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Ohio State Football: 4th and Short, questions for Week 10

By Blake Biscardi

BATON ROUGE, LA - SEPTEMBER 29: Quarterback Joe Burrow #9 of the LSU Tigers throws the ball during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Tiger Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images)
BATON ROUGE, LA - SEPTEMBER 29: Quarterback Joe Burrow #9 of the LSU Tigers throws the ball during the game against the Mississippi Rebels at Tiger Stadium on September 29, 2018 in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. (Photo by Marianna Massey/Getty Images) /
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DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 06: Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the 2018 AT&T Red River Showdown at Cotton Bowl on October 6, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX – OCTOBER 06: Kyler Murray #1 of the Oklahoma Sooners during the 2018 AT&T Red River Showdown at Cotton Bowl on October 6, 2018 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

Q: Texas is out. Can Oklahoma win out and make the playoff?

A: Now that Texas lost for the second time, Oklahoma is the on real shot the Big XII has to send a representative to the College Football Playoff. As it stands at the moment, though, the Sooners need a little bit of help.

The path that is the most clear for Oklahoma would be Notre Dame or Clemson losing. Being an Independent, the Fighting Irish do not have the opportunity to play in a conference championship game, so I believe they need to go undefeated to make the playoff.

Clemson would also have detriments to its resume following a loss. If the Tigers drop a game, how far would they tumble in the polls and would they be able to recover? The ACC is another weak conference that is Clemson and then everybody else, meaning there are not many chances to strengthen their resume aside from the weekly eye test.

Either of those two scenarios playing out would provide for the best winnable debate for the Sooners. However, if Alabama, Clemson, Notre Dame, and Michigan all win out, Oklahoma would be on the outside looking in, in my opinion.

The final scenario where the Sooners could finesse a playoff spot is if the Buckeyes win the Big Ten. Overall, Ohio State’s total body of work would be much better, but how would the committee view the loss to Purdue?

What about games played against common opponents (TCU)? An Ohio State versus Oklahoma debate for the fourth playoff spot would be an intriguing one for the books in the playoff era if a spot comes down to it.

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