The College Football Playoff committee is supposed to consider strength of schedule when making its final decision on the playoff bracket. Some argue they didn’t do that a year ago when keeping Texas out of the playoff after losses to Georgia, Ohio State, and a four-win Florida team that fired its head coach midseason.
One of the hot debates over the last year is whether a three-loss team could make the playoff. I have my doubts. But that’s one of Blake Toppemeyer’s bold predictions for the 2026 college football season for USA TODAY Sports.
SEC coaches are skeptical that an extra conference game will benefit their playoff interests, but it should increase the possibility of a 9-3 team qualifying for the bracket. – Toppmeyer, USA TODAY Sports
I’m skeptical too. Not because a three-loss team wouldn’t necessarily be deserving, but because they haven’t put a 9-3 team in over a 10-2 team yet. It’s certainly a bold take, but he believes the Sooners could also be a beneficiary of it.
Or, what about Oklahoma? The Sooners will play four preseason top-10 teams, including Georgia and Texas in the first half of the season. A 9-3 Sooners resume might be worth a look. – Toppmeyer, USA TODAY Sports
The preseason top 10 teams that Oklahoma will face are Georgia, Texas, Texas A&M, and Ole Miss. If Oklahoma were to go 1-3 against that group of teams, they would certainly have an argument for those being “quality losses.”
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To avoid the 9-3 bubble, Oklahoma would have to go at least 2-2 in those games and then 8-0 the rest of the way with a schedule that includes Michigan, Missouri, South Carolina, a road trip to Florida, and games against Kentucky and Mississippi State.
For Oklahoma, it’s pretty simple. Win 10 games, and you’re in the playoff. The difficulty of the schedule will support that. 9-3 may have you in the debate depending on who the losses are to. But the only way to guarantee you punch your ticket to the postseason is to take care of business.
Preseason US LBM Coaches Poll
released Aug. 4, 2026
|
Rank |
School (Record) |
Points |
Last Season’s Rank |
|
1 |
Ohio State (12-2) |
1,741 |
6 |
|
2 |
Oregon (13-2) |
1,637 |
4 |
|
3 |
Georgia (12-2) |
1,591 |
5 |
|
4 |
Texas (10-3) |
1,544 |
13 |
|
5 |
Notre Dame (10-2) |
1,524 |
11 |
|
6 |
Indiana (16-0) |
1,522 |
1 |
|
7 |
Miami, FL (13-3) |
1,409 |
2 |
|
8 |
Texas A&M (11-2) |
1,174 |
8 |
|
9 |
Oklahoma (10-3) |
1,104 |
10 |
|
10 |
Mississippi (13-2) |
1,096 |
3 |
|
11 |
Alabama (11-4) |
1,050 |
9 |
|
12 |
Texas Tech (12-2) |
1,034 |
7 |
|
13 |
LSU (7-6) |
951 |
NR |
|
14 |
USC (9-4) |
838 |
21 |
|
15 |
BYU (12-2) |
781 |
12 |
|
16 |
Michigan (9-4) |
719 |
22 |
|
17 |
Penn State (7-6) |
463 |
NR |
|
18 |
Tennessee (8-5) |
428 |
NR |
|
19 |
Washington (9-4) |
406 |
NR |
|
20 |
SMU (9-4) |
378 |
NR |
|
21 |
Utah (11-2) |
313 |
14 |
|
22 |
Iowa (9-4) |
291 |
17 |
|
23 |
Clemson (7-6) |
235 |
NR |
|
24 |
Houston (10-3) |
194 |
19 |
|
25 |
Missouri (8-5) |
158 |
NR |
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This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Could the Oklahoma Sooners realize USA TODAY Sports Bold Prediction?
