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10 games that will determine the 2020 College Football Playoff

By Cody Williams

STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 30: Running back Chuba Hubbard #30 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys looks for an opening against the Oklahoma Sooners in the fourth quarter on November 30, 2019 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. OU won 34-16. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)
STILLWATER, OK - NOVEMBER 30: Running back Chuba Hubbard #30 of the Oklahoma State Cowboys looks for an opening against the Oklahoma Sooners in the fourth quarter on November 30, 2019 at Boone Pickens Stadium in Stillwater, Oklahoma. OU won 34-16. (Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images) /
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Sam Ehlinger, Texas football (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images) /

8. Texas at Oklahoma (Oct. 10)

The Red River Rivalry always means something to fans of the Longhorns and Sooners and often has major implications for the Big 12 Championship Game picture. That will again be the case in 2020 but, with all of the alterations that have been made to this season throughout the country, the stakes will be even higher when these two rivals meet this season.

Having Texas and Oklahoma play their rivalry game in early October is an interesting wrinkle to the situation. While Lincoln Riley’s Sooners are considered the favorites to win the Big 12 and the best candidate to make the CFP out of the conference, they do have some questions about their team. Namely, they have another new quarterback as redshirt freshman Spencer Rattler takes over. He’s a highly touted prospect but his lack of experience does raise some concerns, even if minor.

Rattler’s inexperience could certainly be a factor in this matchup as Texas figures to have the conference’s best defense this season. Not only are they rich with experience in their own right on that side of the ball but they have NFL-caliber talent at all four levels. If Sam Ehlinger and the offense can take another step forward in the quarterback’s final year, they can compete with anyone.

Make no mistake, Oklahoma is the most talented team in the Big 12 and by far the most proven in terms of their recent track record. Having said that, if they’re going to make yet another trip to the College Football Playoff, they’ll need to survive this early rivalry matchup against the Longhorns. And if Tom Herman’s group was to come away with the win, that might be a catalyst for their own run at the playoff.