Oklahoma State Injury Report Proves Mike Gundy Was Set Up To Fail Before Hasty Firing

Oklahoma State will play its first college football game without Mike Gundy as head coach in more than two decades on Saturday. The injury report looks rough.

It presents a harsh reality for the immediate future of the Cowboys’ program.

Interim head coach Doug Meacham just wants the college football players who choose to stay in Stillwater during this difficult period of transition to have fun. He also hopes to keep them healthy.

Mike Gundy was fighting an uphill battle.

Don’t get me wrong. Gundy put himself in a position to get fired by losing too many games in a row without showing any signs of life. He did not help himself by taking photos with Oregon fans before, during and/or after a blowout loss in Eugene. His eldest son also helped to crater his father’s career with an ugly rant on social media. It was time.

With that being said, it’s not like Oklahoma State presented Gundy with the necessary resources to win a lot of games in the modern era. And the amount of injuries that piled up over the first three weeks of the season put him at a major disadvantage.

That includes starting quarterback Hauss Hejny, who looked sharp in the season-opener.

The Cowboys were required to release their first official injury report of the year on Wednesday night prior to the start of Big 12 competition. It features 19 players who will not play this weekend, three players who are questionable and five players who are likely going to play even though they are banged up.

I’ll be honest. I don’t know how many of these players would’ve been listed on the injury report prior to Gundy’s ouster. I don’t know if some of the players who are out are choosing to sit out or if they are unable to play. Nor do I know whether those players would be available under different circumstances.

Nevertheless, this initial injury report does not bode well for any head coach in his quest to win games.

Oklahoma State football is in trouble.

There is a non-zero chance that the Cowboys lose every game for the rest of the season. They most certainly will not be favored.

• vs. Baylor
• at Arizona
• vs. Houston
• at Cincinnati
• at Texas Tech
• at Kansas
• vs. Kansas State
• at UCF
• vs. Iowa State

Interim head coach Doug Meacham is thrilled for the opportunity. Oklahoma State is his alma mater.