The Newest CFB Playoff Rankings Mean The Big 12 Is Finished

It’s over.

The Big 12’s slim CFB Playoff hopes have ended as its two best teams were ranked Nos. 9 and 10 in the newest CFB Playoff rankings. OU dropped one slot to No. 9. OSU stayed put at No. 10. They finished with a combined 15-1 record against other Big 12 teams, and neither has a shot at making it into the four-team playoff even with a win on Saturday. Why?

Here’s why.

Fifth Rankings: The #CFBPlayoff Selection Committee Top 25 for games played through November 26. pic.twitter.com/tSlBNBS48K

— College Football Playoff (@CFBPlayoff) November 30, 2016

Assuming now the plausible field's down to seven. Pecking order:
1. Bama
2. Clemson
3. U-Dub
4. Ohio St
5. B1G champ
6. Michigan
7. Colorado

— Matt Hinton (@MattRHinton) November 30, 2016

Even if Clemson, Alabama and Washington all lose (improbable), there are other teams already ahead of OSU and OU that will fill the playoff spots. Teams that play games against teams in the top eight that would undoubtedly keep them clear of the Bedlam champ.

In fact, let’s say that very scenario above plays out on Saturday. Let’s say Florida, Virginia Tech and Colorado all win their conference titles.

Alabama would still be in. Ohio State would be in. The Big 10 champion (Wisconsin or Penn State) would be in as both are ranked ahead of OU and OSU currently and play each other. And Michigan or Colorado would be in if Colorado beats Washington (Michigan beat Colorado earlier in the year so good luck with that, committee).

The problem for OSU and OU is Colorado. It is ranked ahead of both of them currently and would have beaten No. 4 Washington and won the Pac-12 title. The Cowboys and Sooners cannot surpass that. OU had a chance if it was ranked ahead of CU this week because it could have feasibly stayed ahead with a huge (yuuuuuuge) Bedlam win. But not now.

So Bedlam will only be for Bedlam and the Big 12 title and a Sugar Bowl berth. A lot, certainly, but not what it could be if there was a clearer path into the CFB Playoff. That’s fine with me, and it’s fine with Mike Gundy. But in the big picture, it’s a bummer of a way to decide a postseason tournament.

Also, I saw this on the playoff and I thought it was great.

The committee is incentivizing losing a division game. They're incentivizing NOT winning the conference. It's bad for college football.

— KilroyFSU (@KilroyFSU) November 30, 2016