Oklahoma Sooners inside the top 10 in first College Football Playoff rankings
Oklahoma still has a lot to play for in the 2023 season despite their loss to Kansas. It’s possible if the Sooners were to win out, the stinging defeat may cost them a shot at going to the College Football Playoff. But as things stand right now, Oklahoma can threaten for one of the four spots in the playoff.
As the first iteration of the CFP rankings were revealed on Tuesday night, Oklahoma landed inside the top 10, sandwiched in between a pair of SEC foes that will be on their conference schedule in 2024.
Oklahoma’s biggest rival, the Texas Longhorns, sits at No. 7. The Sooners and Longhorns could be on a crash course for a rematch in Arlington for the Big 12 title.
Outside the top ten, Kansas (21), Oklahoma State (22), and Kansas State (23) give the Big 12 an incredible amount of representation in the initial rankings. The Sooners play their in-state rivals this week. A win would be another boost to a resume that doesn’t have a bad loss and holds a win over Texas.
For the Sooners, it’s about the task at hand. However, it’s hard not to speculate how things may turn out as the last month of the regular season starts this weekend for the Sooners.
Here’s a look at the top 12 teams in the College Football Playoff’s initial rankings for 2023.
Ohio State Buckeyes (8-0)
US LBM Coaches Poll: 3
AP Poll Ranking: 3
Equipped with an elite defense and arguably the nation’s best offensive player in Marvin Harrison Jr., Ryan Day has a talented roster capable of securing a spot in the College Football Playoff.
Georgia Bulldogs (8-0)
US LBM Coaches Poll: 1
AP Poll Ranking: 1
The defending champs don’t feel like the same dominant team from the last two years, but they are supremely talented. Things are starting to come together for the Bulldogs. Overcoming the potential season-ending loss of All-American tight end Brock Bowers will be something to watch as they get closer to a possible SEC championship game.
Michigan Wolverines (8-0)
US LBM Coaches Poll: 2
AP Poll Ranking: 2
Michigan is in a perfect spot. They have been dominant all year. Like every year, their season will be determined by how they respond to the challenge of Ohio State. That game will have seismic ramifications on the CFP playoff picture.
Florida State Seminoles (8-0)
US LBM Coaches Poll: 4
AP Poll Ranking: 4
Florida State has passed several tests to this point in the season. Keon Coleman may be the second-best receiver in the country, and they have a talented defense that can attack the quarterback. For FSU, the ACC’s weakness means they have no room for any slipups.
Washington Huskies (8-0)
US LBM Coaches Poll: 5
AP Poll Ranking: 5
Washington has another chance to add to its resume with a big game against Lincoln Riley’s USC Trojans on Saturday. USC hasn’t looked great, but a Lincoln Riley-led offense can be a problem for any team in the country. Washington has to continue winning and let things take care of themselves.
Oregon Ducks (7-1)
US LBM Coaches Poll: 7
AP Poll Ranking: 6
The Oregon Ducks are in a similar position as the Huskies. Ideally, they’d like to have won that game, but they didn’t. However, they are in a prime spot to continue stacking wins, fight their way to a conference championship game, and improve their chances.
Texas Longhorns (7-1)
US LBM Coaches Poll: 6
AP Poll Ranking: 7
Texas has to find its way to the Big 12 title game and will hope that backup quarterback Malik Murphy can hold down the fort until Quinn Ewers comes back from injury.
Alabama Crimson Tide (7-1)
US LBM Coaches Poll: 8
AP Poll Ranking: 8
Alabama has responded in a big way from a sluggish start. Jalen Milroe is the guy, and the Crimson Tide are putting it all together. An SEC championship is all but certainly a golden ticket to the CFP for them.
Oklahoma Sooners (7-1)
US LBM Coaches Poll: 11
AP Poll Ranking: 10
Oklahoma’s loss to Kansas didn’t end their season, but a promising campaign that likely would’ve seen them ranked ahead of Oregon in these initial rankings will sting if they narrowly miss out come December. Oklahoma can’t worry about it now. They need to keep winning.
Ole Miss Rebels (7-1)
US LBM Coaches Poll: 10
AP Poll Ranking: 11
Lane Kiffin has a formidable team with an offense that knows how to score points. They also own a solid road win against another CFP-ranked team in Tulane.
Penn State Nittany Lions (7-1)
US LBM Coaches Poll: 9
AP Poll Ranking: 9
James Franklin was unable to get over the hump to beat Ohio State despite having one of the better defenses in the nation. However, all is not lost, and Penn State could still play spoiler as Michigan has to travel to Happy Valley in the coming weeks.
Missouri Tigers (7-1)
US LBM Coaches Poll: 14
AP Poll Ranking: 14
Eli Drinkwitz has put together an outstanding campaign at Missouri. It’s hard to imagine they’ll be a real threat to make the College Football Playoff, but they can put themselves into a New Year’s Six bowl for sure. They could shake the CFP picture to its core with an upset on the road over Georgia this weekend.
