Oklahoma State was among the worst teams in the country last season, but it has an outside shot at being one of the best next season. OSU’s key to building its roster this offseason was gathering players who had seen limited opportunity but showcased talent at larger schools and players who had shown they needed a step up in competition to match their level of play.

College Football Playoff ditches first-round byes for highest-rated conference champions, embraces straight-seeding in 2025.

Instead, the four highest-ranked teams regardless of conference championships won will receive that bye into the quarterfinals. In the case that one or more of the five top-ranked conference champions rank outside the top 12 of the final playoff rankings,