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Oklahoma football: Sooners 11th in 1st 2020 CFP rankings

By Chip Rouse

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 12: A general view of The College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy before the Head Coaches Press Conference before the College Football Playoff National Championship at the Grand Ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel on January 12, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - JANUARY 12: A general view of The College Football Playoff National Championship Trophy before the Head Coaches Press Conference before the College Football Playoff National Championship at the Grand Ballroom at the Sheraton Hotel on January 12, 2020 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Don Juan Moore/Getty Images) /
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The College Football Playoff selection committee apparently has a higher impression of Oklahoma football than the other major national polls.

The Sooners are ranked just outside of the top 10, at No. 11, in the initial CFP rankings for the 2020 season. Given its two losses, which did come very early in the current season, Oklahoma fans should be happy with the 11 spot in the opening reveal of the Playoff rankings.

It also reflects that the Playoff committee — which, as a matter of full disclosure, OU athletic director Joe Castiglione is a member of — is applying the eye test and not just the season record in evaluating the Sooners.

Oklahoma may be playing the best overall football of any team in the country at this juncture of the season, but unfortunately they are paying the price of a horrific start by Oklahoma standards. Winning its last four games by an average of 36 points, however, no doubt caught the committee’s attention in a favorable way.

Four Big 12 teams made the top 25 in initial CFP rankings, with Oklahoma holding down the highest position. It’s notable that the Sooners are ranked higher than No. 13 Iowa State (6-2, 6-1) which is one of the two teams that owns a victory over Oklahoma this season.

Texas (5-2, 4-2) is No. 17, and Oklahoma State, which lost to OU this past weekend, is No. 23.

This is the first time in four years that Oklahoma has been ranked outside the top 10 in the initial Playoff rankings. The Sooners were ranked 14th in the first week of CFP rankings in 2016. The last three years, they have been ranked 5th in 2017, 7th in 2018 and ninth in Week 1 of the Playoff rankings a year ago.

Looking ahead, the Sooners do not play any other ranked teams this season, except perhaps in the Big 12 Championship. If any of the teams ranked ahead of them lose in the weeks ahead, Oklahoma could move up into the top 10, but probably no higher than eighth. There is also the possibility that one of the undefeated or one-loss teams ranked behind the Sooners could jump them.

There are four more College Football Playoff rankings to come out before the field is set in cement, which leaves plenty of time for chaos.

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