How Oklahoma State has transformed from a 'zero' to College Football Playoff contender - The Dallas Morning News

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Mike Gundy has been coaching more than long enough to know potential excellence when he sees it.

As Gundy studied his Oklahoma State team after its three nonconference games this season, he was certain that a special season was not happening.

“Well, after the nonconference, I thought the chance was zero,” Gundy said this week. “I didn’t even think that far. I was just trying to get to where we can function to play the next game. ... I was just trying to figure out a way to somehow win the Kansas State game.”

Fast forward a couple of months, and No. 5 Oklahoma State (11-1) sits just outside the top four for the College Football Playoff going into Saturday’s Big 12 championship game against No. 9 Baylor (10-2) at AT&T Stadium.

A win would position Oklahoma State to make a strong case to reach the CFP for the first time as a one-loss Big 12 champion.

For the record, Gundy is anything but apologetic for the early assessment of his team.

“I don’t think anybody should look down on me for that,” Gundy said. “I don’t know anybody in here thought that. Certainly after game three.”

And not after victories over Missouri State, Tulsa and Boise State by a combined 13 points.

What happened? Oklahoma State started developing an identity thanks to an unglamorous but effective running game and a defense that turned into one of the nation’s best.

Remember the old stereotype from the Baker Mayfield/Patrick Mahomes 66-59 shootout five years ago that no one played defense in the Big 12? That’s been put to rest.

The Cowboys rank fifth nationally in scoring defense and third in total defense. The unit delivered in the second half of the Bedlam game, holding Oklahoma without an offensive score in the second half.

Linebackers Malcolm Rodriguez (108 tackles, 13.5 for loss) and Devin Harper (80 tackles) lead a vastly experienced unit. They are far from alone. The secondary ranks second nationally in the FBS with 178 career starts. At the same time, freshman Collin Oliver has delivered a team-high 8.5 sacks.

“They don’t make mistakes,” TCU interim coach Jerry Kill told reporters earlier this season. “They’re assignment-sound, they play hard, relentless. They’re great tacklers. They tackle very, very well. They tackle and strip as good as any football team I’ve seen in a long time.”

ESPN analyst Kirk Herbstreit was impressed that the Cowboys were doing it with “a bunch of blue-collar guys” as opposed to sure-fire first-round picks.

“They’ve played together for three years, they buy into the system and they like working, they like to compete, they love each other,” Herbstreit said. “They have each other’s back. So, you don’t have to go out there and hit every five-star to have a great defense.”

There’s another factor too, Herbstreit said, in defensive coordinator Jim Knowles, who wasn’t always a fan or media favorite. Going back to Knowles’ first season in 2018, the Cowboys are allowing 171 fewer yards per game and 16 fewer points per game.

“It starts with our culture, but then it goes really quickly to Jim,” Gundy said. “Jim has a very unique style of coaching and has a unique relationship with them. He has the ability to coach old school and keep them motivated and involved and not create friction. He treats them all the same. He’ll chew on Harper or Rodriguez the same he would a true freshman.

“That’s a lost art in coaching today, compared to where it was 10 years ago, or particularly 30 years, ago. … Once they start playing well and have success then they almost don’t want to be the guy that doesn’t play hard.”

Where Oklahoma State’s defense ranks nationally in key categories:

Category	Total	FBS rank
Scoring defense	16.4 ppg	5th
Total defense	281.4 ypg	3rd
Rushing defense	92.6 ypg	6th
Passing efficiency defense	111.9	8th
Sacks	4.0 spg	1st
Third-down defense	24.4%	1st

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