Oklahoma State should root for Big 12 to replace championship with CFP play-in

STILLWATER In 18 months, six conference wins might be enough to represent the Big 12 in the 2026 College Football Playoff.

While that might seem like a tall order for the Cowboys these days, Oklahoma State hit or exceeded that mark 10 times in Mike Gundys 20-year tenure.

At this point, College Football Playoff expansion feels as inevitable as taxation and could arrive as early as 2026.

The only question is the number of teams (14 or 16) and how the bids get distributed.

Whether the Big 12 wants it or not, the conference seems poised to end up as a 2-bid league with an outside shot at more at-large participants in the right year.

Should this happen, the biggest question for the conference will involve how it decides to award those automatic qualifiers.

Based on reporting from the Athletic, the Big Ten and SEC plan to receive four automatic bids each season.

They have reportedly discussed guaranteeing spots to both conference championship participants, then hosting two play-in games for the final two spots.

People are also reading...

Berry Tramel: OSU came close to getting Bill Self in 2024 coaching search Holland Hall identifies students killed in car crash last week Adult superstore building bought by restaurateur Elliot Nelson, developer David Sharp Should Oklahoma State pay SEC's asking price for second Big 12 playoff spot? Car crash leaves two Holland Hall students dead, one in critical condition Voting open in 2025 Mr.

Inside/Outside and Ms.

Inside/Outside contests Former Clemson assistant weighs in on OUs Wes Goodwin hire, Brent Venables calling plays Dr.

Kayse Shrum resignation leaves open possibility of return to OSU faculty in Tulsa Gov.

Kevin Stitt says relationship with Superintendent Ryan Walters 'not very good at all' Knotty Pig BBQ, Burgers and Chili House closes Former Muscogee Nation gaming division employee admits to embezzling nearly $25 million Schools make plans for snow day Tuesday; winter storm warning in effect tomorrow Unexpected door opened for Sam Landry's path to OU; she tosses perfect game in third start Oklahoma Tax Commission trying to 'recapture' $5 million in private school tax credits OU wrestler, son of WWE legend, joins Sooner football team as walk-on defensive tackle The format would look something like this: No 1.

SEC vs No.

2 SEC; both get in the playoffs No.

3 SEC vs No.

6 SEC; winner advances to playoffs No.

4 SEC vs No.

5 SEC; winner advances to playoffs That would allow six SEC and Big Ten teams to enter the postseason with a chance to earn a trip to the playoffs.

The SEC has also discussed an eight-team play-in format that doesnt guarantee any playoff spots based on the regular season.

In this model, the top two teams face the seventh and eighth-best SEC teams in a winner-take-all game instead of a conference championship.

While those conferences have set the agenda for discussions surrounding the sport, Yahoo Sports reported that Big 12 leadership is also discussing play-in games.

That could be good news for an Oklahoma State program that finished the regular season first or second in Big 12 play only four times in the last 11 years, dating back to the first playoff season.

No other current Big 12 member has finished in conference title territory more than three times since 2014 (Baylor, TCU).

The Cowboys have proved equally great at finishing close to conference title contention.

Oklahoma State has placed fourth or higher in the Big 12 standings seven times since 2014.

No other current Big 12 member has cracked the top four more than five times (Iowa State) since 2014, and even Texas only did so six times.

Even erasing the Sooners and Longhorns from previous standings so everyone can bump up a spot doesn't change who comes out on top.

Oklahoma State still stands alone with a conference-high eight top-four finishes.

What the Big 12 play-in games would have looked like in 2024: No.

1 Arizona State vs No.

4 Colorado; winner advances to playoffs No.

2 Iowa State vs No.

3 BYU; winner advances to playoffs Surprisingly enough, neither of those matchups happened in the regular season Also, fittingly, all four of those teams finished tied with a 7-2 conference record, so these hypothetical games would have allowed the Big 12s best to settle it on the field instead of relying on tiebreakers.

Considering the next three Big 12 teams finished 6-3, the larger 16-team edition may require more from its playoff contenders in the future.

Larger power conferences are still relatively new, but they can create chances for the best teams in conference play to dodge each other.

However, a 5-3 record would have been good enough to finish fourth in both the SEC and the ACC last season, although Ohio State finished fourth in the Big Ten with a 7-2 record.

So maybe the Big 12's middle class just took advantage of a weaker six-team group at the bottom, which finished 5-35 against the conferences top 10 teams.

Since 2014, last season is the only time the conferences fourth-best team finished with seven Big 12 wins, which makes some sense considering the round-robin format the Big 12 used for nine of those 11 years.

However, the average conference win total for the fourth-best team still averaged out to be 5.5 wins because six different times a 5-4 record proved good enough to claim what could soon become a suddenly meaningful fourth spot in the standings.

Automatic qualifiers go against the debate-centric culture that has dominated college football for most of the sports history.

However, it does keep a path to the playoffs alive longer for most teams.

One of the things that were going to continue to prioritize is trying to find ways to make our regular season as exciting as we possibly can, Illinois athletic director Josh Whitman said to the Athletic.

How can we keep as many fan bases engaged into November?" For example, the 2024 Cowboys that came heartbreakingly close to upsetting an undefeated BYU team on Oct.

18th could have returned home to Stillwater with an unlikely but still viable path to a top-four finish in the conference standings.

At the time, only six teams started better than 2-2 in conference play.

Eventual conference champion Arizona State was not among them.

Of course, none of this means anything for 2025.

Oklahoma State will almost certainly have to at least appear in what might be the final Big 12 championship game to even be in the playoff conversation.

Still, considering the Sun Devils run in 2024, it might be foolish to write off any team in the conference if play-in games begin in 2026, considering 10 active members have finished fourth or better in the last 11 years.

Most of the teams who failed to put together at least one such finish recently include two-season members UCF, Houston and Cincinnati, and one-season members Arizona and Utah.

Kansas was the only long-standing member who failed to achieve this in the last 11 years.

What Oklahoma States hypothetical play-in games would have looked like since 2014: 2023: 2.

Oklahoma State vs 3.

Oklahoma 2021: 1.

Oklahoma State vs 4.

Iowa State 2020: 3.

Oklahoma State vs 2.

Oklahoma 2019: 4.

Oklahoma State vs 1.

Oklahoma 2017: 3.

Oklahoma State vs 2.

TCU 2016: 2.

Oklahoma State vs 3.

West Virginia 2015: 2.

Oklahoma State vs 3.

TCU.

This article has been shared from the original article on tulsaworld, here is the link to the original article.