Why Oklahoma is in better shape to make the playoff than Oklahoma State

It's the Sooners, not the Cowboys, and it always has been.

If Oklahoma wins out the remainder of their regular-season schedule, it stands a better chance of clearing the gauntlet into the College Football Playoff than undefeated Oklahoma State.

The Cowboys have two games left against No. 10 Baylor and the No. 7 Sooners. But even if they go undefeated, the Cowboys still won't make the playoff, because if they're not getting a sniff at 10-0, it won't make a difference if they're 12-0 after beating two lower-ranked, one-loss teams.

But if Oklahoma wins the final game of the season against Oklahoma State, that win will come against a higher-ranked, undefeated team. And the Sooners' 11-1 record will in essence be stronger than the Cowboys' 11-1 record.

Halfway through the CFP rankings, the Big 12 has yet to have a team crack the top four, and with every passing week, the number of undefeated schools in the conference has shriveled from three to one.

So if anything is clear, it's that the Big 12's back-loaded schedule is a test of patience. But the fact of the matter is the committee got it right - there shouldn't be a Big 12 school in the top four.

Prior to this week, the top four has remained unchanged in consecutive weeks only once in the short history of the rankings, Week 13 and 14 of last season.

But beyond the logic and chances surrounding the Big 12's likelihood of placing a team in the playoff, it won't happen if the top four teams fail to falter.