College football rankings: What Oklahoma’s OSU loss means for Cincinnati, Notre Dame and more

For the first time since 2014, Oklahoma State beat rival Oklahoma in Bedlam. The Cowboys couldn’t have picked a better year to finally break the losing streak.

With a 37-33 win over the Sooners, Oklahoma State not only knocked the Sooners out of the Big 12 championship contest, but also raised hopes of reaching the first-ever College Football Finals. Victory over Baylor #8 in the championship game would make the team the first Big 12 – minus the Sooners – to challenge for the biggest prize in the sport.

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Considering Saturday’s games were on the penultimate weekend of the regular season, several other playoff-eligible teams watched the game unfold in Stillwater with great interest. Chief among them are Baylor, Cincinnati and Notre Dame. With the Cowboys win, the playoff picture becomes a bit clearer as it heads towards the conference championship weekend.

With that, here’s what Oklahoma State’s win over Oklahoma means in the latest College Football Qualifier rankings:

Rank reflects Week 13 College Football knockout round, top 25

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Alabama (11-1)

Previously ranked: 3

Alabama is still alive in the College Football Playoff race after taking Auburn’s best shot, but a 24-22 victory in four rounds ensure the Crimson Tide will remain in the top 4 – if not number 3 in the country – heading into the conference championship weekend. The Cowboys probably won’t usurp Alabama in the penultimate standings, but that could change after the conference title games. The formula remains the same: Win and you win. Lose and you lose.

Cincinnati (12-0)

Previously ranked: 4

The Bearcats might prefer the Sooners to win Saturday, then turn around and lose to Oklahoma State in the Big 12 championship game. As it stands, Cincinnati will remain in 4th place in the country after Friday night’s win 35- 13 before ECU. Here’s what Luke Fickell and Co. looking to happen at the championships weekend: Victory over Houston No. 24 in the American Athletic Conference championship; the victory of No. 1 Georgia over No. 3 Alabama in the SEC Championship; and 8 Baylor’s win over 7 Oklahoma State in the Big 12. If two of those things happen next weekend (one of which has to be a Bearcats win) it’s going to be hard to keep this team out. playoff round .

Michigan (11-1)

Previously ranked: 5

No team had a bigger win on Saturday than Michigan, as beating No. 2 Ohio State 42-27 not only secured a championship spot in the Big Ten game but eased the agony. 9 years at the hands of the Buckeyes. The Wolverines will almost certainly be #2 in the next standings, meaning they’ll face either Cincinnati State, Notre Dame or Oklahoma in the playoff semi-finals if they can beat Iowa in the championship. Big Ten. For now, the Wolverines will revel in their victory in “The Game”.

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Notre Dame Cathedral (January 11)

Previously ranked: 6

Notre Dame left no chance in a 45-14 win over rivals Stanford to end the season. The only thing the Fighting Irish can do at the moment is wait and see if there’s enough chaos to make for an opening playoff. The question is whether the selection committee will move the Fighting Irish up a spot to replace the Wolverines – which will move up to #2 in the latest standings – or whether the Cowboys will jump them. Oklahoma State had a more impressive victory, but Notre Dame had a significantly larger winning percentage. The next leaderboard can tell a lot about what the selection committee does after the championship weekend.

Oklahoma (January 11)

Previously ranked: 7

Oklahoma State beat Bedlam and claimed the Big 12 championship in a rematch with Baylor No. 8. Victory at AT&T Stadium on Saturday will give the Cowboys a great resume to head into a dismal season: 12-1 record, Big 12 championship and two-week win over top 10 teams while their biggest playoff competitor, Notre Dame, beat an underdog Team Stanford and then didn’t compete . The future still lies ahead for Mike Gundy and Co., but they still want to see Alabama lose to Georgia next week, eliminating any possibility that both the Crimson Tide and the Bulldogs could sneak in from the SEC. A loss in Michigan at Lucas Oil Stadium would similarly benefit Oklahoma State.

Oklahoma (10-2)

Previously ranked: ten

Oklahoma State is currently the only team in Group 12 that can challenge for the College Football Round. What’s next for the Sooners? A Tet holiday with 6 bowls is definitely on the table, potentially in the Sugar Bowl or the Fiesta Bowl. But the Sooners’ championship aspirations were over. Look for them to drop a few places – potentially 14th overall – in the latest rankings.