Attention College Football Playoff committee -- there's a new #1 team on the College Football Playoff ladder, and they reside in Norman, Oklahoma. Not convinced? Here's 3 Reasons Why Oklahoma Is The Real College Football Playoff #1.
3. Pedigree, Eye Test
This will be the most controversial of the three points, so we might as well get it out of the way. People will plan their entire days around a college football game featuring the Sooners, regardless of who they play. That's casual fans we're talking about, not just Sooner loyalists. When you leave playoff berths and #1 rankings up to the subjectivity of committee members rather than a unbiased mathematical formula, it's only nature for the members to favor the teams they'd rather spend three hours in a recliner watching.
OU football sells tickets. It sells advertising. It screams championships. There truthfully isn't much separating OU from Clemson, Alabama, Ohio State or Notre Dame. All five are worthy CFP contenders. But, combining the eye test of what we've seen during the Sooners' late-season ascent and the fact that Oklahoma football has earned its spot as a big-ticket program, we're leaning towards Oklahoma's pedigree over the boring same olds (Ohio State, Alabama), the relatively unproven (Clemson) and a team who gets by despite playing an underwhelming schedule (Notre Dame).
2. It's How They Win
Oklahoma is different than the other three in the Big 12's fearsome foursome in that they're built to win both shootouts and lower-scoring affairs. Which defense would you take with a season on the line?
TCU? No way.
Oklahoma State? Please.
Baylor? Did you watch the game on Saturday?
OU is the most complete team of an elite bunch in the Big 12, and that's worth something. The defense is far from perfect, but there's enough talent and cohesion there to perfectly complement what has become the most dangerous offense in the entire nation.
1. Degree Of Difficulty
People like to celebrate the SEC as the toughest conference in college football, but has anyone actually looked at the Wild Wild West happenings in the Big 12? We'd take the top four in this conference over anyone else's top four in the nation. You can circle OU's loss to Texas as a case against them, but there's no team in the nation playing better against the best competition in the nation than Oklahoma. That includes Alabama.
Beating Baylor, one of the most celebrate offensive squads in recent college football history, at their own place in prime time is a statement of intent. With marquee games left against TCU and Oklahoma State, it's time to get on the bandwagon now. Everybody else will be joining as the Sooners take care of business against the Frogs and Cowboys.
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