Mike Gundy has been the head coach of Oklahoma State for 20 years. Only Iowa’s Kirk Ferentz has been in his post longer in the FBS ranks.
Gundy, and his iconic mullet, are part of the furniture in Stillwater.
But all good things come to an end, and a loss to Tulsa on Friday night could end Gundy’s reign at Boone Pickens Stadium.
The Cowboys are 11.5-point favorites over their in-state rivals.
Tulsa vs. Oklahoma State odds, prediction
Tulsa was an intriguing long shot in the AAC before the season started.
Every year, we see a program take a huge leap thanks to a forward-thinking hire and the Golden Hurricane’s move to bring in Tre Lamb looked like it could tick that box.
Lamb did terrific work in his stints at Gardner-Webb and East Tennessee State, but resurrecting Tulsa from the abyss was not going to be an easy gig.
The early returns are a mixed bag, as Tulsa defeated Abilene Christian then lost a tight one against New Mexico State before getting routed by Navy.
According to Bill Connelly’s SP+ power rankings, Tulsa is the 109th-best team in FBS, putting it on par with the likes of Rice, Oregon State and Southern Miss.
Believe it or not, that’s a sign of improvement — with the caveat that it is early days, still — over last season when the Golden Hurricane finished 128th in Connelly’s catch-all ratings system.
Betting on College Football?
On the surface, this looks like a get-right opportunity for Oklahoma State.
The Pokes were embarrassed, 69-3, by Oregon in Week 2 and have given up at least 50 points in three of their last four games, dating back to the end of the 2024 season.
The Cowboys finished 3-9 overall and 0-9 in the Big 12 last season. Hosting Tulsa under the lights in a standalone spot gives Gundy and his charges the chance to quiet the skeptics, even for just a week.
The problem with that logic is that Oklahoma State isn’t good enough to just walk onto the field and dominate anybody right now. Even Tennessee-Martin was hanging with the Pokes for much of their game in Week 1 before a late touchdown from the Cowboys.
Tulsa isn’t going to win many games, but it’s not the pushover it was last year.
As long as you’re getting over 10 points, Tulsa is the play Friday night.
The Play: Tulsa +11.5 (FanDuel)
Why Trust New York Post Betting
Michael Leboff is a long-suffering Islanders fan, but a long-profiting sports bettor with 10 years of experience in the gambling industry. He loves using game theory to help punters win bracket pools, find long shots, and learn how to beat the market in mainstream and niche sports.
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
