The Oklahoma Sooners spent much of Friday in limbo over whether they would play the Ole Miss Rebels as scheduled on Saturday afternoon. Then, just past midnight, it was revealed that the game would be moved to Sunday at noon CT due to flight delays caused by the FAA implementing a nationwide ground stop that halted all departing U.S. flights.
Oklahoma and Ole Miss is the only game in college football that was moved to Sunday. Some teams flew after the ban was lifted Friday night, while others flew out Saturday morning. However, the Rebels are doing neither. On top of that, other schools chose to take a bus to their games; the Rebels also declined. In total, it's about an eight-hour drive from Oxford to Norman, meaning they could have arrived
late Friday night or early Saturday morning.
Because of that, Oklahoma athletic director Roger Denny released a statement blasting the SEC and Ole Miss. In fact, Denny said SEC commissioner Greg Sankey said the Sooners will either play on Sunday or forfeit.
— Roger Denny (@Oklahoma_AD) November 14, 2026
Those comments struck ESPN's Paul Finebaum the wrong way. Finebaum said he believes Ole Miss did everything it could and that Denny is just trying to pander to an already upset fan base.
“First of all, I understand the frustration, and none of us really know what happened to Ole Miss, but I believe that the administration at Ole Miss did everything they could,” Finebaum said. “What I don’t think is correct is Roger Denny, the athletic director there, pathetically pandering to his fan base at midnight to try to cover up whatever, I don’t know."
“But Mr. Denny, the commissioner of the Southeastern Conference, made a decision for the entire conference and for the safety of everyone. He’s not concerned about what you’re doing with your fan base. And what Roger Denny has been doing all year is pandering to his fan base.”
Finebaum continued by saying that he thinks what Denny did is "unbecoming" of a college football leader.
“And what is really against the code of the SEC to call out a commissioner during a national crisis and emergency. He’s thinking about himself and his fan base, who are already on tenterhooks because of the season. And I think he is dead wrong. And quite frankly, I think it’s unbecoming of a leader in college athletics or anywhere to do what he did.”
Finebaum's criticism adds another layer to an already unusual situation surrounding Saturday's matchup. With the game now scheduled for Sunday, both programs must adjust their preparation and make the most of the extra time. They also now have to prepare for some sloppy weather that wouldn't have affected the game on Saturday.
But the disagreement between Denny and Finebaum also highlights the frustration surrounding how the postponement was handled, particularly from Oklahoma's perspective. Ultimately, the focus will have to shift back to football once the teams take the field.
Oklahoma still has an opportunity to earn a big conference win, while Ole Miss is trying to keep its playoff hopes alive. The circumstances leading up to kickoff have certainly been controversial, but the Sooners will need to put that aside and be ready to compete when the game finally gets underway.
Contact/Follow us @SoonersWire on X (formerly known as Twitter), and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Oklahoma news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jaron on X @jaronspor.
This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Paul Finebaum blasts OU AD Roger Denny for 'pandering to his fan base'
