Sayonara to the Big 12 in the College Football Playoff

With both Texas and Oklahoma losing today, no Big 12 team is going to college football's version of the Final Four, IMO.

Oklahoma can win out the rest of the regular season and beat either Texas, Baylor or "whomever" in the Big 12 title game and ... no.

Texas is now at two losses and damned near three after needing a last-second field goal a week ago (I first typed "a weak ago") against Mad Hatter Les Miles' Kansas Jayhawks.

Baylor is currently the only conference-undefeated (and overall undefeated) team in the Big 12. Everybody else has two losses outside of Oklahoma. But Baylor still has to play the Sooners, Horns and Longhorn-killer TCU, plus West Virginia. They're losing once at least.

Update, Nov. 1: The Halloween-scary ugly win for Baylor against West Virginia last night underscores that this is still smoke and mirrors for the Bears as much as reality.

TCU looks kind of salty now, but lost to K-State and in a blowout to Iowa State, who lost today to the Cowpokes. And, other than having played the Horns, like Baylor, they face arguably the tougher half of their remaining conference schedule.

There might be some fluke that lets the Sooners in the Big Dance if they win out, but I don't see it.

Most likely option this year is two SEC teams, Clemson and the Big 10 winner. (Sit down, ye Oregon Ducks.)

Update, Nov. 18: Alabama's loss to LSU, plus Tua being out for the year, has knocked it out. But a one-loss Georgia winning the SEC still trumps Oklahoma winning out. And, either Utah or Oregon winning out to win the Pac also would trump the Sooners winning out, IMO, in case LSU wins out and a two-loss Georgia team doesn't cut the mustard. The Big 12 has more ranked teams than the Pac, but both Oregon and Utah are higher than Oklahoma.

OK, what if a two-loss Georgia team (losing to Auburn) beats LSU? Unlikely but not impossible for this scenario to happen. I think you still have two SEC teams.

The Sooners' best chance is Clemson losing. I highly doubt South Carolina beats them in the regular season finale, but Virginia in the ACC title game? They're not that bad of a team.

Update, Nov. 23: Well, well, well. The Sooners win in a fugly game over TCU (I did NOT think Hurts picked up that last fourth down) and ... Oregon loses to ASU. A lot of people think that a Big 12 winning Oklahoma would advance over a one-loss Pac 12 winning Utah, but not over a one-loss Pac 12 winning Oregon. Well, that's out the hole now.

Mike Leach, come on down to the #CFP

With Washington, as well as Michigan and Clemson, losing last week, Big 12 football fans had reason to hope that a one-loss West Virginia (which still doesn't seem like it should be in the conference), or even a two-loss Oklahoma or Oklahoma State, might get into the four-team college football playoff.

Even more so with L'ville getting blown out by Houston Thursday night and eliminating itself from the chase.

But picture this one instead.

FORMER Big 12 coach Mike Leach, removed from Texas Tech's pastures at Lubbock to those of Washington State in Pullman, pulling the deal off instead.

It's very possible.

The Coogs entirely control their own destiny, short of the playoff voters, of course.

They play Pac-12 South leader Colorado this week. Then, the Huskies are on tap for what will decide the North title. The first is on the road; the second at home. If they win both (or just the second, even, but that's out of the playoff picture then), they then would either replay the Buffaloes, or else USC (maybe?) or Utah, for the league title.

Colorado is 12th in the AP poll and 10th in the CFP. Washington is 7th and 6th, respectively, and Utah 11th/12th.

In my book, if a fourth CFP slot is open, winning out that trifecta would put the two-loss Coogs ahead of either Sooners or Cowpokes, and I think it should put them ahead of the Mountaineers.

Plus, wouldn't you like the Eff You angle of Leach being in the playoffs? Yes, yes, yes.

Boomer. Sooner.

Sorry, Texas fans, and yes, it may be "unfair," but folks from Norman will wave to you from Kansas City Saturday night.