Rece Davis names Oklahoma among six teams on the CFP bubble

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Oklahoma Sooners head coach Brent Venables has brought excitement back to Oklahoma football after leading the team to the College Football Playoff last season. The Sooners went 10-3 and possessed one of the best defenses in the sport.

Now, they enter the 2026 season ranked as a top-10 team in college football, hoping to return to the playoff, but this time advance all the way to the national championship. While Venables proved last year he can lead a team to the playoffs, he still has more to prove to show he's built a perennial playoff contender.

ESPN "College GameDay" host Rece Davis said he feels that Oklahoma is one of six teams he has on the bubble for the playoff this season.

"The SEC had five last year," Davis said via the 'College GameDay Podcast.' "I've got them with three. I think when we get to that final day, if I'm making that prediction now, I've got six teams potentially in the mix… those six teams: Ole Miss, Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Alabama, BYU and SMU."

Davis' projection puts Oklahoma in a crowded group of teams fighting for playoff positioning. The Sooners are joined by Ole Miss, Texas A&M and Alabama among the SEC teams he believes could still be in the mix when the regular season comes to an end.

That doesn't guarantee Oklahoma a playoff spot, but it does show how much the program's perception has changed under Venables. After making the playoff last season, the Sooners are no longer viewed simply as a team trying to get back into the national conversation.

Davis' projection ultimately puts Oklahoma where Venables wants it: in the playoff conversation entering the season rather than chasing it from the outside. The Sooners now have an opportunity to turn that preseason respect into another playoff appearance and establish themselves as one of the SEC's long-term contenders.

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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Rece Davis names Oklahoma among six teams on the CFP bubble

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