Column: Healthy change is needed in every college football program, including OSU
- Gabriel Trevino, Sports Editor, @GabeCTrevino
- Dec 28, 2022 Updated 15 hrs ago
Every week, it was something new with OSU this season. One week, the run game becomes nonexistent, and the next, it’s the passing game that falls behind. The only consistency the Cowboys found in its last six games was inconsistency. It happens for OSU, though. The more than 10 wins and New Year’s Six bowl seasons are the outliers. But for 7-6 and late season collapses — ending with a 24-17 loss to Wisconsin in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl on Tuesday — to not happen every year, is to change.
“For me and our staff, we have to take all those things into consideration and make decisions based on what’s best for the future as we move forward into a new era of college football,” said coach Mike Gundy. “And as we’re going through these changes, we need to try to do a good job of being out front to give our players the best chance to play better.”
Coaching moves are the most obvious change people think about when adjustments are brought up after a season. But when Gundy was asked postgame on whether he believes he will be making any, he became agitated with the reporter.
“I may have to cut you out, don’t be an ass,” Gundy said. “(It’s about) those people’s lives, their families. Don’t mess with people’s families.”
When a person loses their job, any sympathetic human being can feel for them and their family. But if Gundy were to not make changes and have poor seasons every year, nothing can happen to him. He signed a contract to keep him at OSU for the rest of his career. Most other head coaches don't have the same luxury. Hinting at threatening another person’s job while making a point of how people’s jobs are important isn’t a great way of showing you care.
Coaches get fired. Gundy has fired some before. It happens, and most of the time, they are able to find other jobs. Sport is a business, and just like in any other job, if you’re not meeting standards, you are able to be removed. But it doesn’t suggest you’re done with your career.
Wisconsin’s defensive coordinator won’t be returning next season, but his defense only allowed 162 yards against the Cowboy offense in the first three quarters of the game. Coaches know what they’re doing. It’s mostly a matter of fit.
As for OSU, I’m not sure if there will be any coaching changes. And if there aren't, I think that's fine. One, albeit, very underperforming season isn’t enough in my eyes to fire somebody. 7-6 isn’t a good record, but it’s not 1-11. OSU isn't a program where 11 or 12 wins is the standard anyway. After multiple bad ones, though, that’s when coaches get fired.
But a change of face isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes, it’s healthy to get new eyes, new language and new brains into a group. You never know what can happen.
As for what changes will happen, Gundy alluded to how the staff will go about it. They’re going to talk about it, and with the season over, will have time to navigate and make decisions on what they are to do in the modern landscape of college football without a game to worry about in the week.
“It is a time to reflect and make the most of the opportunity to ask, ‘How do we make this work for Oklahoma State?’” Dunn said. “Because whoever figures that out, is going to get us a step ahead. We need to figure out how to make it worse for us.”
Personnel wise, young players will progress over the offseason, but he’s mentioned there’s a need for veterans. Gundy said earlier this season he’s not much of a portal coach. Well, he just brought in one of the top rated transfer portal classes in the country. It’s a big part of the sport now, and he just used it to fill holes at positions of need with said veterans.
“We need erasers,” said defensive coordinator Derek Mason. “Guys who have some college experience, because they can’t all be young guys. There’s got to be guys with experience. That’s what we’re looking into.”
Modern recruiting is a topic Gundy has explained his distaste for. Mostly about NIL, but like it or not, it’s part of the game now, too. How much of OSU’s 63rd ranked (247Sports) recruiting class could be attributed to NIL? I don’t have a clear answer for. But if it happens again, and again, then assumptions could be made. And after that, there would need to be change to compete.
Gundy and OSU have changed before. With both roster and coaching matters. But if they want to be better than 7-6 going forward, they’ll change again. And now more than ever is there a need for transformations.
sports.ed@ocolly.com
