Oklahoma State welcomes Bye Week after historic loss to Oregon

After suffering the program’s worst loss since 1907, Oklahoma State is using its bye week to reset before facing Tulsa.

Oregon didn’t let the Cowboys breathe in a 69-3 blowout last Saturday in Eugene. Now there’s a chance to step back and assess everything that needs to change to help OSU have a chance for success moving forward.

As for Mike Gundy and the coaching staff, that likely began in the early morning on Sunday. The head coach said after the loss that he should have made sure the game plan for Oregon was simpler, that they tried to do too much on both sides of the ball and it cost them.

Bye weeks can come at inopportune times, when a team is playing well and has a rhythm going, coaches don’t want anything to mess that up. This is a great time for a bye week, though, for OSU. 

There was frustration and some embarrassment in the eyes of players who spoke with the media after the game, but to their credit, they faced the questions head-on. 

“Eye discipline” was one phrase used by defenders that needs to improve immediately. Tight end Josh Ford wasn’t happy at all, but said he enjoyed the challenge of going up against one of the nation’s top teams, that the physicality of the game was what he liked the most during an afternoon that was overall anything but enjoyable.

Ford is one of OSU’s more physical players. So is running back Trent Howland, who gained tough yards on the Cowboys’ only scoring drive before leaving with an ankle injury. 

There are plenty of others who can lead in that department. 

As for the bye week, defensive tackle Iman Oates said:

“We’ve gone hard at it since June or July so being able to see this game, play this game (at Oregon) to see where we are and then hopefully come up with a good game plan for TU, and have that week to rest a little bit while we’re practicing but have a couple days of rest and put our focus toward TU so I think it’s a good time for a bye.”

The Cowboys host Tulsa on Friday, the 19th at 6:30 pm at Boone Pickens Stadium.