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Oklahoma has done all it can do to make the College Football Playoff.
The Sooners (11-1) crushed rival Oklahoma State on the road last week to win the Big 12. That capped a three-week grind in which the Sooner also took down TCU and Baylor, two teams ranked directly behind UNC in the playoff poll at 11 and 12, respectively.
No team has more victories against current Top 20 CFP poll opponents than Oklahoma’s three. The Sooners also rallied from a 17-0 deficit to beat bowl-bound Tennessee in double overtime in Knoxville.
Saturday, the Sooners will gather around a flat screen and watch the SEC, ACC, Big Ten and Pac-12 fight for its right to make the Final Four.
If Alabama and Oklahoma remain No. 2 and No. 3 when the playoff pairings are announced Sunday (Noon, ET, ESPN), they’ll meet in the CFP semifinals, most likely in Dallas.
Can Oklahoma, with Heisman Trophy hopeful Baker Mayfield leading the nation’s third highest-scoring offense (45.8 per game), threaten Alabama and win it all?
For a look inside the Sooners and their chances, we talked with beat writer Jason Kersey, who covers the program for The Oklahoman.
1. What happened during the Texas game? They gave up 313 rushing yards. Was it a blip or possible blue print for Alabama to expose?
Kersey: That was a weird game all around. I think it was a combination of overconfidence, bad game planning, some personnel that have since been replaced and a really, really motivated Texas team. Offensive coordinator Lincoln Riley really found his groove the very next game after Texas, and the OU offense has been on a roll ever since. On the defensive side, OU has played a lot of teams that are better than Texas and hasn’t given up anywhere near 313 yards.
2. More specifically, is Oklahoma physical enough up front to slow down a big, powerful runner like Derrick Henry?
Kersey: I really believe OU could. The Sooners defensive line is deeper than it has been in years, and linebackers Jordan Evans, Dominique Alexander, Eric Striker and Devante Bond have all had really good seasons. Oklahoma certainly hasn’t faced a running back like Henry this season, but this OU defense does practice against Samaje Perine.
3. Alabama switched up its secondary this season and now has converted cornerbacks at safety. They’re faster, better equipped to deal with tempo. They’re in the top 20 in interceptions and have allowed just 12 TD passes. Baker Mayfield seems to be on another level, though. How will Oklahoma try to attack that secondary?
Kersey: The thing Oklahoma’s offense has done best when it comes to tempo is keep the same guys on the field for several plays at a time. Several of OU’s better playmakers are versatile enough to move around and play in different spots on the field, and even fullback Dimitri Flowers can shift around.
And if the offense doesn’t substitute, the defense can’t substitute.
4. We know how Bob Stoops feels about the SEC. Especially after what happened last year to the Big 12, how sick are Oklahoma fans of hearing about the SEC in general, and Alabama in particular?
Kersey: I think among OU fans, some are tired of hearing about the SEC and Alabama. For others, I think they enjoy the back-and-forth and genuinely enjoy it when the SEC looks bad. I would say Stoops’ various comments about the SEC over the past couple years have endeared him even more to OU fans.
Same thing for Eric Striker, when he questioned the SEC hype machine a few days before the Tennessee game this season.
5. Can you make the case that Oklahoma is the best team in the country?
Kersey: That’s pretty tough to say with any certainty and frankly, it’s not my job to make that case for the Sooners. What I can say is that it would be tough to find a team playing better football at this point in the season than Oklahoma considering its impressive run through November and how well it has played on both sides of the ball.
Will that translate to a national championship? I genuinely have no idea.
I know the Sooners are going to face some tough, tough competition in the playoff, and if that semifinal does indeed end up being against Alabama, that will be one heck of a motivated opponent considering what happened two years ago in the Sugar Bowl.
Managing Editor
A 30-time APSE award-winning editor with previous stints at the Miami Herald, The Indianapolis Star and News & Observer, Executive Editor Chris Wright oversees editorial operations for Saturday Down South.
