Tim Brando makes compelling case for Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma still having shot at CFP
By Keith Farner
Published:
Tim Brando has long been a promoter of “brand names” in college football holding sway over how bowl games and the College Football Playoff are setup. Now after Oklahoma suffered its first loss of the season, the FOX broadcaster has bucked the trend of many pundits who have written off the Sooners.
“If you’re sleeping on teams with one loss, Oklahoma, Georgia, you better start thinking again, because the Sooners are not done,” Brando said. “Not by a long shot, and that’s even with the skid by Texas. The reason? They’ve got the name recognition. They have the cache, and they have the quarterback that everyone wants to see that’s a part of the Heisman race.”
Brando said he believes Oklahoma is glad Baylor is undefeated, and hopes it stays that way leading up to their Nov. 16 meeting.
“Who’s to say, they won’t have to beat them twice?,” Brando said, referring to the Big 12 championship. “Chances of that happening are real.”
Out West, Brando said Utah is a team to watch even though it lost to Southern Cal because the Utes have a favorable schedule when compared to Oregon.
Brando added that the unquestioned No. 1 team is Ohio State, and QB Justin Fields should be a Heisman contender.
“College football today, yeah, the currency is tradition and history,” Brando said, “and the cache comes from the pure Playoff privileged that have the big names. But right now the team that’s playing like it deserves a big name is Ohio State. But those teams with one loss still have a very good chance of getting to the four hole.”
Brando said there are as many as nine teams worthy of the College Football Playoff.
A former newspaper veteran, Keith Farner is a news manager for Saturday Down South.
