Oklahoma and Texas both belong in College Football Playoff conversation

Oklahoma regained bragging rights over Texas on Saturday, but there's a strong chance the Longhorns could get another crack at their biggest rival before next season.

Oklahoma and Texas are not only on a collision course for a rematch in the Big 12 title game; both programs are firmly in the mix for a College Football Playoff berth after the Sooners' thrilling 34-30 win in the rivals' final regular-season meeting as Big 12 members.

Texas secured itself as a contender after its impressive 34-24 road win at Alabama earlier this season. Losing a game it led with 1:17 remaining (as it did on Saturday) won't eliminate it from the field.

The win means much more for Oklahoma than the loss means for Texas. The Sooners were an afterthought in the Big 12 in head coach Brett Venable's first season, finishing 6-7 and allowing 30 points per game (99th in the country) in 2022.

Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel is now also firmly in the Heisman race after his excellent game on Saturday. He finished 23-of-38 for 285 yards and a touchdown while adding 113 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries. Entering Week 6, he ranked fourth in ESPN's QBR metric (89.5).

The Sooners defense is much improved – its goal-line stand early in the fourth quarter the defining sequence in its win over the Longhorns.

Before Week 6, ESPN's Football Power Index gave Oklahoma and Texas greater than a 50 percent chance of reaching the CFP. That shouldn't change because of a close Texas loss.

The Sooners and Longhorns will likely meet again in the Big 12 title game and if they play after each running the table the rest of the regular season, a Texas win should be enough for both to finish in the top four of the final CFP rankings.

As excellent as Saturday's game was, who would argue against a second, possibly a third, helping?