Oklahoma State is one of the top Big 12 contenders next season, but it hasn't earned the trust of some national media.
The first game of the 2024 season is scheduled to begin on Saturday with the Irish hosting Florida State and Georgia Tech, which also marks the first College GameDay of the season.
The Gameday crew selected the playoff teams and conference champions for 2024. Since no one predicted the Cowboys would make the College Football Playoff, the Gameday crew doubled down on their bets and no one predicted the Cowboys would win the Big 12 Conference.
Pat McAfee and guest picker Seamus have West Virginia underdogs as the favorites to win the conference, while Desmond Howard, Nick Saban and Kirk Herbstreit have Utah as the favorites to win the conference.
GameDay Crew's Big 12 Champion Predictions: pic.twitter.com/eqwGXt348u
— RedditCFB (@RedditCFB) August 24, 2024
The Cowboys enter this season ranked third in odds to win the conference and are ranked third in the Big 12 preseason poll. Head coach Mike Gundy is in his 20th season as head coach and is looking to win his second conference championship and make his first College Football Playoff appearance.
In the first three weeks of conference play, OSU will face the team Gameday projects to win the conference, as well as Kansas State, which finished No. 2 in the preseason poll.
A 6-0 record would almost guarantee a playoff berth, although a three-week stretch against Utah, Kansas State and West Virginia would be tough to beat. OSU's schedule eases up later in the season, so a three-week stretch early in the season will be a big part of the evaluation.
Of course, a trip to Arlington is a natural expectation for the Cowboys, who have played in the Big 12 Championship in two of the past three years. OSU has been unable to beat Baylor and Texas thus far, but this trip could be a chance for the team to establish itself as one of the new-look Big 12's best teams.
Read more: ESPN's College GameDay removes OSU football from College Football Playoff projections
Want to join the discussion? Like AllPokes on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Stay up to date on the latest Cowboys news and meet our coverage team.
