STILLWATER – Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy has no time for you 12 Great Tiebreaker Scenarios.
“I don’t care,” he said.
Gundy didn’t write the convoluted screenplays, a hot topic last week with the Big 12 clarifies three-way tie possibility that could ultimately benefit its Cowboys.
He only focuses on what he can control – and that sets him up for Saturday’s game at 2:30 p.m. against BYU at Boone Pickens Stadium. This is a game that, if OSU wins, has a strong chance of being played next week in the Big 12 Championship.
“Beyond that point, I had nothing to do with it,” Gundy said during his weekly news conference Monday.
Even after the Big 12 sent out storylines on Sunday that ended vaguely at best, this is easy to understand right now.
More:What are the storylines for the Big 12 football championship games?
With a Texas win over Texas Tech on Friday and an OSU win over BYU, the Cowboys face the Longhorns in Arlington, Texas.
If all else happens, well, things can get wacky.
But for Gundy, that’s a concern for another day. He won’t talk about it, even with OSU sports information director Sean Maguire.
“I didn’t even watch it,” Gundy said. “Sometimes Sean will be nice and ask me if I need to know.”
Gundy doesn’t. At least not yet.
Here are other takeaways from Gundy’s meeting with the media:
More:Big 12 issues statement to explain tiebreaking procedure in football. Here’s what that means.
Mike Gundy not protecting Ollie Gordon
Even with his right foot in a walking boot, he’s not expected to guard superstar running back Ollie Gordon II throughout the week.
“Let him go,” Gundy said. “Ollie has to train hard. It must be in practice. He needs to get fucked. He has to train hard.
Gundy said the reasoning is simple: Not practicing as a running back can be a problem.
“You take a lot of hits and stuff in games and if you protect a guy without him getting hit in practice, then he’s vulnerable in the game,” Gundy said. “So he has to train hard.”
More:How did Oklahoma State football player Ollie Gordon beat Houston? “It wasn’t crazy by design.”
These Cowboys are fun to train
A year ago, at this point, OSU’s season was in shambles. The losses piled up. Then a good portion of the roster went to the transfer portal.
Oddly, one of these players spoke out last week.
“I’m so proud of the way the guys continue to fight,” USC linebacker Mason Cobb said, according to reports. “My last school (OSU), it wasn’t the same fight. Maybe that’s why I left. If that was the case, a lot of guys felt like they didn’t really want to keep fighting. And the guys here, man, they’re fighting.
Gundy wasn’t directly asked about Cobb, but Gundy was asked if he thought this season’s Cowboys had more fight.
“Well, we went through a rough patch last year where we got waxed in a few games and then we had a couple of bad injuries,” Gundy said. “And like I said, it’s not Spencer (Sanders) fault, but we played for a month and our quarterback never practiced. This is not a good situation for anyone.
“So when we went through that, the team had a hard time staying together. This team didn’t have that problem.
Gundy said he wasn’t sure of the team’s chemistry when fall camp began in August. He had a much better idea when the calendar turned to October.
Now he loves coaching this team.
“Sometimes the fans, the public and you lose sight that it might not be the most fun time coaching a team that’s winning double-digit games if they don’t really come together and s “They don’t have a good relationship,” Gundy said. .
“Sometimes we’ve coached teams that may have only won seven or eight games, but it’s fun to coach them. The players like each other and we have good relationships. It’s fun to be there.
“It’s a bit like the old saying: ‘Just because you have a family with a lot of money doesn’t mean you’re happy.’ It doesn’t bring happiness. Happiness is the other side. It’s the same with coaching.
“These guys are fun to coach. I don’t need to do a lot of things off the field with them this year.
Gundy even said that winning heals a lot of things. But he thinks this team would still be fun if they had won fewer games so far.
Oklahoma State vs. Houston Ratings:Cowboys show resilience in rally against Cougars
Who is Alex Loyd?
Gundy received his own history lesson in the middle of the press conference.
Did he know who Alex Loyd was?
“WHO?” » asked Gundy. “The name means nothing to you.”
Loyd, a Stigler native, caught 16 passes in a 1949 game, which still stands as the program’s single-game record.
Current OSU wide receiver Brennan Presley lost one reception before tying that mark on Saturday.
That the record still stands all these years later, given OSU’s history with receivers, is crazy.
“I didn’t know that,” Gundy said. “Wow. That’s great. There’s not much about Oklahoma State football that I don’t know, but I didn’t know that. Yeah, that surprises me.
Gundy said legendary Cowboys wide receiver Hart Lee Dykes was also on the sideline Saturday in Houston.
Aside from Dykes trying to talk to Gundy during the game, Dykes was a welcome sight on a day when Presley was shining.
And Gundy is convinced Dykes could easily hold the record for today’s offenses.
“He would have had 20 catches a game because you couldn’t cover him at all,” Gundy said. “Two people couldn’t cover it.
“I’m surprised Justin Blackmon didn’t get as many. James Washington played with so many other NFL wide receivers that we had to air him. It shocks me that it’s been so long.
Presley actually had a 16th reception, but a penalty on Houston nullified the play.
If Gundy had known about the record, would he have refused the flag?
“It was late for us to solidify this game, it felt like there was a minute left to play,” Gundy said.
More:Why Trey Rucker’s INT was a ‘turning point’ in Oklahoma State football’s win over Houston
What Mike Gundy is grateful for this year
In the spirit of Thanksgiving, Gundy was asked what he was most grateful for this year, both personally and as a coach.
As a coach, it was almost simple.
“Honestly, we figured out how to run a block,” Gundy said, “because it made this year a lot more fun.”
Personally, Gundy took care of his health.
“For me to be 56 years old and have my health and energy to continue to do this work and have fun doing it, I’m very grateful,” Gundy said. “Now I have a beautiful family and all these different things, but just to put one thing in perspective, I think about it a lot.
“I really appreciate being able to still do this at a high level.”
Jacob Unruh covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Do you have a story idea for Jacob? He can be reached at[email protected] or on X/Twitter at@jacobunruh. Register forthe Oklahoma State Cowboys Newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Jacob’s work and that of other Oklahoma journalists by purchasinga digital subscription today at Subscribe.oklahoman.com or using the link at the top of this page.
