Is Oklahoma bowl eligible? Looking at Sooners' postseason chances after big win
The Oklahoma Sooners were able to beat the then-No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide 24-3 on Saturday as they improved to 6-5 overall and just 2-5 in conference play. It marked, arguably, the biggest upset on a weekend that was seemingly filled with them, particularly in the SEC.
The Sooners have had an up-and-down year in their first season in the SEC as they had been on a four-game conference losing streak. Despite their struggles, they were able to pull off a shocking win that may have ended the Crimson Tide's College Football Playoff hopes.
Here's a closer look at whether or not the recent win was enough to earn Oklahoma a berth to a bowl game.
Is Oklahoma bowl eligible? Looking at Sooners' postseason chances after big win
The Oklahoma Sooners are officially bowl eligible after their 24-3 upset victory over the then-No. 7 Alabama Crimson Tide. The Sooners improved to 6-5 with the win, ensuring they will have a postseason game following the regular season. FBS teams must finish with at least six wins and a winning percentage of at least .500 to earn bowl eligibility, with only one win against an FCS opponent counting towards those numbers.
Oklahoma's path to a bowl game appeared to be in danger as they were unable to win against conference foes. The Sooners began play with three straight wins over non-conference opponents as they beat the Temple Owls, Houston Cougars and Tulane Green Wave. While they reached as high as No. 15 in the AP Top 25 Poll, it was mostly all downhill from there.
They began their SEC schedule with a home loss to the Tennessee Volunteers. While they bounced back against the Auburn Tigers, Oklahoma suffered an embarrassing blowout loss to their rival Texas Longhorns. That marked the beginning of a three-game losing streak as they suffered another blowout loss, on their home field, to the South Carolina Gamecocks before falling to the Ole Miss Rebels.
They were able to get back in the win column against the FCS-level Maine Black Bears in Week 10. The Sooners followed that up with another loss to an SEC opponent, the Missouri Tigers, as they fell to 5-5.
While its postseason hopes – and potentially Brent Venables' job security – appeared to be in jeopardy with the Alabama Crimson Tide and LSU Tigers on its schedule over the final two weeks, Oklahoma secured its bowl eligibility with Saturday's big win.