Big 12 expert says OSU will surprise people this year

You may have seen (or heard) Pete Sousa's voice coming through the TV set during OSU football and basketball games the last couple of seasons. He has become one of ESPN's go-to play-by-play broadcasters for Big 12 games. The Conference has also enlisted his duties, hosting their weekly preview show, Inside the 12. So, we decided to pick Pete's brain ahead of the 2025 season.

You can watch the Pete Sousa Show Podcast on YouTube or listen to Pete wherever you get your podcasts.

Q: I just want to get your feeling overall for the Big Twelve. Is it going to be the same, competitive, kind of everyone beating up on each other this year? 

Sousa: Well, the conference is wide open. I think one of the things that actually separates the Big 12 from power conferences like the SEC and the Big Ten is that there is such depth there. I think we'll get to see that illustrated early in the season when a team like Baylor takes on a team like Auburn. I think that will give an opportunity for the Big 12 to flex its muscle a little bit. You don't always think about Baylor being atop the Big 12, and Auburn has been struggling in the SEC, but I think that matchup right there, where I think Baylor should cruise, will be an indication of just how deep the conference is from top to bottom. 

Q. Pete, with the new playoff structure, it is so important to win your conference and claim an automatic bid. Who do you have as your favorite in the Big 12 this year? 

Sousa: "I really like Baylor's chances. Either Baylor or Texas Tech for me. What Texas Tech has done in the transfer portal and through recruiting, and with help from oil guys like Cody Campbell, who played at Texas Tech. Then, I think with Baylor, Sawyer Robertson and Bryson Washington, their quarterback and running back combination, along with an offensive line that returns just about everybody, four or five starters, and a defense where Dave Aranda is gonna be the guy. Given the direction, I really like Baylor's chances as well, coming off a strong finish last year."

Q. Pete, I like that you have Baylor as a Big Twelve favorite because you go back, 2013, Baylor Quarterback Bryce Petty trips on the one yard line in Stillwater and Oklahoma State upsets Baylor. And then just a couple of years ago, Baylor was probably kept out of the playoff after that Oklahoma State defense just stifled them in Stillwater in 2021. Do you look at this year's game on September 27th and say the Cowboys have a chance to really stomp on Baylor's dreams again this season? 

Sousa: "They do, but you know, Oklahoma State is a very interesting team to look at and handicap this year, right? I would not rule Oklahoma State out of contention for the Big 12 title. So, it's not like Oklahoma State is like, 'hey, we're gonna play, you know, upset person or dream crusher.' Oklahoma State could win ten games or they could win two games this year. Because it's a Mike Gundy operation, I believe that they'll bounce back. I mean, twenty-first year for Coach Gundy in Stillwater, coming off his worst season ever, their worst season since 1991. You cannot tell me that that's going to be a repeat of performance for Oklahoma State. There's a real reason to believe that Oklahoma State isn't going to be circling games against Baylor and saying let's crush their dreams. I think that they'll be looking at that week two game against Oregon like that and say hey let's build our dreams. Let's give other teams nightmares and build our own dreams."

Q. Pete I'm just going to ask you this point blank, straight up: should Oklahoma State fans still have full trust and faith in Mike Gundy? 

Sousa: "Absolutely! I understand some of the detachment given and some of the behavior recently, whether it's Mike Gundy not appreciating some of the folks that maybe need to be appreciated in Stillwater. Sometimes he can be a little flippant when discussing fans. At the end of the day, all he wants to do is win football games. He's a guy with a huge heart, full of love, right? He loves all the Oklahoma State supporters. But he's Mike Gundy, and that's what makes him great. He's not going to change for anyone.

Years like last year can be pretty ugly, but his body of work at Oklahoma State speaks for itself. I think this is going to be a huge bounce-back here for Oklahoma State. I mean, really, if they stay healthy, they're going to compete in the Big 12, and if they get lucky and the ball bounces their way, they could compete for a Big Twelve title."

Q. When you look at the overall view of the season for Oklahoma State, what do you look at and say: 'they need to get this, this, and this right to have that perfect year, maybe even be competing for a Big 12 title or a playoff spot? 

Sousa: "Well, you've got to get your quarterback deal right. Last year, obviously, injuries, injuries, injuries everywhere you turned. This year, you've got Hauss Hejny and Zane Flores. And when you think that [new offensive coordinator] Doug Meacham and Hauss Hejny were both together at TCU, there's got to be some kind of synergy there. So, you would hope, if you're an Oklahoma State fan, that one of those quarterbacks really takes control, right, and grabs that job. Mike Gundy, I would imagine, probably won't be quick to name a starter just to keep everybody else on their toes. That needs to go right

Defensively, they've got to get better, and they have to produce turnovers, also offensive line. Last year, I think they returned like two hundred and fifteen games of experience on the offensive line. This year, it's like the exact opposite. So a lot needs to go right for Oklahoma State up front to reach their potential in the trenches, offensive-line-wise.

I think it's like a perfect situation for Mike Gundy to be someone who we're talking about late in the season when they welcome Iowa State on November 29th. That could be a huge game with Big 12 title implications. I think Oklahoma State will surprise people this year."