Greg McElroy makes case for Oklahoma in playoff picture after win vs. Tennessee

Oklahoma went to Rocky Top on Saturday and won 33-27 over Tennessee in a Top-20 matchup that served as essentially an elimination game for the College Football Playoff. That made the Sooners as one of the takeaways of the weekend for Greg McElroy.

OU was one of the ten takeaways from Week 10 for McElroy on ‘Always College Football’ on Monday. That’s as they’re now, with that victory to open November, still in contention to make the CFP.

“The Sooners are still very much alive – and they win what was the playoff game of the week there in Neyland Stadium, going on the road and getting a win like this,” said McElroy.

McElroy was most impressed with the victory because it was a complete team win by Oklahoma. Defense and special teams won the first half, with all of their points in the first and second quarter coming not from their offense with three turnovers forced, the first being a fumble recovered for a touchdown and two of their three field goals made coming after interceptions going into halftime. The offense then finished it off in the second half, with the Sooners scoring 17 more.

“If you’re an offensive enthusiast and you like mistake-free football, this was not the game for you. This was a difficult watch if you like clean football,” said McElroy. “This was a very frustrating performance from Joey Aguilar, and a couple of very costly mistakes. You get a handful of turnovers, the biggest being by the scoop-and-score there and you’re in OU territory, things are looking good, the offense at this point is clicking, really starting to hit your stride on that side of the ball – and, boom, sack…The pick on the post, the interception there that he threw a little bit deeper, intercepted around the goal line? That was a bad decision, man…And then you give Oklahoma three points right before the half. You throw the pick into coverage? I just don’t know what he was thinking. Just a bad decision. And, because of these turnovers, even though Oklahoma was outplayed there in the first half, they were able to turn those turnovers into some points.

“The offense found their stride a little bit there in the second half. John Mateer, I thought, watching him? He looked better in this game. He looked more like himself, didn’t he? Started to see him use his legs a little bit better. He wasn’t as good as maybe he can be, but you saw some movement towards that possibility here in the future. That, I think, was important. So, going into the bye week now for Oklahoma, getting him back to 100%, getting him feeling confident? That’s going to be really, really important.”

Most importantly, though, is that Oklahoma was 7-2 (3-2) overall as they left Knoxville. They kept that third loss of, at least for another week and a half as they go into a bye which is huge considering what their final three games look like, as the Sooners remain in contention for the CFP.

“This was massive because Oklahoma is still very much alive. This was a de facto elimination game in the College Football Playoff. Tennessee, now with their third loss? Probably out, barring something completely unforeseen,” said McElroy. “So, with Oklahoma alive, to survive to get through it, to win the game with defensive opportunism and kicking game? That tenuous position they were in, they now are still going.”