3 reasons Oklahoma won’t win the national championship this year

2. Oklahoma will not get the benefit of the doubt as a one-loss Big 12 champion

This next point is exactly why getting to Arlington 9-0 in conference play is so important for the Sooners. Frankly, they might be better served losing a head-scratcher to Nebraska than a conference regular-season game. The reason for this is the Selection Committee is not going to put in a one-loss Big 12 champion Oklahoma team as the No. 4 seed unless its absolutely has to.

If Oklahoma goes 9-0 in conference play and beats the No. 2 team in the Big 12 in the Arlington rematch, it will have shown thorough domination of a Power Five conference that should be one of the better leagues this upcoming season. However, a one-loss Pac-12 champion, a one-loss ACC Champion and a one-loss Big Ten champion should get in over a one-loss Oklahoma team.

The playoff is a television product, and we have already seen what a one-loss Sooners team does in the postseason: They do not win! For the sake of fresh blood, the Selection Committee would rather see what a one-loss Oregon, a one-loss North Carolina or a one-loss Wisconsin could do as a Power 5 champion over Oklahoma, all things equal. The benefit of the doubt is completely gone.

Oklahoma has to earn its way into the playoff from here on out in the current four-team format.