A Sooner Fan’s Guide to the Bye Week
Photo by Jay Biggerstaff of USA Today Sports
So, after 9 long weeks we have finally made it to the Bye week. The Sooners have had their ups and downs during this time, such as coming back from 21 points to beat Texas in the Red River Shootout and not scoring a single point in the first half vs. Kansas…. yeah, that was bad.
But hey! It’s time to sit back, put your feet up, grab a beverage of your choice and watch a good slate of games in college football. So, in this article, I’ll be talking about events such as the college football playoff rankings, games this week, and the rest of the season ahead. I won’t be talking much about individual players, but rather the team in this article.
Take a breather, it’s about to get wild
On the road vs. Baylor, at home vs. Iowa State, and on the road vs Oklahoma State. That’s a hard schedule for anyone in the country to go through at this time of the year, and the Sooners will have to step up and put their inconsistencies aside to show why they are still the top dog in the Big 12.
For the Big 12 championship, it’s simple. Win and you’re in. All three teams left on Oklahoma’s schedule have the best chances of making the game (other than Oklahoma of course) with Oklahoma State being the front runner with a win over Baylor. However, a 1 loss Baylor (to Oklahoma State) and an Iowa State team with just two conference losses (and a win over Oklahoma State) are still not out of the question. But with the Big 12 championship being so far away, it’s better just to focus on Baylor for this week and the next.
With the Sooners future competition talked about. Let’s talk about what most sooner fans have been talking about this week.
The College Football Playoff Rankings
The Oklahoma Sooners came in at No. 8 in the initial rankings of the 2021 CFP Poll. I was very upset at this decision, as while the Sooners have struggled in some games, I believe a 9-0 team like the Sooners should be at least #4. I’m just as angry at the placements of Alabama, Cincinnati, Michigan, and Wake Forest as well. Cincy has proven they are a top 4 team and putting them below 3 one loss teams is absurd. Bama almost lost to Florida, and did lose to Texas A&M, but that is good enough for #2? Michigan has beat no one this year and blew a 16-point lead to Michigan State, again having a loss, but are ranking higher than undefeated Wake Forest and Oklahoma. And let’s be honest, replace the name Wake Forest with Clemson and they are #2 in the nation hands down. This whole committee is biased and changes their criteria between the teams.
But enough complaining, time to look at the positives. All Oklahoma needs to do to make the college football playoff is win. That’s it. Win out, win a Big 12 Championship, and they are in the CFP. At that point, we would have better wins over a potential 1 loss Oregon and Cincinnati should they remain undefeated, as well as a potential 2 loss SEC loser in Alabama, because let’s be honest Alabama can lose 3 games and still be considered for a Top 4 spot.
With that being said, let’s look at some other games around the country and see how they could impact the CFP.
Game of the Week: Auburn @ Texas A&M
Best Case Scenario…. It’s complicated.
So let me explain, as an Oklahoma fan, there are a variety of outcomes that could come from this game that could benefit the Sooners (and the rest of the non-SEC CFP contenders as a whole). Essentially, in the grand scheme of things, one only thing matters with these two teams, and that is Auburn beating Alabama at the end of the year in the Iron Bowl. I could go into a bunch of different “If this happens” and “If that happens” but that would make this article longer than it needs to be. In the end, it doesn’t matter who wins this game, as long as Auburn beats Alabama at the end of the season.
With that being said
Prediction: Auburn beats Texas A&M 31-23
Other Important Games – Rapid Fire edition
Here I will go over some other games of interest that you should pay close attention to this week.
#3 Michigan State at Purdue
We all know what the boilermakers love to do against Top 5 teams. I believe they have a great chance at doing it again and would once again shake up the CFP landscape.
Prediction: Purdue beats Michigan State 35-31
Liberty @ #16 Ole Miss
This is going to be an interesting one for sure. We will either see how legit Liberty is or if the Rebels are frauds this year. I think it’ll be close with the Rebels coming out on top.
Prediction: Ole Miss beats Liberty 28-24
#17 Mississippi State @ Arkansas
Mike Leach at Mississippi State has been very weird. They have been inconsistent at best, and I think going on the road to play an Arkansas team who is searching for another win to rebound after losing 3 of 4, I think the Razorbacks take this.
Prediction: Arkansas beats Mississippi State 42-28
Texas @ Iowa State
To benefit the Sooners, we need Iowa State to win this game so that when we play them (and hopefully win) the victory looks better. Texas has been lackluster, and I think Iowa State is hungry after losing to WVU last week. They get the win
Prediction: Iowa State beats Texas 34-24
#11 Oklahoma State @ West Virginia
A tough road game for Oklahoma State today, but I think the Cowboys take care of business in Morgantown and earn a win.
Prediction: Oklahoma State beats West Virginia 31-14
What other games will you be watching on Oklahoma’s bye week? Who do you think will be the last four teams standing? Let us know in the comments!