Is OU making College Football Playoff this year? Here's how 12-team format works
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After stunning Alabama in Tuscaloosa, OU football‘s chances of making the College Football Playoff greatly increased, and Sooner fans should have their eyes on the CFP Selection Committee’s weekly bracket reveal tonight.
In last week’s bracket, the Sooners were the first team out, ranked No. 11.
The new 12-team format and the selection process have been a big question for fans. How can Oklahoma be No. 11 in a 12-team bracket and still be out? Who decides who’s in and out? Here are some of the most common questions ahead of tonight’s bracket reveal:
Who’s on the CFP committee?
There are 12 people in the College Football Playoff selection committee, including former Nevada head coach and athletic director Chris Ault, Nebraska AD Troy Dannen, Utah AD Mark Harlan, Middle Tennessee AD Chris Massaro, Miami (OH) AD David Sayler, Virginia AD Carla Williams and Arkansas AD Hunter Yuracheck.
Joining them are College Football Hall of Famers Mark Dantonio and Wesley Walls, tenured head coach Mike Riley, former NCAA governance and OU administrator Jeff Long and acclaimed sportswriter Ivan Maisel.
How many teams are selected?
In the new format, the selection committee will rank the top 25 teams, but only the 12 highest-ranked will participate in the College Football Playoff.
What is the selection process?
The 12 participating teams will be the five highest-ranked conference champions and the following seven highest-ranked teams. The five highest-ranked champions almost certainly include the SEC, Big Ten, Big 12, and ACC conference champions.
The remaining champion spot is given to the “Group of Six champion.” The Group of Six refers to the six conferences in the Football Bowl Subdivision that are not considered Power Four, and include the American Atlantic Conference, Conference USA, Mid-American Conference, Mountain West Conference, PAC-12 and Sun Belt.
What that means is that even if OU is ranked 12th, but a Group of Six champion is ranked lower, that champion will get in the playoff, and the Sooners would be the first out.
What is OU’s history in the Playoff?
Since the College Football Playoff’s inception in 2014, OU has made four appearances. Until 2024, the CFP included only four teams. The Sooners have never won a CFP game.
- 2015-16: No. 1 Clemson 37, No. 4 Oklahoma 17 at the Orange Bowl
- 2017-18: No. 3 Georgia 54, No. 2 Oklahoma 48 (2OT) at the Rose Bowl Game
- 2018-19: No. 1 Alabama 45, No. 4 Oklahoma 34 at the Orange Bowl
- 2019-20: No. 1 LSU 63, No. 4 Oklahoma 28 at the Peach Bowl
What is the schedule of games?
This year, the four games in the first round of the CFP will take place on Friday, Dec. 19 and Saturday, Dec. 20.
The winners of those games will face the top four seeds, who automatically qualify for the quarterfinals. The quarterfinals will happen on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
The semifinals will be on Thursday, Jan. 8 and Friday, Jan. 9, with the champion being crowned on Monday, Jan. 19.
When are Bowl and Playoff games announced?
Selection Day for the College Football Playoff will be Sunday, Dec. 7. There will be no re-seeding after the bracket is revealed. The committee releases a weekly bracket every Tuesday, showing how the playoff would look if the season ended this week. Bowl game announcements are usually on the same day.
Isa Almeida is a trending reporter for The Oklahoman. Have a story idea for Isa? She can be reached at ialmeida@oklahoman.com or on X/Twitter at @ialmeidasports. Support Isa’s work and that of other Oklahoman journalists by purchasing a digital subscription today at subscribe.oklahoman.com.
This article originally appeared on Oklahoman: OU football in the CFP? How 12-team format works
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