David Pollack believes OU can make it back to the CFP
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The Oklahoma Sooners made the College Football Playoff in head coach Brent Venables’ fourth season at the helm. Ever since the 34-24 first-round loss to Alabama, OU’s focus has been on how to get back to the CFP, and how to go farther in Venables’ fifth season.
The Sooners were one of 10 Power Four teams to make the playoff last year, as Tulane and James Madison rounded out the field and were promptly taken out in the first round in decisive fashion. One college football analyst thinks Oklahoma can achieve their goal of making a return trip to the postseason this fall.
Former ESPN analyst David Pollack, the host of “See Ball Get Ball with David Pollack“, named four of the Power Four teams from last year’s playoff that he isn’t totally confident in returning to the CFP in 2026.
“I went through the 12-team playoff,” Pollack said. “Obviously, Tulane and JMU, great seasons; get out. I’m not talking about you making the playoffs. If I look at the other guys, almost all of the other guys except for Ole Miss and (Texas) A&M, I’m writing back in pen. A&M, Ole Miss, Alabama and Miami. Those teams I’m not writing back in pen … I’ve got a lot of other ones in pen where I think they’re going to be back.”
With Tulane, James Madison, Ole Miss, Texas A&M, Alabama, and Miami as the teams Pollack isn’t overly confident will make it back to the playoff next year, that means he thinks that Oklahoma, Oregon, Texas Tech, Georgia, Ohio State, and Indiana have a really good chance to return to the CFP.
In the two seasons of the 12-team playoff, there’s been plenty of variety of teams that have made it on the bracket. Boise State, Arizona State, Texas, Penn State, Notre Dame, Tennessee, SMU, and Clemson all made the inaugural 12-team field, but all failed to make it back in 2025. Only Oregon, Georgia, Ohio State, and Indiana have made both 12-team tournaments.
Clearly, making the playoff in consecutive years is no easy task, but the Sooners believe they have the team to do so in 2026. With a lot of production returning and play-callers on both sides of the ball intact from last year, Oklahoma thinks they’ve got what it takes to make back-to-back trips to the CFP.
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: David Pollack says that Oklahoma can get back to the CFP in 2026
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