Oklahoma Sooners score massive win for College Football Playoff hopes without even playing a game

Oklahoma's CFP destiny is in their hands

Heading into the weekend, it looked like the field for the at-large bids the Sooners were gunning for was a crowded group. BYU, Texas Tech, Oregon, Utah, Notre Dame, Texas, Utah, Virginia, and Louisville are all ranked around Oklahoma in the latest CFP rankings. However, the field cleared up for Oklahoma with the various losses teams had around them.

BYU losing to Texas Tech almost all but . The only way they have a chance at getting in is to win out and beat Texas Tech in a rematch in the Big 12 Championship game, something I am very skeptical they can do. They do not have the strength of record, schedule, or even the eye test to warrant a spot as an at-large. If they lose again at all, they are completely eliminated.

The ACC took itself out of the picture, practically all but assuring they will only be a one-team bid. Virginia and Louisville went down, losing to Wake Forest and Cal respectively, all but eliminating them from the CFP conversation. The quality of the ACC this year is so downtrodden, and if it wasn't for an auto-bid for a conference champion, they wouldn't have any team in the conversation right now. Georgia Tech could do a lot if they beat Georgia in a few weeks, but they are currently the only one-loss team in the ACC.

Other peripheral teams on the outside looking in also lost this week, narrowing the competition even more for Oklahoma. 20th-ranked Iowa lost to Oregon in a close 18-16 game at home, putting them at 6-3 on the season. 22nd-ranked Missouri lost to Texas A&M, giving them three losses. Washington also went down, getting upset by the lowly Wisconsin Badgers, taking out a second Big Ten team.

As it stands right now, the CFP picture looks something like this:

1-4: Ohio State, Indiana, Texas A&M, Alabama/Georgia
5-12: Georgia/Alabama, Ole Miss, Big 12 winner, ACC winner, Oregon, Notre Dame, Texas, Oklahoma, Utah, Texas Tech (if they lose in Big 12 Championship game)

Oklahoma completely controls their destiny with this. If they pull off a win over Alabama or keep it a close loss and then win out the rest of the season over Missouri and LSU, they're likely in thanks to the ACC and Big Ten taking themselves out this weekend.

If Texas loses to either Georgia or Texas A&M to close the season, that would be their third loss, and I don't believe they have the strength of record over the Sooners, even if they have the head-to-head win. If they lose to both, they are out completely. BYU dropping a game to a 6-3 TCU squad or on the road against the 7-2 Cincinnati Bearcats would be a massive favor as well.

Regardless of how the rest of the season unfolds, the door is wide open for the Sooners to make their first appearance in the College Football Playoff under Brent Venables and their first since 2019. The ball is completely in their court, thanks to the events of Week 11. Win, and you're in.

This story was originally reported by A to Z Sports on Nov 9, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add A to Z Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.