The Oklahoma State Cowboys received their 2016 Alamo Bowl rings this week, but one detail of the ring stands out more than anything else.
We all remember last year’s Week 2 meeting between Oklahoma State and Central Michigan. And for some die-hard OSU supporters, they remember it for all the wrong reasons. But Mike Gundy still sees things differently, based on the 2016 Alamo Bowl rings that were delivered to the team this week.
For those that may not remember, the Cowboys had a late fourth-quarter lead on CMU. Quarterback Mason Rudolph was flagged for intentional grounding as time expired. The NCAA rulebook states that a play cannot be extended if the foul is by the team in possession, and the statement of the penalty includes loss of down. In this case, it was a fourth-down play to end regulation. By that rule, the game should have ended. But CMU was awarded a free play with no time remaining.
The game should have ended, but CMU was incorrectly awarded a free play with no time remaining. As we know, CMU would connect on an improbable Hail Mary to upset the Cowboys in Week 2. But the new Alamo Bowl rings that the team now has does not reflect that loss. An engravement on the ring reads “11-2” instead of what was officially a 10-3 finish. They would also drop huge Big 12 conference games to Baylor and the always important Bedlam matchup in Norman.
https://twitter.com/BP_State/status/854721778375151617
A school spokesman confirmed on Wednesday that the engraving was not a misprint. Even head coach Mike Gundy refused the loss when he spoke about the game back in November. He said nobody would ever convince him that they didn’t win the game. In fact, the Big 12 officiating team was suspended after the game.
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Granted, the Cowboys should’ve never let the game be decided by a botched call. It’s a valid point, especially given they were trying to get in position to make a run at the College Football Playoff. But as it stands, the rings will remain with two losses forever engraved on them.