MIRAMAR, Fla. -- Oklahoma athletics director Roger Denny said he's still looking for more clarity from the College Football Playoff on how strength of schedule metrics will be evaluated when seeding the postseason, but playoff expansion could be a route to scheduling tougher nonconference games and, ideally, a return of the Sooners' rivalry series against Oklahoma State.
"It's huge for our state and our fans," said Denny, who took over as OU's AD on Feb. 15. "We've said pretty openly that's something we think is important to Oklahoma -- the state, not just the institution. So if we have a way to [play Oklahoma State] in a way that doesn't limit our opportunities [in the playoff], certainly that's something we'd want to look into."
SEC coaches and ADs peppered playoff administrators with questions about metrics used for filling out the field, a concern exacerbated this year as the league moves from an eight- to a nine-game conference schedule. When the SEC agreed to play the additional conference game, there was an assumption by most that playoff expansion to 16 was forthcoming. That hasn't happened, and now the Big Ten is leading a charge for a 24-team field, with one selling point being a supposed incentive for playing more high-quality nonconference games.
"What we're seeing right now is a lot of difficulty in comparing strength of schedule, strength of record, things like that between the conferences," Denny said. "So for us to take one thing to lead to another, which is scheduling more difficult opponents, we've got to have trust that that's going to be reflected in the selection process. I think the CFP and that group are working really hard to make sure that they can build that trust, but that's got to be part of it, and so I wouldn't commit to it either way. We've got to know that that will be rewarded for doing that."
Oklahoma and Oklahoma State -- then called Oklahoma A&M -- first met on the football field in 1904 and have played 118 times, with their last game coming in 2023. When the Sooners moved from the Big 12 to the SEC, the rivalry hit pause.
While Denny said he's hopeful the game can be renewed, he said he's had no direct conversations with Oklahoma State about Bedlam's future.