Mike Gundy makes schedule clear as transfer window, signing day near

The transfer portal window is open and early signing day is closing in following the end of the regular season and conference championship games. And Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy made clear this isn’t a time for rest for college football coaching staffs.

That’s in contrast to the players, who in the case of Gundy’s Cowboys are getting around a week off after playing in the Big 12 title game. But he and his staff took a pause and are back out on the road.

“They’re gone. Everybody’s out here — I say everybody, most of them will be out of here tomorrow morning, and the rest will be out Monday afternoon or Tuesday,” Gundy said on Sunday. “Everybody’s gone, hitting it, and back at it. We get 12 hours off. It’s awesome.”

And with players already hitting the transfer portal, recruits needing to be signed and a bowl still to be prepped for, it will stay a hectic time of year for the Cowboys through the next few weeks.

The Cowboys drew a familiar foe for the bowl matchup

The Texas Bowl features a matchup between two former Big 12 foes as Oklahoma State will take on Texas A&M. It marks the second time that the two teams will meet since 2019, as they also faced each other in the Texas Bowl that season.

The Aggies got the best of the Cowboys in a 24-21 victory that season, and Vegas is predicting a similar story to play out in this year’s contest. Texas A&M opens as a 4.5-point favorite in the matchup according to FanDuel, which also has the over/under set at 53.5.

How to watch

Time: 8 p.m. CT on Dec. 27
Channel: ESPN, FuboTV (streaming)
Location: NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas

Aggies fans won’t have to travel far to cheer on their team, as it is just a little more than an hour drive from College Station to Houston. There they will hope to end the season on a positive note in what has otherwise been a rough year.

Texas A&M fired coach Jimbo Fisher with two games remaining in the regular season of his sixth year at the helm. The Aggies turned in another mediocre year to finish 7-5 (4-4 SEC) and hired Duke coach Mike Elko to replace Fisher as head coach. It’s unclear whether Elko will assume the role for the bowl game or Elijah Robinson will close out the year as interim head coach.

A&M has boasted one of the best defensive fronts in the country this season to hold opponents to just 106.7 rushing yards per game. Offensively, the Aggies are down to third-string quarterback Jaylen Henderson and will also be without receiver Ainias Smith due to injury.

Oklahoma State is coming off of a loss to Texas in the Big 12 title game, but still has a chance to reach 10 wins for the eighth time under Gundy. This also marks the 18th straight season that the Cowboys have reached a bowl game under Gundy’s direction.

The matchup between Oklahoma State’s rushing attack and Texas A&M’s defensive front is the one to keep an eye on here. Cowboys running back Ollie Gordon, the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, leads the country with 1,614 yards and 20 touchdowns. He’ll be looking to bounce back after the Longhorns bottled him up for just 34 yards on Saturday.