Oklahoma State football coach Mike Gundy on Big 12 tiebreakers: 'I don't really care'

STILLWATER — Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy has no time for your Big 12 tiebreaker scenarios.

“I don’t really care,” he said.

Gundy did not write the convoluted scenarios, a hot topic the past week with the Big 12 clarifying a three-way tie possibility that could ultimately benefit his Cowboys.

He only focuses on what he can control — and that’s preparing for Saturday’s 2:30 p.m. game against BYU in Boone Pickens Stadium. It’s a game that if OSU wins it has a strong chance of playing next week in the Big 12 championship.

“Beyond that point, I don’t have anything to do with it,” Gundy said during his weekly news conference on Monday.

Even after the Big 12 sent out scenarios Sunday that ended vaguely at best, this much is easy to understand right now.

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With a Texas win over Texas Tech on Friday and an OSU win over BYU, the Cowboys face the Longhorns in Arlington, Texas.

Anything else happens, well, then things can get wacky.

But for Gundy, that’s a concern for another day. He won’t talk about it, even with Sean Maguire, the OSU sports information director.

“I haven’t even looked at it,” Gundy said. “Sometimes Sean will be nice and ask me if I need to know.”

Gundy does not. At least, not yet.

Here are more takeaways from Gundy’s meeting with the media:

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Mike Gundy not protecting Ollie Gordon

Even with his right foot in a walking boot, there are no plans to protect superstar running back Ollie Gordon II throughout the week.

“Just let him go,” Gundy said. “Ollie needs to practice hard. He needs to be in practice. He needs to get banged around. He needs to practice hard.”

Gundy said the reasoning is simple: Not practicing as a running back can be an issue.

“You take a lot of hits and stuff in games and if you protect a guy where he doesn’t get banged around any in practice, then he’s susceptible in the game,” Gundy said. “So, he needs to practice hard.”

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These Cowboys are fun to coach

A year ago at this point, OSU’s season was in shambles. Losses mounted. Then a good portion of the roster departed in the transfer portal.

One of those players, oddly, spoke out last week.

“I’m so proud of how the guys keep fighting,” USC linebacker Mason Cobb said, according to reports. “My last school (OSU), wasn’t the same fight. Maybe that was the reason why I left. Had that – a lot of guys, feel like they didn’t really want to keep fighting. And guys here man, they fight.”

Gundy was not directly asked about Cobb but Gundy was asked if he thought this season’s Cowboys had more fight.

“Well, we went through a tough stretch last year where we got waxed in a couple games and then we had a few major injuries,” Gundy said. “And like I said, it’s no fault of Spencer (Sanders), but we went a month and played games and our quarterback never practiced. It’s not a good situation for anybody.

“So, when we went through that, the team had a hard time staying together. This team hasn’t had that issue.”

Gundy said he was unsure of the team chemistry when fall camp started in August. He had a much better idea when the calendar turned to October.

Now, he loves coaching this team.

“Sometimes the fans and the public and you guys lose perspective that it may not be the funnest time to coach a team that’s winning double-digit games if they don’t really come together and they don’t have good relationship,” Gundy said.

“Sometimes we’ve coached teams that may have only won seven or eight games but they’re fun to coach. The players like each other and we have good relationships. It’s fun to be out there.

“It’s kinda like the old, ‘Just because you have a family that has a lot of money, it doesn't mean you’re happy.’ That doesn’t bring happiness. Happiness is the other side of it. It’s the same thing with coaching.

“These guys are fun to coach. I don’t have to do many off-the-field things with them this year.”

Gundy even said winning does cure a lot. But he believes this team would still be fun had it won less games to this point.

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Who is Alex Loyd?

Gundy received his own history lesson in the middle of the news conference.

Did he know who Alex Loyd was?

“Who?” Gundy asked. “The name doesn’t ring a bell.”

Loyd, a Stigler native, caught 16 passes in a 1949 game, which still stands as the single-game record for the program.

Current OSU receiver Brennan Presley fell one reception shy of tying that mark Saturday.

That the record still stands all these years later considering OSU’s history with receivers is wild.

“I did not know that,” Gundy said. “Wow. That’s cool. There’s not a lot about Oklahoma State football I don’t know, but I did not know that. Yes, that does surprise me.”

Gundy said legendary Cowboys receiver Hart Lee Dykes was on the sideline Saturday in Houston, too.

Outside of Dykes attempting to talk to Gundy during the game, Dykes was a welcome sight on a day Presley shined.

And Gundy is convinced Dykes could have the record easily in today’s offenses.

“He would have had 20 catches a game because you couldn’t cover him at all,” Gundy said. “Two people couldn’t cover him.

“I’m surprised Justin Blackmon hadn’t got that many. James Washington played with so many other receivers that were NFL we had to spread it around. That shocks me that it’s been that long.”

Presley actually had a 16th reception, but a penalty on Houston wiped out the play.

Had Gundy known of the record, would he have declined the flag?

“Late for us solidifying that game was like with a minute left,” Gundy said.

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What Mike Gundy is thankful for this year

With the spirit of Thanksgiving, Gundy was asked what he is most thankful for this year, both personally and as a coach.

As a coach, that was almost simple.

“That we figured out how to run block, honestly,” Gundy said, “because that’s made it a much funner year.”

Personally, Gundy went with his health.

‘“For me to be at 56 years old and to have my health and my energy to still do this job and have fun doing it, I’m very thankful for,” Gundy said. “Now, I have a beautiful family and all those different things, but just to put one thing in perspective, I think about that a lot.

“I’m very appreciative of that to still be able to do this at a high level.”

Jacob Unruh covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Jacob? He can be reached at junruh@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @jacobunruh. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Jacob’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.

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This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: Oklahoma State's Mike Gundy isn't concerned with Big 12 tiebreakers