ESPN's College Football Playoff reveal panel set major CFP stakes for Oklahoma vs. LSU

There’s a lot on the line for Oklahoma as it pertain to the College Football Playoff when it hosts LSU on Saturday to close the regular season. The Sooners stayed put at No. 8 when the latest College Football Playoff rankings were released Tuesday, meaning they would receive an at-large bid in the 12-team field.

That in mind, ESPN analyst Booger McFarland believes a win against his Tigers would likely secure OU a playoff spot. Although the Sooners cannot reach the SEC Championship, their resume to this point with multiple wins against top 25 teams speaks for itself. OU also has a top five strength of schedule according to ESPN.

“I think if you’re Oklahoma, you have LSU coming to your place in Norman with an opportunity to go 10-2,” he said. “You can’t get in the SEC title game. If you beat LSU, I think this pretty much secures them a spot in the playoff.

“It’s not 100%, but it’s pretty close. John Mateer, can they get some consistency out of him and get the offense moving in the right direction? They can’t run the football, but he’s made up for a lot of it.”

Former OU defensive lineman Dusty Dvoracek was also on the CFP rankings reveal show, filling in for Greg McElroy. He was willing to take it a step farther, saying the Sooners might even lock up a top eight seed and, therefore, home field advantage in the first round.

“I think it could secure them a home field playoff (spot),“ Dvoracek said.

Host Rece Davis chimed in to point out that Alabama can reach the SEC Championship with a win in the Iron Bowl against Auburn. That is particularly interesting because it would give the Crimson Tide a chance to earn an automatic bid if they win the conference championship.

However, Oklahoma has a head-to-head win against Alabama this season after claiming a 23-21 victory in Week 12 in Tuscaloosa. That would make things a little more stressful for OU, especially if BYU, which is also below the Sooners, ends up winning the Big 12 Championship and taking another auto bid.

“It’ll be really fascinating to see the head-to-head if Alabama can beat Auburn and get in the SEC Championship game,” Davis said. “Where that would stack up at the end and how they would view that?”

Ultimately, it seems likely that Oklahoma will be in the College Football Playoff if it can just beat LSU regardless of all the things happening around it. Kickoff between the Sooners and Tigers is set for 2:30 p.m. CT on Saturday in Norman.