8) OKLAHOMA SOONERS (10-2)

It was unclear how good Oklahoma would be this season. We know for sure they’ll be different on offense, but the improvement wasn’t all that great due to the offensive line still being an issue, the run game not being consistent unless QB John Mateer ran the ball himself, and the passing game being hit-and-miss because of the circumstances I just mentioned above. However, this defense in Year 2 is even more stone-cold terrifying than last season’s.

Compared to last season where they averaged only 19 points in SEC play, they slightly improved to 21.5 points allowed per game. Most of it was created by the defense impacting the game with season-high sacks, pressuring the backfield, forcing turnovers at a high clip (and scoring), and special teams impacting the game in the middle of the season. The offense did enough to get by, but there’s still work to be done to help John Mateer and the offense’s overall productivity. However, defeating Michigan, overcoming hostile environments in back-to-back weeks at Tennessee and Bama, and doing enough against Missouri and LSU proved that they’re resilient, tough, gritty, and will find ways to be in winning position as long as John Mateer is healthy and the defense is mostly intact. If Oklahoma can figure out their offense during their time off, they could be a dark horse National Championship contender.

7) TEXAS A&M AGGIES (11-1)

Texas A&M came in with some CFP expectations, but not after Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, and Ole Miss. Their schedule was doable, and their defense was still reasonably good. As for their offense, they picked up a few key transfers, including NC State receiver KC Concepcion. Quarterback Marcel Reed turned out to be the missing piece that A&M needed to take a step forward. They looked like a balanced offense with a dangerous run game led by 4 to 5 different runners, including Reed himself.

However, their season took an interesting turn where they won 11 games with just 1 loss to Texas at the end of the season. But in the middle of those 11 wins, they could’ve lost 3. They defeated Notre Dame in a shootout, defeated Auburn in a barn burner and defeated South Carolina in an unbelievable 4 touchdown comeback in the first 20 game minutes of the second half. They seemed like the most adaptable team in the nation before Texas took them down in the 2nd half of the game. A&M has the roster to compete with just about anyone in the CFP, but could the Texas loss help them or hurt them psychologically?

6) OLE MISS REBELS (11-1)

Ole Miss had playoff expectations this season and met them. They took care of their schedule while overcoming some obstacles, but they managed it and still did their job to win. They have the roster on all sides to make things complicated for opposing teams to keep up with. Whether it’s a healthy Austin Simmons or Trinidad Chambliss, the quarterback position has proven to be a dangerous position for Ole Miss up to this point and will continue to be a dangerous position in the postseason.

With everything in front of them to potentially make a deep run, there’s one problem: no Lane Kiffin. How does this affect their overall roster mindset and productivity without him? Whatever happened behind closed doors prior to Kiffin leaving, this becomes a serious matter in whether Ole Miss will be mentally ready for their first CFP appearance or not. Again, they have the talent and experience to make a run. But we’re going to find out which type of Ole Miss we’ll see when they take the stage at home against their first CFP opponent.

5) OREGON DUCKS (11-1)

Oregon may have lost in the CFP as an overall seed last year, but they seem built enough to make a return. The offense looks completely different, but as dangerous as usual no matter who the coach or quarterback is. Dante Moore and the offense matured as the season wore on and looked like a team that no one should underestimate. Defense looks much more formidable and can really make life heck for any opposing team…except Indiana for now. Linebacker Bryce Boettcher commands a defense that allowed over 20 points only 3 times this season. Opposing offenses facing Oregon’s defense better have a grade A or higher offense or it’ll be a long day in Autzen and maybe neutral sites.

Oregon didn’t have that much of a tough schedule liked they previously expected, but it didn’t mean they weren’t tested. They had challenges at Penn State after giving up a 10-point lead in the 4th quarter, but they gave them their first loss and became the first team to break Penn State altogether. However, they followed up by falling short against Indiana after being outplayed. Then they had to overcome Iowa at Kinnick to finally show some maturity in the face of adversity. They even outplayed USC in the trenches and silenced the noise at Washington to clear out their schedule strong for a CFP return. If we’re looking at a team that’ll be a hard out, that team is Oregon.