Brent Venables: win games to secure CFP playoff
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Brent Venables told SEC meetings that the only way to control playoff destiny is to win games, citing Oklahoma’s perfect 4‑0 finish in its final stretch.
- Oklahoma entered the first CFP rankings at No. 12 with a 7‑2 record and faced zero margin for error for its last three games.
- Oklahoma defeated #4‑ranked Alabama, #22 Missouri, and LSU in consecutive weeks, securing a first‑round home playoff game.
- Brent Venables argued that playoff expansion adds spots and reduces the fatal impact of a second loss, but still requires on‑field wins.
- CFP selection committee continues to weigh strength of schedule, head‑to‑head results, and other subjective factors, leading to debate over automatic bids.
Why it matters: Teams that can finish the season with a perfect run, like Oklahoma, gain a clearer path to the expanded CFP, while programs betting on committee subjectivity lose leverage; the expansion widens the field but still rewards on‑field victories.
