Gundy says economic boost good for OSU, too
STILLWATER — Mike Gundy likes to say that Oklahoma State started building real football tradition eight years ago.
That dates back to 2009, the second of back-to-back seasons featuring nine wins — the most in Gundy’s tenure to that point. So that’s a legit starting point, considering the program never had any extended period success to match the current stretch, which remains modest.
Before 2009, however, it started with the building — Boone Pickens Stadium — still a premier facility across college football.
“We’ve got this facility, this thing’s fantastic,” Gundy said.
Yet in the arms race that is college football, Gundy knows you can’t ever be content.
“If you’re not building something new about every five years, you’re behind,” he said, referencing a large stadium video board, a new academic center and a career center among things on OSU’s wish list.
The Cowboys coach suggested Monday that the current economic climate seems to turning positive for OSU football, revealing that two “very prominent people” had called Sunday, in the wake of the Bedlam loss, committed to pushing the program to even greater heights.
“We’re going to have those options now, with the way we’re going,” Gundy said, “whether you’re left or you’re right, with the way things are going in the market and everything’s going through the roof.
“The business value of what (President) Trump has put into place is going to help us. There’s going to be more things that we can use.
“People now say, ‘You keep working at it, you keep doing the right things, we can continue to build.’”
Cowboys vow to focus forward
Saturday’s Bedlam loss, from a game that hung in the balance to the final minute, delivered much disappointment, especially for OSU’s seniors.
“Obviously stings,” linebacker Chad Whitener said.
And yet, the Cowboys must focus forward, with a 10-win season and bigger bowls still in play. Immediately, they face a challenge at Iowa State, which is similarly trying to bounce back from a difficult loss at West Virginia that ended the Cyclones’ four-game winning streak.
In Stillwater, moving on is a major talking point for the week.
“I’ve come out of games and we’ve won ... I didn’t feel great (after) West Virginia,” Gundy said. “We had mistakes all over the place. We won, but I didn’t feel great. Then there are times we’ve lost before, and I’m OK.
“Regardless of how I feel, it’s important for me to instill in the players the importance of the next game. That’s why it’s beneficial for us that they can turn the tape on and watch what (the Cyclones) have done against TCU and Oklahoma.”
Quotable
Iowa State coach Matt Campbell on his team’s ability to recover from its own Saturday setback:
“That’s the thing I love about these kids: win, lose, scoreboard, what it says, what it doesn’t say, I think, is really irrelevant. I think nothing showed that more than what happened Saturday. It was irrelevant. The scoreboard was what it is. If you keep playing and you keep fighting and you understand what’s not going well, (ask yourself), ‘How do you fix it?’ and then fix it — that’s football.”