The Oklahoma Sooners ultimately need to win their final three games to even have a chance at making the College Football Playoff, but just to be sure, there are also other teams that need to be eliminated so they don't get in the way.
At 7-2 and No. 11 in the latest CFP rankings, the Sooners have a do-or-die game against No. 4 Alabama at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday. Although a loss would erase all reason, there are still other teams Sooner Nation needs to root against during Week 12 of the college football season to benefit the Sooners.
THE UPDATED CFP TOP 25 RANKINGS‼️
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No. 10 Texas Longhorns
This is definitely the easiest hate watch for Sooner Nation.
The Longhorns currently have the edge over the Sooners thanks to a head-to-head win in the Red River Rivalry. The committee won't favor OU over Texas until the Longhorns suffer a third loss. That's possible this week, though, with Texas playing No. 5 Georgia on the road at 6:30 p.m. CT Saturday on ABC right after the Sooners face Alabama on the same channel.
No. 17 USC Trojans
With Lincoln Riley leading the Trojans, USC is probably the second easiest program for OU fans to root against, so this will also be easy.
The Trojans are 7-2 like the Sooners, and if both teams win out, it could come down to the committee choosing the Big Ten over SEC. This is also the case for Michigan, but the Sooners beat the Wolverines this season, so should hold the advantage there.
USC has a real chance at losing at 2:30 p.m. CT Saturday on Big Ten Network against No. 21 Iowa, which almost knocked off No. 8 Oregon last week.
No. 9 Notre Dame Fighting Irish
The biggest controversy out of the first two sets of the CFP rankings has been Notre Dame's positioning above OU and Texas. It seems there's barely already an argument, but if the No. 9 Fighting Irish lose to No. 22 Pittsburgh on the road at 11 a.m. CT Saturday, then not even the committee can favor Notre Dame anymore.
No. 12 BYU Cougars
It was a good sign the committee already put BYU below the Sooners after suffering its first loss of the season last week, but OU still has to be worried about the committee eventually putting in a one-loss Big 12 team over a two-loss SEC squad, especially if BYU beats Texas Tech in the Big 12 Championship Game to avenge its only loss.
To just negate all that, the Cougars need to lose another, starting with TCU at 9:15 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN.
Florida Gators
The Gators are far from playoff contention and don't even have a head coach, but a Florida loss to No. 7 Ole Miss at 6 p.m. CT Saturday on ESPN still benefits the Sooners.
The Sooners' biggest argument right now is strength of schedule with losses to Texas and Ole Miss. Obviously OU wants Texas to lose again, so the Sooners need that loss to Ole Miss to remain as strong as possible. Also, Florida beat Texas earlier this season, so if the Gators also upset Ole Miss, then that's just another advantage the Longhorns have over the Sooners.