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The first batch of College Football Playoff rankings will get put to the test on Saturday. If teams the committee valued highly go out and perform well, perhaps there’s a certain level of vindication. If the inverse happens, there will undoubtedly be questions. In remarks made after the rankings were revealed, CFP Chair Gary Barta made sure to stress the infancy of the rankings, that these were just a first set and not a final set.
It’s college football. Anything can happen. And, so far this season, chaos has been in abundance.
During an appearance on SportCenter Saturday morning, ESPN’s Kirk Herbstreit offered up 2 teams who, despite not being in the initial top 4, he felt had a strong chance of getting in.
“I have no problem with Oklahoma being down there (at No. 8),” Herbstreit said. “These guys (Cincinnati) should look at that Oklahoma’s in the Big 12. They’re back behind Michigan, sitting down there at 8. So, if I’m an Oklahoma fan, I have to look in the mirror. I have to say, ‘We’re Oklahoma. We’re undefeated. We have brand privilege,’ as people like to say to knock the committee. How is Oklahoma behind Michigan, who just lost, and Cincinnati?
“Have you watched Oklahoma play all year long? Lincoln Riley will be the first one to tell you—we’ve got to start playing 60 minutes of football, our best football. … They can’t have those moments against Kansas or West Virginia, where they just kind of do enough to just win. That’s not going to help them. … I think Oklahoma has a real shot to get into the 4 as well. Remember, we have 5 weeks of football to be played. I don’t see Oklahoma losing. I don’t see Cincinnati losing. I think both of those (Cincinnati and Oklahoma) could end up being in the 4.”
The Sooners sit at 9-0 on the year, 6-0 in Big 12 play. There’s an off-week on the calendar this weekend in Oklahoma, but it sets up a 3-game stretch to close the year that will provide the meat of OU’s resume—at No. 12 Baylor, Iowa State at home, at No. 11 Oklahoma State for Bedlam.
The Bearcats (8-0, 4-0 AAC) host a 3-5 Tulsa team on Saturday, but still have a regular-season game against 7-1 SMU on the schedule and a potential American title game against a currently 7-1 Houston squad.
According to ESPN’s FPI, Oklahoma and Cincinnati have the 3rd and 4th-best percentage chances of making the CFP, at 61% at 57% respectively.
Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.
