Oklahoma Sooners Football: Sooners Drop to No. 9 in College Football Playoff Rankings

After their win against Utah, the resurgent Buffs leapfrogged their old Big 12 tormentors to No. 8 before Championship Saturday. OU and OSU will enter Bedlam this weekend all but out of playoff contention and gunning for a spot in the Sugar Bowl.

A few thoughts on this week’s rankings:

This removed all doubt whether or not Colorado would jump Oklahoma if both teams were to win on Saturday. The Pac-12 champion is safely in ahead of the Big 12 champ with Washington moving into the fourth spot after Michigan’s loss over the weekend.

• Sugar Bowl or Bust - Last week, it looked like Tennessee would probably get a rematch against Oklahoma if the Sooners took care of business against little brother this weekend and the Vols didn’t lose to Vanderbilt in Week 13. But in impeccable Rocky Top fashion the Fightin’ Peyton Mannings blew it against their in-state rivals and will most likely be replaced for New Year’s Six contention by the Auburn Tigers, who finished 5-3 in the conference, 8-4 overall. This would all change, of course, if SEC (L)East Champ Florida beats No. 1 Alabama this we---... just kidding. Auburn, it is. Bring it, Gus.
• Drama still awaits the Big Ten - Outside of an eye-popping shellacking of the No. 4 Huskies, it doesn’t appear that a Pac-12 Championship would loft Colorado above the No. 5 Wolverines, who will sit idle while No. 7 Penn State and No. 6 Wisconsin battle for the B1G Championship. If the Badgers beat the Nittany Lions and Washington is upset, the Fightin’ Harbaughs are in prime position to become the second B1G team in the CFP by way of head-to-head tiebreaker over Wisconsin. Neither B1G playoff participant in that possible scenario would be the conference champion. Can you imagine how mad the SEC would be that they weren’t the first conference to pull this ridiculous shit off?
• A Rivalry Renewed? - It may just be time to renew a rivalry with the Buffs — a home-and-home perhaps? You guys know I would take any excuse for a football weekend in Boulder, especially because OU still owns the Buffs. It doesn’t matter who wins the Pac-12 now, the Sooners aren’t getting into the CFP with a Washington loss or however the hell the B1G shakes out. And I have nothing against the Washington program whatsoever. But I’m still pulling for Colorado this weekend because of Chris Petersen and that one night in the Fiesta Bowl.

All the Sooners need to worry about now is to come out strong from the get-go and beat a very dangerous Pokes team this Saturday. But a Bedlam win and OU has a real chance at winning another Sugar Bowl — not too shabby after a 1-2 start. But let’s be clear Tom Herman wrecked our playoff chances in Week 1. And he is now heading to Texas. Imagine a year from now and a “Big 12 Championship Game” is the only thing in the way of a potential playoff berth for OU — and it’s a Red River Rematch against Big Game Tom. Guess it’s good we got acquainted already.