Ever since the concept of financially compensating student-athletes was introduced to collegiate athletics, some of the nation's top football programs have been placed under a microscope and believed to have bought their way to the top.
Oklahoma State head coach Mike Gundy is one figure in the sport who posits that is true — at least, when it comes to one specific team.
That team happens to be Oregon, the Cowboys' opponent on Saturday.
Gundy engages in war of words, prompting a response from Oregon
Gundy brought up the Ducks' spending habits in a Sept. 1 episode of "The Mike Gundy Show," during which he claimed that Oregon had spent "close to $40 [million] last year alone" on its roster.
"Oregon is paying a lot, a lot of money for their team," Gundy said. "From a non-conference standpoint, there's coaches saying they should [play teams with similar budgets]."
Ducks head coach Dan Lanning was asked about Gundy's comments during his weekly press conference on Monday and offered his stance on the issue.
"If you want to be a top-10 team in college football, you better be invested in winning. We spend to win," Lanning said. "Some people save to have an excuse for why they don't... I can't speak on their situation. I have no idea what they got in their pockets over there."
The amount of money football programs spend on acquiring and maintaining the talent on their rosters isn't explicitly known, but Lanning's response holds weight given Oregon's track record of recent success.
The Ducks have recorded double-digit wins each of the past four seasons. In their first year after leaving the Pac-12, they won the Big Ten Football Championship Game and earned a spot in the maiden 12-team College Football Playoff. Oregon's stay in the national postseason field did not last long, though, as it fell to Ohio State — the team that went on to win the title — 41-21 in the Rose Bowl, which served as a quarterfinals matchup.