It’s officially debate season for each team’s case for or against inclusion within the College Football Playoff rankings’ coveted top four positions.
For Oklahoma, the case to be made is simple. The Sooners are one of college football’s few remaining unbeaten teams from a Power Five conference.
Other undefeated teams from the Power Five include Georgia out of the SEC, Michigan State from the Big Ten, and Wake Forest from the ACC.
If ESPN’s analysts are the litmus test, though, the Sooners may find themselves on the outside looking in for one of those top four spots when the season’s first College Football Playoff rankings debut tomorrow at 6 p.m. CST.
Only four of 13 ESPN analysts included Oklahoma in their projected top four on their latest College Football Playoff projections.
Georgia and Michigan State were unanimous selections with the ESPN panelists, and Alabama and Cincinnati were included on 11 of 13 submissions.
Andrea Adelson: 1. Georgia, 2. Michigan State, 3. Cincinnati, 4. Alabama
Kyle Bonagura: 1. Georgia, 2. Cincinnati, 3. Alabama, 4. Michigan State
Bill Connelly: 1. Georgia, 2. Michigan State, 3. Cincinnati, 4. Oklahoma
Heather Dinich: 1. Georgia, 2. Alabama, 3. Michigan State, 4. Cincinnati
David M. Hale: 1. Georgia, 2. Cincinnati, 3. Oklahoma, 4. Michigan State
Chris Low: 1. Georgia, 2. Michigan State, 3. Cincinnati, 4. Alabama
Ryan McGee: 1. Georgia, 2. Michigan State, 3. Cincinnati, 4. Alabama
Adam Rittenberg: 1. Georgia, 2. Michigan State, 3. Cincinnati, 4. Alabama
Alex Scarborough: 1. Georgia, 2. Alabama, 3. Michigan State, 4. Cincinnati
Mark Schlabach: 1. Georgia, 2. Alabama, 3. Oklahoma, 4. Michigan State
Paolo Uggetti: 1. Georgia, 2. Michigan State, 3. Alabama, 4. Cincinnati
Tom VanHaaren: 1. Georgia, 2. Michigan State, 3. Cincinnati, 4. Alabama
Dave Wilson: 1. Georgia, 2. Michigan State, 3. Oklahoma, 4. Alabama – ESPN Staff
It will be interesting to see where the College Football Playoff committee places Oklahoma in its first batch of rankings. The Sooners played their most complete game of the season against Texas Tech last weekend, winning 52-21.
There’s an easy argument to be made that the Sooners are a different team with true freshman Caleb Williams playing quarterback as well. Williams is right in the thick of the Heisman Trophy hunt and still ranks as Pro Football Focus’ top college quarterback after passing for 402 yards and six touchdowns vs. the Red Raiders.
While a lower spot in the season’s first CFP rankings ultimately doesn’t decide the Sooners’ fate, it could give us a healthy indication of whether or not Oklahoma needs to finish as an undefeated Big 12 champion in order to feel good about getting in.
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