OSU Scheduling: The First Timers Club

I was taking a look at our non-conference football schedule at FBSchedules and wasn’t particularly excited by the future. Oklahoma State’s marquee match-ups over the next eight years include home-and-homes with Pittsburgh (2016,2017), Oregon State (2019,2020), Boise State (2018,2021) and Arizona State (2022, 2023). I don’t mean to be insulting, but outside of the opportunity to visit the Seattle and Portland area, none of those get me excited. I like the Boise State games, but not as our marquee “Power 5” opponent.

I thought about doing a “teams I’d like to schedule” post, but decided to take it one step further. I want to see some new opponents. I want to schedule power five teams we’ve never played before. There are plenty available.

(*** Indicates teams who are already on the schedule)

ACC

Boston College

Clemson

Duke

Georgia Tech

North Carolina

NC State

***Pitt

Syracuse

Virginia

Wake Forest

BIG

Illinois

Maryland

Michigan State

Northwestern

Penn State

Rutgers

Wisconsin

PAC-12

California

***Oregon State

USC

SEC

Auburn

Kentucky

Vanderbilt

INDEPENDENT

Notre Dame

We don’t get northeast much. We’ve played most of the Pac-12 and SEC, but not many ACC teams. Here are the teams I would most like to see Oklahoma State play in the non conference.

1. Notre Dame - This one is pretty obvious to me. Notre Dame is one of the most storied and historic programs in college football. It would be a huge game at BPS with a sell-out crowd. Plus the opportunity to visit Notre Dame Stadium? That’s just much too good to pass up.

2. Auburn - Two high powered offenses facing off on the field ... what a show that would be. They’ve been a bit down ever since they reached the National Title in 2014, but Auburn is still a solid SEC team which always looks good on the schedule. Again, that’s a good team that wouldn’t be hard to sell out.

3. Georgia Tech - There aren’t many teams that still run the triple option offense and it would be fun to see it in person. It would be a tricky game to prepare for because it’s not something the coaches and players are used to seeing (especially not in the high flying Big 12). All that aside, however, it would make for an intriguing matchup.

4. Penn State - This one is similar to Notre Dame. Penn State is a historic program with a historic stadium, and Happy Valley would be incredible to visit. They’re not as good as they once were, and yes I know about the scandal. That has nothing to do with these players or coaches. Seeing Beaver stadium decked out in all white would be a sight to behold. Plus, having them in Stillwater could be a lot of fun.

5. North Carolina - I know this is the least likely to happen. We don’t schedule games against former coaches. However, I would love to see Gundy match up against his former offensive coordinator Larry Fedora both at home and on the road. Plus any excuse to visit North Carolina is fine by me.

So, what do you think? Do you agree with my five? If not share your picks in the comments section.