Oklahoma State football: Cowboys take hard bowl fall after loss to Baylor

Another loss ended that.

So the Cowboys were sure to fall.

And they did.

Hard.

While tied with four other league teams at 7-5 overall, and actually with tied for third in the Big 12 with Texas at 5-4, OSU slid past them all — Baylor, TCU, West Virginia and Texas Tech — to the league's last slot in the pecking order, the Heart of Dallas Bowl, formerly known as the Ticket City Bowl.

Which begs the question, who did the Cowboys tick off?

A consistent winner with name recognition. Exciting offense. Wins over three of the four teams they're tied with overall. A fan base that's proven to pack up and follow in large numbers.

Yet OSU was passed on and on like some Dirty Santa gift.

All the day's bowl buzz went bust in Stillwater, with the list of those unimpressed by the Cowboys' bowl destination ranging from fans and players on Twitter to the head coach's office.

“Was I surprised that we're in this bowl? Yes,” said Mike Gundy, “because I hear the feedback from (the media) and others that says possible Alamo. And then the system says, after the Alamo, is the Buffalo Wild Wings and then San Diego (Holiday Bowl).

“We finished tied for third in the Big 12. If you're referring to a numbering system based on where you finished in the league, obviously it doesn't matter where you finished in the league.”

The opponent — it's 6-6 Purdue, by the way — hardly registers. The Boilermakers went 3-5 in the Big Ten, finishing fourth in the Leaders Division.

“I don't know a lot about Purdue,” Gundy said, echoing the knowledge of most around these parts.

Oklahoma gets former league rival and Heisman front-runner Johnny Manziel in the Cotton Bowl.