A nationwide flight ground stop is throwing Saturday’s college football travel plans into chaos, and Ole Miss is the team facing the biggest uncertainty.
The Rebels were stuck on the tarmac Friday before being told to go home, according to CBS Sports reporter Chase Parham. He reported that Ole Miss would try to get out Friday night ahead of Saturday’s 3:15 p.m. matchup at Oklahoma, with the possibility also on the table that the game could be pushed to Sunday.
Parham wrote, “Ole Miss players told to go home and report back at 7 pm. Scuttlebutt is the Rebels will fly out tonight or game could get pushed to Sunday.”
He also noted that, as of now, the SEC has not offered an option to move the game outside its scheduled time. Oklahoma last played a Sunday football game in 2019 against Houston.
A separate post from Parham added, “During the 2021 snowstorm, Ole Miss was told it would be a forfeit if basketball didn’t get to game site on time. But football a far greater logistical challenge.”
Oklahoma State, meanwhile, is in better shape. Texas Tech arrived in Stillwater before the ground stop, and Saturday’s game against the Cowboys remains on schedule, according to CBS Sports reporter Brandon Marcello.
Tulsa’s home game against Florida Atlantic is also in limbo. The Owls are scheduled to play the Golden Hurricane at 2:30 p.m.
Saturday, but they had not left for Oklahoma as of Friday afternoon. The team was stranded on buses at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
The situation is still fluid, and it’s not clear yet how many games could be affected by the travel disruptions.
ESPN’s Pete Thamel said several team flights are caught up in the mess, including Baylor, Kansas State, Utah, Arizona State, Ole Miss, Tennessee and Texas.
In Other News...
Oklahoma State's Breakout QB Just Got Hype He Has To Prove
Drew Mestemakers rise has become one of the more intriguing storylines around Oklahoma State, and now it has reached the national conversation. CBS Sports analyst Danny Kanell moved the Cowboys quarterback to No. 1 in his college quarterback rankings after Mestemakers six-touchdown performance in the win over Kansas State, a showing that only added to the buzz around a player who had already led FBS in passing yards at North Texas.
For Oklahoma State, the attention is welcome, but it also raises the stakes as the season moves into its next test. The Cowboys are bowl eligible and now turn to Texas Tech, a matchup that will give Mestemaker another chance to back up the hype and show that his breakout is more than just a hot stretch. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Heads Into Texas Tech With Another Defensive Concern
Oklahoma State heads to Texas Tech carrying another defensive question, and it starts with the same absence that lingered through last weeks preparation. Linebacker Tate Romney will miss a second straight game because of injury, leaving the Cowboys to adjust again at a spot that already had to be shuffled after the setback against Iowa State two weeks ago.
Five Oklahoma State players are listed out for the matchup, while Texas Tech has three players tagged probable as the teams wait through a week with a little extra uncertainty. The Big 12 is also keeping an eye on possible schedule changes because of a Federal Aviation Administration ground stop that could affect travel, adding another layer to a road trip already complicated by the injury report. [Read more 🡒]
Oklahoma State Wrestling Faces An Early Test That Could Mean Plenty
Oklahoma State gets an early measuring stick Friday night when Nebraska comes to Gallagher-Iba Arena for a college wrestling dual that should tell a lot about where both programs stand this season. The Cowboys opened by blanking Drexel, while Nebraska handled Wyoming in its first outing, and now the tone shifts from getting loose to finding out how much separation there really is between two teams with bigger goals in mind.
The setting should add to it, with a Friday night crowd in Stillwater and a national audience watching on ESPNU, plus streaming options on the ESPN app and Fubo. For Oklahoma State, this is the kind of November dual that can sharpen the edges quickly, even if the bigger picture still stretches far beyond one night. [Read more 🡒]