The College Football Playoff (CFP) had its penultimate rankings released on Tuesday night and they saw a jump for Oklahoma State that sees them in a prime position to make their first-ever CFP. Oklahoma State is led by star dual-threat Junior quarterback Spencer Sanders. Sanders has thrown for 2,211 yards so far on the season while rushing for 510 yards on the ground and adding 22 total touchdowns. Spencer will feel right at home as the Texas native looks to add to his trophy case at Arlington Stadium on Saturday in his last chance to impress the CFP selection committee.

As far as the committee goes, here is a slight breakdown. First, only the top four teams will make this year's playoff–although they are considering expansion for future years. The committee places an emphasis on Conference championships won, the teams' strength of schedule, head‐to‐head competition, comparative outcomes of common opponents (without incenting margin of victory), and, other relevant factors such as unavailability of key players and coaches that may have affected a team’s performance during the season or likely will affect its postseason performance.

1. Georgia Bulldogs (12-0): vs. Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1) (SEC Championship Game)

Best win: @Auburn. Worst loss: none

2. Michigan Wolverines (11-1): vs. Iowa Hawkeyes (10-2) (Big-Ten Championship game)

Best win: vs. Ohio State. Worst loss: @Michigan State

3. Alabama Crimson Tide (11-1): vs. Georgia Bulldogs (12-0) (SEC Championship Game)

Best win: vs. Ole Miss. Worst loss: @Texas A&M

4. Cincinnati Bearcats (12-0): vs. Houston Cougars (11-1) (AAC Championship game)

Best win: @Notre Dame. Worst loss: none

5. Oklahoma State Cowboys (11-1) vs. Baylor Bears (10-2) (Big-12 Championship game)

Best win: vs. Oklahoma. Worst loss: @Iowa State

6. Notre Date Fighting Irish (11-1) are idle this week

Best win: vs. Wisconsin. Worst loss: vs. Cincinnati

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Three Ways the Oklahoma State Cowboys can make the CFP

To start this off we went with the least likely scenario and went down to the first. Enjoy!

3. Oklahoma State simply jumps Cincinnati and Georgia goes down to Alabama 

This one is unlikely, but it is not out of the realm of possibility. If Cincinnati looks unconvincing in their win this weekend and Oklahoma State looks dominant against a superior Baylor team, that might sway some of the voters' a bit. But, in that situation, they would be looking at Georgia (only loss to Alabama,) Michigan (0nly lost to Michigan State), and Alabama (only loss to Texas A&M) as the for sure three and needing a fourth.

When you compare the resumes of Cincinnatti and Oklahoma State at that point it would be Cincinnatti (undefeated) and Oklahoma State (only loss to Iowa State.) So, when the criteria get broken down like that it becomes impossible to put in four one-loss teams into the CFP and keep out an undefeated conference champion. That makes this the least likely scenario, let's move onto the second most likely.

2. Alabama has an unconvincing loss and the Cowboys win big

With a decent chance of this one happening, we stuck this prediction safely at number two. The path here is that it would be hard for the Committee to put in a two-loss conference-champion runner-up (Alabama) when they have a one-loss conference champion in Oklahoma State sitting right there. That would be a terrible look for the committee.

There is some precedence for teams taking a one-loss conference-champion runner-up into the CFP, but they would cause quite the controversy if they would allow a tw0-loss team into the playoffs, especially considering the amount of importance the committee puts on winning a conference championship.

1. Cincinnati loses to Houston

This is the easiest path for the Cowboys, by far. With Georgia looking like a shoo-in unless they lose big to Alabama and Michigan locked in with just a win, that leaves two spots up for grabs, and the easiest one to get might just be Cincinnati's. The Bearcats do have the big win over Notre Dame to hang their hats on, but they would also be the runner-up of a group-of-five conference.

That most likely is not getting you in, especially considering you have also played the worst schedule out of any of the six–by far and they are already sitting at the fourth spot despite their undefeated record. It is safe to say that Cincinnati needs to win this game very badly and if they go down, all Oklahoma state will need to do is get the win and they would be into the CFP.

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