Source: app.emaze.com / Oklahoma is 10-1 and once-again in the middle of the CFP conversation. Can the Sooners crash the playoff party once more?

Welcome back all! With the next set of College Football Playoff rankings due to be unveiled tomorrow night, it's the perfect time to take a look at another team profile. Last week I started profiling the contenders that still have a chance to reach the CFP. Utah and Minnesota kicked things off, and today we'll take a look at a fellow 10-1 team in the Oklahoma Sooners.

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Lincoln Riley has his potent offense firing on all cylinders yet again in Norman. Former Alabama QB Jalen Hurts stepped in and has never looked back, turning in a dynamic season as both a rusher & a passer. If it wasn't for a guy down in Louisiana named Joe Burrow, Hurts would be running away with the Heisman trophy (which would be Oklahoma's third straight Heisman winner at QB). As good as the Sooners' O has been, the D has started to show several cracks of late, after seemingly looking like an improved unit early in the season. It sounds like a familiar tune to OU fans, as the Sooners have had an explosive offense, but flat out bad defense over the past couple of seasons. So, what have they accomplished to this point in 2019? Let's take a look at Oklahoma's team profile:

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Source: crimsonandcreammachine.com / Jalen Hurts has been electric at the helm of the OU's high-octane offense. Will the Sooners be able to rally around their star QB and ride his play all the way into the playoff?

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OKLAHOMA (10-1 Overall, 7-1 Big XII)

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Rankings:

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CFP (#9)

AP (#7)

Coaches (#7)

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Schedule

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vs Houston (4-7) W 49-31

vs South Dakota (5-7) (FCS) W 70-14

@ UCLA (4-7) W 48-14

vs Texas Tech (4-7) W 55-16

@ Kansas (3-8) W 45-20

vs Texas (6-5)* W 34-27

vs West Virginia (4-7) W 52-14

@ Kansas State (7-4) L 41-48

vs Iowa State (7-4) W 42-41

@ Baylor (10-1) W 34-31

vs TCU (5-6) W 28-24

*-Game played at the Cotton Bowl

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Points Scored Per Game: (45.3)

Points Allowed Per Game: (25.5)

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Team Statistics (Current National Rank):

Total Offense: (1st)

Total Defense: (31st)

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Efficiency Ratings:

FEI (Fremeau Efficiency Index): (8th)

TE (ESPN.com Team Efficiency): (9th)

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Looking at the Sooners' resume, it is cleair that this team has one of the truly elite offenses in the country. They rank first in the nation in total offense, yards per game, yards per play, and 5th in scoring offense. The efficiency numbers are pretty much in-line with where they have been ranked in the polls over the past couple of weeks right in that 8-9 range. They will most likely move up to #7 in tomorrow night's updated CFP rankings after getting past TCU.

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Source: SI.com / The Sooners' D has started to come a bit unraveled in recent weeks while facing better competition. How much will the 48 points they surrendered in a loss to 7-4 Kansas State come backto hurt them?

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They blew through their first 7 games with relative ease, averaging 50.4 points, while routing opponents by an average margin of 31.0 points in those contests. The red-hot start has cooled a bit since however, as the defense has become a concern once again. As the Sooners have had to face better competition, they haven't looked nearly as formible. In the last four games, they've played teams with a combined record of 29-14 and surrendered 36.0 points per game. Those first 7 games? They played one team with a winning record - 6-5 Texas. So, what does the profile suggest about the Sooners?

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Well, they have one heck of an offense, Hurts is playing at an extremely high & efficient level, but they have struggled a big against better competition. That being said, the resume is good enough to merit consideration, but they just haven't been efficient enough, and quite honestly, good enough defensively to pass a team like Utah. The team efficiency metrics also favor Alabama substantially, even though the Crimson Tide have a much weaker resume overall. A win over a ranked Oklahoma State team this weekend in an in-state rivalry showdown, plus what would be a second victory over a 1-loss Baylor in the Big XII Title game would certainly warrant strong consideration from the committee. I do believe the Sooners will need to root for Oregon to take down Utah in the Pac-12, but the Sooners certainly have a path to the final four.