Oklahoma State Finishes No. 16 in Final AP Poll
Oklahoma State can call themselves a top 20 team in the country for the 2023 season.
After Michigan beat Washington on Monday to take home the national championship, the Associated Press released its final top 25 rankings, which saw the Cowboys finish No. 16 in the final AP poll of the season.
In the first ten weeks, Oklahoma State couldn't crack the top 25 at all. After the Cowboys squeaked past Oklahoma 27-24 in the final installment of Bedlam for the foreseeable future, OSU debuted at No. 15 in the rankings.
UCF embarrassed OSU that next week and the Cowboys would fall to No. 24 in the rankings. Over the last five weeks, they would move around in the 21-25 range, before finishing in the top 20 after taking home the Texas Bowl victory over Texas A&M.
Next season, OSU should start out in the AP poll, but where they land will be the question.
With the Cowboys returning 11 starters on offense, they should be in position to land in the middle of the pack in the AP poll.
One of the starters returning is running back Ollie Gordon, who will look to build off this past season where he won the Doak Walker Award.
Gordon finished the season with 1,732 rushing yards, which was No. 1 in the country. His 21 rushing touchdowns landed him No. 2 in the country, trailing behind Michigan running back Blake Corum.
While Gordon and most players are sticking around for another season at Oklahoma State, the College Football Playoff will change. The new format will feature a 12-team playoff, including the six highest-ranked conference champions receiving automatic bids.
OSU will be one of the favorites to win the Big 12 Championship. If the Cowboys were able to do that, they will have their eyes set on much larger goals later in the 2024 season.
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