STILLWATER — The 2024 college football season approaches with wide-ranging changes across the sport.

But in the locker room of Boone Pickens Stadium, familiarity abounds.

Oklahoma State, ranked No. 18 in the preseason, returns roughly 20 starters from a team that went 10-4 and reached the Big 12 Championship Game.

The Cowboys still have the reigning Doak Walker Award winner, Ollie Gordon II, at running back, and one of the most experienced quarterbacks in all of college football with seventh-year senior Alan Bowman.

The offensive line is full of veterans and the receiver group is loaded with playmakers. The defense has its share of stars, though it is less established than the offense.

Still, in the second year under defensive coordinator Bryan Nardo, growth is expected on that side of the ball.

With some new challengers atop the Big 12 Conference, the Cowboys enter the season with sights set on a third title game appearance in a four-year span. But what will it take to get there?

Here are five key questions to the season for Oklahoma State football:

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Can running back Ollie Gordon II contend for the Heisman Trophy?

You’ll often hear the Heisman referred to as a quarterback award these days, and unfortunately, that’s mostly true. Only four times in the 2000s has the award gone to another position — three running backs and a receiver.

So that means a lot of what Gordon needs to be considered a legitimate contender for the trophy is out of his hands. If he produces at a level like he did last year (he averaged 147.5 yards per game after becoming the featured back in Week 4) Gordon will have the numbers to garner consideration. 

But jumping into the top four, or threatening for the honor, will take team success. Gordon earned some votes last year on a 10-4 squad, but if he has the same numbers on a Big 12 title team that is destined for the playoff when the voting wraps up, his profile skyrockets.

Gordon has all the other tools needed to be considered, from his knack for highlight-reel plays to his magnetic personality in the media spotlight. 

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Where can quarterback Alan Bowman improve in his seventh year of college football?

While his detractors like to point at his touchdown-to-interception ratio of 15-to-14, that stat is only half-meaningful. Bowman had a lot of long passes that moved the Cowboys into the red zone, but were followed by touchdown runs from Gordon.

So the touchdown total doesn’t become bothersome unless the Cowboys are failing to score. And Bowman averaged over 293 yards per game after being named the full-time quarterback in Week 4. 

The only real area of concern is the 14 picks. That’s the number that must improve for OSU to maximize its potential. With another offseason behind him, and another preseason camp to build on, Bowman’s connection with his wideouts should be even stronger, which should help minimize his interceptions. 

How much better will the defense be?

Statistically, the only direction to go is up. The Cowboys ranked outside the top 85 nationally in essentially every key stat category last year, and outside the top 100 in some, like passing yards allowed (123rd out of 130 teams). The context that is missing from OSU’s statistical performance is the in-game changes that led to major turnarounds in games, like the wins over Kansas, Houston and BYU. 

That shows the ability in Nardo to adjust to what he’s seeing on the field. Additionally, as he moves into his second season at the Division I level, Nardo is showing he can mold his 3-3-5 defense to fit the talent of his players. The adjustments made to the scheme in spring will help the Cowboys take steps forward in some key areas of difficulty.

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What is the biggest key to defensive improvement?

It all starts with the pass rush. That’s why you’re going to see Collin Oliver used much more frequently as an edge rusher (more on that in the next question), because he’s the team’s most dangerous player in that situation. Gannon transfer Obi Ezeigbo has shown a quick first step off the line as well, and the veteran core of the defensive line has shown development with players like Jaleel Johnson and DeSean Brown working toward bigger roles.

The pass rush had been such a strong point for OSU’s defense in the 2021-23 seasons that its dropoff last year was a bit of a surprise. Not getting the pressure the Cowboys needed on the quarterback limited their big-play potential and left the defensive backs in tenuous situations that led to deep throws and big pass yardage. 

If the pass rush is improved this season, the defense will be notably better as a whole.

How different will the roles of Kendal Daniels and Collin Oliver be in this defense?

Let’s start with Oliver, who is still going to look like a linebacker at times, but will frequently be a standup defensive end, coming off the edge to use his speed off the line — which is his greatest weapon. Oliver has bulked back up to about 245 pounds, which is a weight he feels he can operate with good speed and agility on both sides of his hybrid role.

Daniels’ role at linebacker is harder to project, because he hasn’t really operated in that manner during games. While he’s still listed as a safety on the roster, Daniels says he’s a linebacker now, and the 6-foot-4, 235-pound redshirt junior has shown the physicality necessary for playing in the box, rushing the passer and taking on offensive linemen on an every-snap basis.

Scott Wright covers Oklahoma State athletics for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Scott? He can be reached at swright@oklahoman.com or on Twitter at @ScottWrightOK. Sign up for the Oklahoma State Cowboys newsletter to access more OSU coverage. Support Scott’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com or by using the link at the top of this page.