BREAKING: Oklahoma State Climbs to No. 19 in Updated AP Poll
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The Oklahoma State Cowboys have had one of the most improbable seasons. They started out 2-2 with losses to South Alabama and Iowa State when conference play began. From there, it seemed as if the Big 12 championship was nothing but a pipe dream and being ranked was an afterthought.
After a five-game win streak, the Cowboys found their way into a No. 15 ranking across both major polls. Then, the Cowboys took a 45-3 loss to the UCF Knights. Their ranking took a hit because of the loss, obviously. They nearly fell out of the rankings, but they just held on.
Since the loss, the Cowboys have pulled off two double-digit, second-half comebacks to solidify their spot in the Big 12 Championship game.
With the two wins and a trip to Arlington secured, the Cowboys climbed to No. 19 in the most recent AP Top 25. One could assume their College Football Playoff will reflect a similar ranking, too.
This continues to quantify how good the Cowboys' season turnaround has been. While the AP Poll doesn't hold much weight, it's often similar to the College Football Playoff rankings, and that's important to look at because of the 12-team playoff format coming after this season.
The Cowboys have one last chance to improve their ranking as they take on the Texas Longhorns next Saturday to play for the Big 12 title. If the Cowboys, by chance, knock off the Longhorns for the championship as double-digit underdogs, their rankings could see quite a bit of a jump.
The other ranked Big 12 teams are Texas -- Oklahoma State's opponent for a title game -- at No. 7 and Oklahoma at No. 12, whereas Kansas State was right on the border of being ranked.
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