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Oklahoma football: Hooray for ESPN’s Heather Dinich

By Chip Rouse

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 12: (L-R) Host Mike Greenberg, talent Jalen Rose, and VP of studio production Bill Wolff of 'Get Up' speak onstage during the ESPN portion of the 2018 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 12, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 12: (L-R) Host Mike Greenberg, talent Jalen Rose, and VP of studio production Bill Wolff of 'Get Up' speak onstage during the ESPN portion of the 2018 Winter Television Critics Association Press Tour at The Langham Huntington, Pasadena on January 12, 2018 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images) /
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Oklahoma football fans rejoice! ESPN college football reporter Heather Dinich has gone on record saying the Big 12 will get two teams into this season’s College Football Playoff.

On Wednesday morning’s ESPN “Get Up!” program, popular host Mike Greenberg introduced the topic of which conference is likely to get two teams into the playoff this year and Dinich shocked the universe by declaring it was the much-maligned Big 12.

A debate quickly ensued as Greenberg drew longtime SEC homie Paul Finebaum into the conversation, but not before advising Dinich that she needed to prepare herself to be the object of “great derision and scorn” on Finebaum’s program later that afternoon on ESPN Radio.

“Hey, take a number,” she told Greenberg, “right behind the Ohio State fans.

"“I am on the Big 12 bandwagon,” Dinich said, “and it’s because of Iowa State.“I think they have a chance for a really special season,” she said, “and it’s because they have two Heisman hopefuls on their roster — not one but two — in (QB) Brock Purdy and (RB) Breece Hall.”"

The assumption, of course, is that Oklahoma is the other Big 12 team she is touting, although she didn’t come right out and say it.

Dinich conditioned her forecast, however, saying her theory could get blown up when Iowa State hosts Iowa in the second game of the season. “If they (Iowa State) can get by them (Iowa), then bring it on,” she said.

Finebaum suggested that Dinich must be affected by global warming or some such. “She’s been flying too much lately and has totally lost her perspective,” he snickered.

Finebaum, who graduated from Tennessee and is a longtime supporter and advocate of SEC football immediately took exception to Dinich’s surprising projection, saying if any conference is going to get two teams in the playoff it has to be the SEC. And he went on to tag Alabama and Georgia as the likely candidates.

ESPN’s Football Power Index puts both Oklahoma and Iowa State in the top five of teams with the best chance of making the College Football Playoff this season:

1. Alabama: 76 percent

2. Oklahoma: 73 percent

3. Clemson:  65 percent

4. Ohio State: 45 percent

5. Iowa State: 41 percent

The only way Oklahoma and Iowa State would realistically oth make it into the playoff is if they both make it to the Big 12 Championship game and they split the two games against each other. If either team wins both games, the losing team will be eliminated from playoff consideration. Iowa State plays at Oklahoma this season on Nov, 20.

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