Brent Venables advocates for elite nonconference matchups in college football

Oklahoma head coach Brent Venables expressed support for scheduling high-profile nonconference opponents despite the increasing difficulty of maintaining such series. The Sooners are currently preparing for a matchup against Michigan in Ann Arbor, a game arranged 12 years ago. Venables stated that these challenging early-season contests assist in player development, provide recruiting benefits, and prepare the roster for the demands of SEC competition. While the evolving college football and the structure of the College Football Playoff may discourage programs from scheduling difficult nonconference games to protect their playoff resumes, Venables hopes Oklahoma maintains the practice. The Sooners, ranked No. 11, view these matchups as a primary way to test the team against blue-blood programs before navigating a rigorous conference slate.

• 2:01 PMYahoo Sports — Brent Venables hopes elite nonconference games won’t go away