30 games that will eventually decide the 12-team College Football Playoff

Every year, a few games change the scope and brevity of the race towards the College Football Playoff. This year, one game already made a major impact, and these 30 others should give us a look into who will participate in the first-ever 12-team College Football Playoff.

Michigan defensive lineman Kris Jenkins (94) celebrates a tackle against Ohio State. / Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK

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14. Tennessee vs. Oklahoma: Sep. 21

Speaking of mishmash, adding Texas and Oklahoma to the SEC has to be the storyline of the season. Will these two Big 12 powerhouses prove that any big name program can come into the SEC and continue their dominance with the big-money machine on their backs, or will they face a serious dose of humble pie?

Oklahoma seems to be in more dire straights than Texas, who made it to the College Football Playoff last season. The Sooners face a test early, taking on Tennessee in mid-September. Oklahoma kind of has to win this game to set the standard for their season. Oklahoma faces five teams with higher rankings (at this moment) than the Volunteers. So, if they truly have dreams of making it to the Playoff, then the Sooners need this win to give themselves leeway later in the schedule.

The same goes to Tennessee. If they lose this Oklahoma game, do we really think this team is capable of beating Alabama or Georgia? A three-loss Tennessee team is not making the College Football Playoff if none of those wins are against top-10 teams.

The Oklahoma offensive line is scary in a bad way, and Jackson Arnold isn’t necessarily proven, but these are issues that can be fixed (or might not be as bad as we think in the case of the o-line). This offense should still produce, and the defense considers “decent” its floor. Tennessee is insanely talented, but will that lead to wins? Let’s see on September 21st!

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