The outcome of Colorado vs. Oklahoma State was about as predictable as one could expect, with the Buffaloes closing out their regular season with a 52-0 win over Mike Gundy and the Pokes.
With the victory, Deion Sanders and the Buffs move to 9-3 (7-2 Big 12) and keep themselves in contention for a Big 12 Championship. Meanwhile, Mike Gundy and the Cowboys put the final knot in their worst season during his tenure, finishing the year 3-9 (0-9 Big 12) and on a nine-game losing streak.
Here are a few thoughts on the game and what it means for both teams moving forward.
Travis Hunter is Your 2024 Heisman Trophy Winner
It wasn’t the prettiest day for Colorado, as the Buffaloes played anything but a perfect game. They gave up six sacks, turned the ball over once, and had nine penalties for 70 yards. None of that ended up mattering though, because Colorado had Travis Hunter, and Oklahoma State didn’t.
Hunter was the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy coming into Week 14, and he only strengthened his argument after perhaps his best statistical performance of the season. When the dust settled on this glorified scrimmage, Hunter had 10 catches for 116 yards and three touchdowns on offense and an interception and PBU on defense.
With all due respect to Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty and Miami quarterback Cam Ward, Travis Hunter is the best player in college football, and it’s not particularly close. We’ve just never seen an athlete of Hunter’s caliber, and given the fact that he plays 115 snaps a game, it doesn’t seem possible. Yet, here we are. When the envelope is opened on that stage in New York in a few weeks, it will be Travis Hunter’s name that’s called, and he’s definitely earned it.
The Worst Performance of the Mike Gundy Era
The score clearly indicates that this game was lopsided, but it still might not fully explain just how bad this performance was for the Pokes. Despite six sacks on the day, the OSU defense allowed over 400 yards of offense and gave Shedeur Sanders and Travis Hunter. But, as bad as the defense was, the Oklahoma State offense was truly abysmal. Just take a look at some of these offensive stats from the Cowboys before the garbage time drive to end the game.
- 0-11 on Third Down
- 15 carries for -5 yards (-0.3 yards per carry)
- 11/28 for 70 yards (2.5 yards per completion)
- Four total first downs
- Four turnovers
- 65 total yards
In fact, the Pokes’ offense had more yards on their final drive of the game in garbage time than they had the rest of the game. It was that bad.
Any other head coach in the country would walk off the field unemployed after a performance like this, especially with it coming on the tail-end of a nine-game losing streak. However, Mike Gundy has built the program and expectations that are set in Stillwater, so he probably survives even this. Regardless, the Pokes’ head coach will enter the 2025 season on the hot seat, which is wild considering how high the expectations were at the beginning of the year.
Now They Wait…
After losing to Kansas one the road last weekend, Colorado lost the opportunity to control its destiny to the Big 12 Championship Game. Nevertheless, the Buffaloes came out and took care of business against Oklahoma State on Friday with a blowout victory.
After the dominant win, Colorado fans will have to wait until the early morning hours on Sunday to see if they can sneak into a trip to Arlington. The Buffaloes need losses from two of the three teams tied with them in the standings: BYU, Iowa State, and Arizona State.
There’s no scenario where BYU beats Houston and Colorado gets into the Big 12 title game, so they’ll certainly need the Cougars to take down the Cougars on the road in Provo, UT. Unfortunately, that game doesn’t start until 9:15 p.m. CT.
Buckle up, Big 12 fans. There’s a lot still on the board, and it promises to be a down-to-the-wire race.
