Oklahoma State head football coach Mike Gundy and Oklahoma head football coach Brent Venables talk before a Bedlam college football game between the Oklahoma State University Cowboys (OSU) and the University of Oklahoma Sooners (OU) at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Okla., Saturday, Nov. 4, 2023. SARAH PHIPPS/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK

Bedlam Tabbed as Top 25 Rivalry in College Football History

Originally posted on Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI
By Ivan White | Last updated Jul 16, 2025 9:00 PM ET

Bedlam might not be on the schedule anymore, but its incredible history is undeniable.

Last season, Oklahoma State and Oklahoma played through their schedules without facing the other school. The in-state rivalry officially paused after the Sooners made their move to the SEC, leaving the fans in Oklahoma without one of the most special weekends of the college football season.

With both schools unwilling to bend their future nonconference schedules to renew the rivalry, this hiatus could easily span over a decade. Still, the rivalry won’t be forgotten anytime soon.

One of the reasons the rivalry won’t be forgotten is because the Cowboys and Sooners still match up against each other in almost every other sport as they have for many years. Another reason the rivalry won’t be forgotten is the abundance of great moments and the chaotic nature of the football games that have defined the rivalry for over a century.

In The Athletic’s recent ranking of the top 100 rivalries in college football history, Bedlam earned the No. 25 spot on the list. Considering the Sooners own the series lead 91-20-7, this rivalry could easily be discarded as a one-sided battle between a blue blood and a program that has mostly been among college football’s overlooked.

While the Sooners have won the majority of their battles against the Cowboys, OSU won the most important one: the last one. For now, the 2023 win in Stillwater will stand as the most recent matchup between the teams, and thus keep the Cowboys on a winning streak.

Bryan Terry-Imagn Images

Although it’s only one game, it was a symbol of how much the rivalry means and a reminder of what has been taken away as time passes. Oklahoma still has its biggest rival on the schedule in Texas, but OSU is still looking for a way to replace the Sooners on its upcoming slates.

However, it’s impossible to truly replace Bedlam. The Cowboys know how important that battle was every year. Most times, the battle went in Oklahoma’s favor, but on the somewhat rare occasion the Cowboys got the win, there was a celebration in Stillwater that seemed neverending.

While the Cowboys get to celebrate that 2023 win for the foreseeable future, there is still something missing in Stillwater and Norman.

This article first appeared on Oklahoma State Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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