That hard lesson came during Oklahoma State's disastrous 2024 season, when the Cowboys stumbled to a 3-9 record and missed a bowl game for the first time in nearly two decades. It was an obvious low point for a program known for winning in the Gundy era.

Oklahoma State is looking to be among the top in college football again in the near future, which makes the playoff format a massive topic. Over the past few years, playoff expansion and format modification has been one of the hottest topics in college football.

Consistency, culture and chemistry have been OSU pillars under Mike Gundy. But how do the rebuilt Cowboys develop those for a bounce-back season?