The College Football Playoff is an opportunity for 12 teams to chase a national championship. Although, not every team included in the bracket has an equal chance of lifting the trophy.
For some, usually the top four or five teams, you can pencil them into the finals and make a plausible case for them to beat any opponent. Others, you have to get a little creative and chalk their path up to the will of the football gods.
Oklahoma is one of those "others." As the No. 8 seed, the Sooners are the last program to host a first-round contest on campus but face the most daunting path to the national championship after that.
THE 12-TEAM CFP BRACKET IS SET‼️
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What Oklahoma needs to happen to win the CFP
First round: No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 9 Alabama
Hosting the Crimson Tide in Norman will be a reversal of the Sooners' last battle with Alabama earlier this season. Oklahoma toppled the then-No. 4 team in the country 23-21 in Tuscaloosa, which very well may have been the determining factor in giving it a home game this time around in the playoff.
Alabama ran into a buzzsaw against Georgia in the SEC title game, so the Tide are licking their wounds and will have a chip on their shoulder remembering the Nov. 15 bout with the Sooners. However, Oklahoma has four wins against ranked opponents for a reason and its defense - which is allowing just 13.92 points per game this year - is a big part of it.
Quarterfinal at the Rose Bowl: No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 1 Indiana
Now this is where the real challenge begins. Oklahoma's defense can stifle just about any offense but as the Hoosiers demonstrated against Ohio State in the Big Ten title game, they still find a way to win games with few points. That's where the Sooners will have to lean on quarterback John Mateer to overperform.
Mateer has thrown for over 200 yards in seven contests this season and has experience against the Big Ten already. Oklahoma beat then-No. 15 Michigan 24-13 at home back in September. Granted, the Wolverines aren't exactly the best example of Midwest dominance at the moment but it still shows that the Sooners are a serious program. Get past the Hoosiers, and Oklahoma can beat anybody in the bracket.
Semifinal at the Peach Bowl: No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 4 Texas Tech
The Red Raiders serve as a tough opponent for the Sooners but the Big 12 has shown that defense is somewhat optional this year. Texas Tech has been the exception to that as they allow just 10.92 points per game. So, that's where discipline and creativity will come into play.
If Oklahoma can force inexperienced quarterback Behren Morton into mistakes early, the Sooners will have an opportunity to stack points and alter the Red Raiders' game plan. Head coach Brent Venables' secondary is allowing just 192.2 yards per game through the air and if they stick to that script, Texas Tech will have a hard time executing as the pressure mounts.
National championship: No. 8 Oklahoma vs. No. 10 Miami
If it wasn't evident already, the Sooners need some breaks from the football gods to even get this far. But elsewhere in the bracket, Oklahoma needs some massive upsets to happen to face a desirable opponent in the final.
Here, Miami would have to slay a couple giants to make it to the national championship but it's possible (just not likely). The Hurricanes have a porous enough defense for Mateer and Co. to take advantage of despite the final being played at Miami's home field in Hard Rock Stadium. It's an extremely slim path for the Sooners but it's there if the right conditions present themselves.