Oklahoma Sooners beat Oklahoma State to win Big 12, secure playoff spot?

Last week the Hawkeyes were fourth in the CFP poll, while the Michigan State Spartans were right on their tails at number 5.

Oklahoma running back Samaje Perine (32) crosses the goal line…

But through that overhaul, Oklahoma has reclaimed its lofty perch among college football’s pantheon. A ranking outside the top four would be a shock, however.

Barring any major upsets, though, the field will consist of Clemson, Alabama, Oklahoma and the Big Ten champion. Mayfield was forced out of last weekend’s 30-29 win over TCU due to a probable concussion, but he returned in style to lead the Sooners to a likely Playoff berth with Saturday’s blowout of Oklahoma State. The only way this gets weird is if North Carolina (unlikely) or Florida (all but impossible) upsets the Tigers or Crimson Tide.

But Oklahoma won two of the three games in convincing fashion, with only the win over TCU at home going down to the wire.

On a day when college football could have been turned upside down with numerous top teams in the nation squaring off, something unusual happened. Next: North Carolina in the ACC championship game Saturday in Charlotte. Oklahoma State can still win its second conference title in five years with a victory. Even with a loss, Clemson could still make a case that it belongs in the playoff. Oklahoma coach Bob Stoops has n 8-2 career record against Oklahoma State coach Mike Gundy…. Multiple media reports have said Iowa State is targeting the 35-year-old coach. In his final regular season game as a Sooner he caught 10 passes for 87 yards and a score. Of course, getting that will require Michigan State to do what no team has done so far this season: beat Iowa. “Now, hopefully and probably, there’s a bigger piece of cake out there that we have to go after”.

The Sooners jumped to third in the poll that matters last week when they soared in the College Football Playoff rankings. A loss by Alabama in the SEC Championship leaves the committee with a hard decision as both teams (and possible Stanford) would loom as two-loss contenders. Victories over Oregon, Michigan and Ohio State offset the one-point upset loss to Nebraska. Any potential scenarios for their inclusion start with both Clemson and Alabama losing their respective championship games.

So here is Oklahoma, which left much of the Big 12 and college football wondering after last season if Stoops would ever get the Sooners back sniffing for the program’s eighth national title. With their own quality win coming against rival MI on Saturday, the chances of that happening are slim.