Oklahoma State paid the price for Mike Gundy’s comments about Oregon football spending, drawing attention to the exchange between coaches. This eventually led to a 69-3 runaway win for Dan Lanning and the No. 6 Ducks.

This loss is historic; Oklahoma State had not yielded that many points in a game since 1996 and had not lost by such a wide margin since 1907 — the same year Oklahoma became a state.

Gundy’s comments, which suggested that Oregon’s success was intimately tied to financial investment, might have motivated Oregon enough to play clips of his press conferences in their pregame video. This matchup was marked by Gundy becoming a villain, to the delight of Ducks fans who witnessed their team dominate to a 38-point halftime lead.

Despite Gundy’s long tenure and history of overcoming adversity, the recent defeat suggests a pivotal moment for the program. His legacy includes a standard of sustained success and 18 straight bowl seasons for the Cowboys, yet the current challenges raise questions about whether he can continue to lead effectively as the sport evolves.