Getty Gallery: 5/6
No. 7 Washington State Cougars (AP Poll: 14th)
No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners (AP Poll: 8th)
It is easy to dismiss Washington State as a cute story who finally got to host College Gameday, but the Cougars also have a strong resume. The Cougars have wins over Utah and Oregon. Both teams were ranked at the time they played, but it remains to be seen how much the committee values the Pac-12. Washington State has an opportunity to add another quality win to their resume against Stanford.
Count Washington State head coach Mike Leach among those in favor of expansion. Leach said on the Les is More podcast that he believes the playoff should be expanded to 16 teams.
“They need an expanded playoff system, minimum 16 teams,” Leach said per MSN.com. “I haven’t quite figured out how everybody from rec league softball on down can figure out how to put together a tournament and Division 1 can’t.”
The Cougars have remaining games against Colorado and Washington. Wins in those matchups would give them a bit of a boost along with a Pac-12 title game appearance. Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew has been one of the surprises of the college football season. Stanford head coach David Shaw spoke about what makes Minshew difficult to scheme against.
“This kid’s got active feet,” Shaw told the San Francisco Chronicle. “He’s very quick, and he gets out of trouble. He’s a perfect fit for what Coach Leach does. Quick decision-maker. Great vision. Throws the ball accurately. That’s what Coach Leach wants, and that’s what he’s got.”
Oklahoma Needs to Win Big 12 to Keep Playoff Hopes Alive
The Sooners' best win came against TCU, but they still have some strong opponents remaining on their schedule. Oklahoma's matchup against West Virginia in their final regular season game could be for a spot in the Big 12 title game. Unless pure chaos breaks out, Oklahoma's only chance at a College Football Playoff spot is to win all their regular season games along with the Big 12 title.
Kyler Murray has provided Oklahoma with a seamless transition at quarterback after Baker Mayfield headed to the NFL. Murray gives the Sooners a bit more mobility at quarterback as well. Oklahoma head coach Lincoln Riley spoke about Murray surpassing most people's expectations.
“Before the season, somebody asked in here about the presumption that the production at the quarterback position is gonna drop off,” Riley explained to News OK. “I said, ‘Well, we’ll see.’ I mean, I’ve always thought he (Murray) could be a really good player. I knew he would play well. The stats are what they are. I think more than anything, he’s growing as a player, he’s growing as a leader, he’s handling situations well, he’s got good players around him that he’s learning to use really well, and he’s in synch with a lot of ‘em. And so yeah, I’ve felt the whole time whoever won that battle was gonna be a great situation and had a chance to be a great quarterback for us. That’s just the standard for us right now.”
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College Football Rankings: CFB Playoff Predictions Week 10