Brent Venables on Oklahoma’s College Football Playoff case: ‘I would love an invitation’

Oklahoma landed at No. 8 in the latest College Football Playoff rankings. After defeating LSU 17-13 on Saturday, the Sooners are essentially guaranteed a spot in the CFP.

Teams seeded 5-8 play at home in the first round of the CFP. After Oklahoma’s win on Saturday, a reporter asked Sooners head coach Brent Venables if he believes his team deserves a first-round home game. Venables remained modest in his answer.

“I don’t even know what that means, you know? I’d just love an invitation,” Venables said.  “I don’t care if it’s on the road. And I say I don’t care, of course I would love to be here, but I spend no time looking at that and I’m going to fight for this or that.

“I don’t know. They’re not listening to me. There’s plenty of things to look at for them to make the decisions they make. I’m sure it’s not easy. Wherever they ask us to play, we’ll show up.”

No team ranked above Oklahoma in the CFP rankings suffered a loss this weekend. Alas, Ole Miss, which is ranked No. 7 in the CFP rankings, will likely be losing head coach Lane Kiffin to LSU. The CFP selection committee could consequently adjust the Rebels’ ranking.

Even if Oklahoma doesn’t climb the CFP rankings, it’ll still receive a first-round home game against the No. 9 seed. No matter what the CFP selection committee throws at Oklahoma, Brent Venables is confident his team can handle it.

“If anything we’re comfortable when it ain’t going great, when it’s tight,” Venables said Saturday. “This is a team that has poise in those moments, being battle tested. I think there’s confidence in the things that we’ve had to go through and overcome. Again, the teams that we’re playing have the ability to punch back so it’s not like we’re going against a bunch of chumps.

“We’re going against elite players, elite coaches and this is a team that’s, again, as we described them, they know how to find a way in those moments and just keep playing, keep throwing punches back. Certainly, it’s prepared us. Every one of these miscues that you have to overcome and we are able to overcome, I think it just strengthens you. Those scars are things that you lean on.”

Oklahoma’s fate is in the CFP selection committee’s hands now. On Dec. 7, the committee will officially reveal the CFP bracket.