The initial College Football Playoff Rankings of 2026 revealed a lot more than we even expected, including just how loaded the Oklahoma Sooners' schedule is.
The first set of rankings of the season was announced on ESPN on Tuesday evening. It was clear the selection committee is favoring strength of schedule this year, which would be a boost for the Sooners if they had successfully navigated theirs to this point.
Seven teams ranked in the CFP Rankings are on the Sooners' schedule, including No. 2 Georgia, No. 7 Texas, No. 10 Ole Miss, No. 18 Missouri, No. 21 South Carolina, and No. 24 Florida. That means OU has to play nearly 30% of the teams in the top 25 that are seriously contending for a spot in the 12-team CFP bracket. There's also New Mexico, which didn't make the cut yet, but is likely the next Group of 6 team to get in after No. 25 Boise State.
So far, the Sooners are 1-2 against those top-25 teams, with Ole Miss, Missouri, and Florida still ahead. The Gators will host OU on Saturday night in Gainesville. That leaves Texas A&M as the only unranked team left on the Sooners' slate.
Initial CFP Rankings
1. Miami
2. Georgia
3. Utah
4. Indiana
5. Alabama
6. Kentucky
7. Texas
8. UCLA
9. BYU
10. Ole Miss
11. Notre Dame
12. Ohio State
13. Tennessee
14. LSU
15. Texas Tech
16. Wake Forest
17. Houston
18. Missouri
19. Iowa
20. USC
21. South Carolina
22. Arizona
23. Oregon
24. Florida
25. Boise State
Sooners' schedule grew stronger, not weaker, during season, but that still shouldn't matter
Obviously, that gauntlet has beaten down the Sooners, who are 4-4 and officially have no shot at returning to the CFP. At this point, OU fans probably won't even have a reason to turn on the rankings reveal show other than to keep tabs as generic college football fans. Maybe that's somewhat of a blessing, though, not having to get all worked up over Notre Dame being ahead of OU after not playing anybody.
We knew even back in August that the Sooners had their work cut out for them. We also believed back then that they were up for the challenge.
The Sooners' first five games featured three teams ranked inside every preseason poll. Michigan, which beat OU 17-10, has since tanked, but entering Week 10, Texas and Georgia are still CFP contenders as top-10 teams. New Mexico is also apparently a force to be reckoned with, but also not nearly as stout as the Sooners made them look in a narrow 14-6 win.
After that, things were supposed to simmer down for the Sooners, but Kentucky has been maybe the biggest surprise in college football this season as the No. 6 team at 7-1. The Wildcats beat the Sooners 21-13 a week after OU upset Texas in the Red River Rivalry.
Florida has also emerged as an outsider to sneak into the CFP if the Gators win out. Ole Miss is still a threat even without Lane Kiffin leading the way, and Missouri is actually living up to its preseason hype as a top-20 team. The Sooners have to deal with all three during the month of November.
With all that, it's still not an excuse for the Sooners fighting to stay above .500 after entering the season with CFP expectations. This first set of rankings was supposed to matter directly to the OU, not just be used as a way to show how hard life has been.
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