between winning Coach of the Year awards there in the Big 12.
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"They're 11-5 in bowl games and then here's the capper, because you could do this if you recruited at a top-10 level every year, they average a signing class in the low- to mid-30s. That's their average ranking in recruiting. Nothing screams 'we know who we are, we know what we're doing, leave us alone,' more than averaging a nine- or a 10-win season every year, being in the conversation for the Big 12 Championship picture every single year and yet, you're never there on signing day. We're never talking about Oklahoma State on Signing Day.
"I picture Mike Gundy yawning on Signing Day. Dude may not come into the office until like 11:30. He probably gets a quick nine (holes) in while everyone else is huddled around close to a fax machine, partly because it gives off heat that early in the morning, and partly because that's our entire lifeline. The pieces of paper that come through that fax machine, that is what will make or break us. Mike Gundy is like, 'Just send me whoever you have left over. We'll go beat you with them and we'll quietly be in the Big 12 Championship picture. I'll go and make $5 million, the rest of you can go make more. It goes a long ways in Stillwater anyway. I'm good."
Gundy, 54, has been at Oklahoma State as head coach since 2005. The Cowboys have attained an overall 149-69 mark under his leadership, including nine AP Top 25 finishes. Oklahoma State has participated in 16 straight bowl games, including five New Year's Six Bowl games since the 2009 season.
Oklahoma State tied a school record with 12 wins in 2021, including a Big 12-best 8-1 conference record during the regular season. The Cowboys appeared in the Big 12 title game for the first time and won the Fiesta Bowl with a 21-point comeback over No. 5 Notre Dame.
Gundy is set to be the highest-paid head coach in the Big 12 in 2022. Oklahoma State University announced changes to Gundy's contact in March following an approval by the board of regents. The changes include an increase in annual compensation of $1 million, as well as a retention bonus of $1 million over each of the next five years. Gundy is now set to make $7.5 million in 2022.
Oklahoma State opens the 2022 season against Central Michigan on Thursday, Sept. 1, inside Boone Pickens Stadium.
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