Oklahoma weather delayed the inevitable as the Cowboys lost their sixth straight game.

On Saturday, Oklahoma State lost 42-21 to Arizona State, falling to 3-6 overall and still searching for a Big 12 victory. OSU’s loss was delayed between halves for nearly three hours due to lightning.

While the Cowboys have struggled to find success throughout the season, they seemed to turn a corner after their bye week. However, their effort against Arizona State looked much more like the lifeless team that has plagued Stillwater.

Answers to burning questions for OSU homecoming showdown:

At this point, it seems unlikely that OSU will emerge victorious against a conference opponent. That statement can be made solely based on his play over the past two months.

However, the Cowboys’ remaining schedule makes this look like a good bet. OSU finishes the season with games at TCU, at home against Texas Tech and at Colorado.

With TCU looking to secure bowl eligibility next week and Texas Tech and Colorado still fighting to reach the Big 12 Championship, it could be a long November in Stillwater.

After another disappointing performance by the Cowboys, it would be a disservice to the OSU fan base to keep the current staff intact. While Mike Gundy will almost certainly return next season, his coordinators should be different.

Bryan Nardo’s defense has been among the worst in the entire country, and after another embarrassing performance, his time in Stillwater is almost over. Meanwhile, Kasey Dunn has been a longtime Cowboys assistant and it would be difficult for Gundy to let him go. However, his five-year performance as offensive coordinator has been mediocre and he would likely need to fill a different role next season if he stays.

It took nine games, but Mike Gundy finally unleashed Maealiuaki Smith in the closing stages of Saturday’s loss. Smith looked solid, but it’s hard to get much out of that performance considering his limited playing time. He completed one of his two pass attempts for 11 yards and added another 5 yards on his only carry.

Bowman finished the day with 175 yards, one touchdown and one interception while completing 57% of his passes. The seventh-year man has been below average for the Cowboys, and Smith could be a legitimate option to start now that the band-aid has been ripped off.

If the true freshman doesn’t get the nod at TCU, he could be in line to start against Texas Tech after the Cowboys’ second bye week.

Unfortunately for the Pokes, the return home was a failure…literally. America’s biggest team got off to a solid start during the first half, but as the rain moved in, it also drove out many fans.

During the long delay, most fans left the stadium, leaving little energy for the second half. When the teams took the field again, Boone Pickens Stadium was fairly empty. Without any home field advantage to speak of, OSU came out flat and the Sun Devils had no problem pulling away.

READ MORE: Playing time announced for Oklahoma State at TCU

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