Oklahoma was caught in the middle of the CFP committee's most surprising decision

A week ago, the penultimate College Football Playoff Rankings for the 2025 season had Oklahoma in the No. 8 position -- and, importantly, the last available spot to host a first-round playoff game -- with familiar foe Alabama right behind in the No. 9 spot.

Because Alabama had earned a spot in the SEC Championship Game against Georgia, few were thinking that, win or lose in the conference championship on Saturday, the Crimson Tide would remain where they were the week before in the CFP rankings.

But that obviously was not the thinking of the CFP selection committee, which believed that despite Alabama's 21-point loss to Georgia in the SEC Championship, its schedule strength and body of work over the full season was superior to the other teams in the playoff mix (namely Miami and Notre Dame) and that teams should not be penalized for playing in their conference championship game.