OMAHA, Neb. (AP) -Oklahoma State never has won a Big 12 title. Rarely have the Cowboys even been a factor in the South Division race.
They're doing their best to change that this season.
No. 21 Oklahoma State goes into Saturday's home game against Texas A&M unbeaten and with lots of mojo. The Cowboys have their first Top 25 ranking in four years, a streak of three straight games with at least 55 points and a fan base that's perking up.
Oklahoma State hasn't had much staying power on the national scene since Barry Sanders and Hart Lee Dykes starred in Stillwater during those 10-win seasons of the 1980s in the old Big Eight.
With a massive facilities project to be completed in 2009, thanks largely to the generosity of billionaire booster T. Boone Pickens, the Cowboys are positioning themselves to challenge Oklahoma and Texas.
This week's national ranking is a sign of progress.
"I'm excited for the Oklahoma State people," coach Mike Gundy said on Monday's Big 12 coaches' teleconference with reporters. "The fans and players have worked hard and the administration has been committed here. We've had a plan in place for several years, and we've got a ways to go. We're taking steps each day, each game, each year in accomplishing our goal."
The school has set a record by selling 40,000 season tickets, and a single-game record crowd of 52,463 showed up for Saturday's 55-24 win over Troy.
Oklahoma State has the nation's top ground game, the third-leading rusher in Kendall Hunter, No. 3 scoring offense, fourth-most efficient passer and a defense that's been good enough to beat the likes of Washington State, Houston, Missouri State and Troy.
"I was amazed Oklahoma State wasn't rated until this week. That's because they haven't beaten notable teams," Texas coach Mack Brown said. "We've seen Oklahoma State for the last couple years, and Missouri and Kansas got all that credit. Oklahoma State is going to be right in the mix of a lot of things."
Oklahoma State, which has never finished higher than third in the South Division, must go on the road to play Missouri, Texas and Texas Tech. The Cowboys play top-ranked rival Oklahoma at home.
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INJURY REPORTS: Oklahoma's Bob Stoops and Texas' Mack Brown aren't big on the idea of conferences issuing weekly injury reports.
