Despite returning some of the most talented players in the country, Oklahoma State is still an unpredictable force in the world of college football, according to some. However, it’s not far-fetched to say the Cowboys could be Big 12 champions by the end of the season.

Of course, like any football season, there are a lot of moving parts that will affect the Cowboys’ success. But they have the right pieces. Ollie Gordon, who commands the backfield as the nation’s best running back, combined with Alan Bowman and his wealth of experience at quarterback and an overall experienced offense will make for a strong Oklahoma State group.

Oklahoma State’s defense leaves a lot to be desired, however. Players like Kendal Daniels, Collin Oliver and Nick Martin will solidify that side of the ball, but as a group the Cowboys need to take a leap forward to elevate the team’s peak performance this season.

Heartland Sports looked at the “best-case record” of all the teams in the Big 12 and concluded that Oklahoma State’s best-case scenario would be an 11-1 season.

“The Cowboys have one of the most experienced teams in the conference and a schedule that gives them a legitimate path to the Big 12 title game,” wrote Heartland Sports. “The realistic best-case scenario is for the Cowboys to lose either the Utah or Kansas State games but win the rest.”

Utah and Kansas State will be tough opponents for Oklahoma State — and the three teams will likely be favorites to win the conference title early in the season. Heartland Sports gave the Utes, Wildcats and Cowboys odds of 11-1 as the best-case scenario.

It looks like the Big 12 season will again come down to several teams at the end.

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