The Oklahoma Sooners playing in the College Football Playoff at the end of this regular season is no longer just a dream. It's a reality now.
The No. 18 Sooners rocketed their CFP chances with a massive 33-27 road win over the No. 14 Tennessee Volunteers on Saturday night under the lights at Neyland Stadium in primetime. With both top-20 teams entering Week 10 at 6-2, it was a matchup deemed by many as a de facto elimination game for the CFP, but with the win, the Sooners aren't going anywhere just yet.
Sooners send playoff odds soaring after tense Tennessee showdown
According to ESPN's College Football Power Index, the Sooners' playoff chances instantly propelled from 19.6% to 51% with the win. A loss would have dropped their chances to 14% with three games left on the schedule, while Tennessee's odds crashed to just 3%.
It was the perfect win at the perfect time for the Sooners after losing to Ole Miss last week and heading into their final bye week. Not only did they rebound from their second loss, but the outcome also saved the Sooners from a possible three-game losing streak with No. 4 Alabama looming after their bye week.
Now, even with a loss to Alabama in Tuscaloosa in two weeks, the Sooners could still even sneak into the CFP with three losses. However, after going into Knoxville and leaving with a win, there's no doubt the Sooners could also do the same in Tuscaloosa.
After the trip to Alabama, the Sooners finish the season with back-to-back home games against Missouri and LSU. The Tigers will likely be without starting quarterback Beau Pribula and LSU has already fired head coach Brian Kelly.
With just four weeks left, this is when the College Football Playoff conversation becomes serious, especially with the first set of CFP rankings being revealed on Tuesday evening. There's no playoff conversation that will be had from now on, though, that won't include the Sooners after Saturday night.