The basketball season for the Cowboys has started and not to most fans' liking. The Cowboys are a lowly 9-8 and 1-4 in conference play. The Cowboys were 8-4 before entering conference play and a conference home opener against TCU seemed to have put them in good shape for the rest of the season. The Cowboys are now losers in four straight games and it is not going to get any easier.

Losing by 17 to both Baylor and West Virginia, fans expected a slaughter when they played second-ranked Oklahoma in Stillwater. The Cowboys ended up playing their best basketball of the season despite losing 74-72. They came up short at the free throw line only going 6-12 and the long-range shot wasn't helping either as the Cowboys made only four out of 12 attempts. Next up were the Longhorns in Austin. The Cowboys found themselves in a 23-point hole but battled back in a hard fought game. In the end, it wasn't enough. The Cowboys played hard and well toward the end but it wasn't a game you could put in the win column.

At this point, making the tournament seems like nothing more than just a dream, and the Cowboys need to figure something out. If they want to see their season go into March and maybe even keep their coach, the Cowboys need to start getting wins. I believe Travis Ford is in the hot seat, and not making the tournament could be the end of his reign at Oklahoma State. Unless the Cowboys go on a streak of all streaks, they will have to win the Big 12 tournament for a chance to see March Madness. In my opinion, the Cowboys will need to channel their inner 1984 NC State Wolfpack for Ford to keep his job.

With Kansas coming into Stillwater Tuesday, the Cowboys are in for another tough test. A win here could be great for morale and really give the Cowboys some momentum heading into the home stretch of conference play.