The last and only meeting between Oklahoma and Michigan had a national championship on the line, though that wasn’t known until right before kickoff.
Not long before the start of the Orange Bowl on New Year’s Day 1976, Oklahoma learned that UCLA – as a two-touchdown underdog – had polished off top-ranked Ohio State in the Rose Bowl. Combined with a Texas A&M loss to Southern California at the Liberty Bowl in late December, the Sooners suddenly had a path to back-to-back championships under coach Barry Switzer.
Advertisement
Oklahoma beat Michigan 14-6 behind 282 rushing yards and a combined 23 tackles by brothers Lee Roy and Dewey Selmon.
Oklahoma running back Tory Blaylock (6) runs past Illinois State linebacker Mason Kaplan (14) during the second half at Gaylord Family-Oklahoma Memorial Stadium.
Almost a half-century later, the Sooners and Wolverines meet on Saturday with lower national stakes — you can’t win a championship in September, though you can lose your shot at one. But the fallout from the game in Norman has the potential to shape the College Football Playoff, especially in determining which and how many teams the Big Ten and SEC place in the postseason field.
“It’s going to be a really cool matchup,” said Oklahoma coach Brent Venables. “Two incredible programs that represent all the excellence in college football.”
Advertisement
With many top playoff contenders taking on Group of Five or Championship Subdivision competition, the matchup will have the nation’s attention as the only ranked pairing on Saturday’s schedule.
These are the factors at play:
An SEC and Big Ten playoff referendum
There’s no doubt the result on Saturday will eventually be used as an influential data point for the playoff when comparing the SEC and Big Ten.
The two power leagues placed seven teams in last year’s debut 12-team field and should have at least that many in this season’s bracket. After some controversy stemming from the initial model, the playoff has moved to a straight-seeding model that issues a bye to the four highest-ranked teams rather than the highest-ranked conference champions.
Advertisement
Should the SEC and Big Ten have multiple teams in contention for the top four spots, as expected, what happens on Saturday could be used as a tiebreaker of sorts for the playoff selection committee.
For example, consider a scenario where Michigan beats Oklahoma on the road. Should Ohio State and Georgia finish as conference champions with identical records, an Ohio State win against the Wolverines — this has actually happened before, believe it or not — could be the final piece that gives the Buckeyes the top seed and an easier matchup in the quarterfinals.
When it comes to Michigan and Oklahoma in particular, the victor could have a season-long advantage in the race for an at-large playoff berth, as long as the loser doesn’t flop in conference play.
1 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 30: Oregon football fans show their support before the game against at Autzen Stadium.
1 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 30: Oregon football fans show their support before the game against at Autzen Stadium.
2 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 30: Air Force Falcons mascot The Bird dances with members of the U.S. Air Force Academy’s Drum and Bugle Corps before the game against Bucknell at Falcon Stadium.
3 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 30: Georgia mascot Hairy Dawg enters Sanford Stadium at the dawg walk before the start of the game against Marshall.
4 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 30: Navy Midshipmen cheerleaders perform during the game against the Virginia Military Institute Keydets at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.
5 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
6 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
7 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 30: Actor Matthew McConaughey poses for a photo before the game between Ohio State and Texas at Ohio Stadium.
8 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 30: Fans head toward the stadium before the start of Indiana’s game versus Old Dominion at Memorial Stadium in Bloomington, Indiana.
9 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 29: Colorado Buffaloes cheerleaders pose for a picture before the game against Georgia Tech at Folsom Field.
10 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 29: Dukes Mayo mascot, Tubbyy, hangs out during the game between Charlotte and Appalachian State at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. App State won the game, 34-11.
11 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 29: Michigan State mascot Sparty takes the field ahead of the game against Western Michigan at Spartan Stadium in East Lansing, Michigan. Michigan State won the game, 23-6.
12 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 29: Kansas Jayhawks mascot Little Jay hangs out on the sidelines during the game against Wagner at David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium. Kansas won the game, 46-7.
13 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 28: The Oklahoma State Cowboys band prepares to take the field prior to the game against Tennessee Martin at Boone Pickens Stadium.
14 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 23: Kansas State cheerleaders pose for the camera during the Aer Lingus Classic between Iowa State and Kansas State at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
15 / 15
Colllege football fanfare: Cheerleaders, mascots, fans at games during 2025 season
Aug. 23: College football fans arrive before the Aer Lingus Classic between Iowa State and Kansas State at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, Ireland.
Pressure on Brent Venables and Sherrone Moore
The pressure on Venables is obvious. After going 6-7 last year, the former Clemson defensive coordinator is one of two Oklahoma coaches in the past century to have two losing seasons.
Advertisement
“I’ve been incredibly disappointed that we haven’t been able to give more reason for celebrating and excitement with our end product,” Venables said. “But I’m motivated by that.”
This year’s team seems vastly improved offensively after two major offseason additions, both from Washington State: quarterback John Mateer and offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle. Mateer had over 400 yards of total offense and four touchdowns in the 35-3 win against Illinois State to open the season.
Saturday will be the first of seven matchups for Oklahoma against teams in this week’s US LBM Coaches Poll. Taking four of these games should make the Sooners a valid at-large option for the playoff; winning five would make them a virtual lock.
The Wolverines are currently slated to take on just two ranked teams in Oklahoma and Ohio State. But that could make Saturday even more important: Michigan won’t have the same opportunities to make up ground in the playoff race and would need to avoid any slipups against a series of second-tier Big Ten teams.
Advertisement
“It’s why you come to Michigan,” Moore said. “It’s probably why you go to Oklahoma, right? I mean, those are the type of games that you want to be a part of and games you remember. Obviously, every game is important. But yeah, playing against Oklahoma, one of the winningest programs in college football, is huge to us.”
And while his job security is more secure compared to Venables, second-year coach Sherrone Moore is still under scrutiny for his part in the sign-stealing scandal that recently drew a hefty fine and penalties from the NCAA.
He’s set to take a two-game suspension after the Oklahoma game, spanning matchups against Central Michigan and Nebraska. To lose on Saturday and then be sidelined for two weeks would open Moore to heavy criticism inside and out of Ann Arbor.
John Mateer vs. Bryce Underwood
These are two quarterbacks with dramatically different paths to Saturday night. Mateer was a lightly recruited prospect who was picked out of relative obscurity by former Washington State assistant Eric Morris, who is now the head coach at North Texas.
Advertisement
After serving as the backup in 2023, Mateer exploded onto the national scene last year with nearly 4,000 yards of total offense and 44 touchdowns, the most by any Bowl Subdivision quarterback.
Mateer is “a gunslinger,” said Moore.
On the other hand, Michigan freshman Bryce Underwood was the top-ranked quarterback in the past recruiting cycle. A former verbal commitment to LSU, he flipped to the Wolverines last November and then won the starting job over transfer Mikey Keene during preseason camp.
In his debut, Underwood completed 21 of 31 throws for 251 yards and a touchdown without an interception in the Wolverines’ 34-17 win against New Mexico. The Lobos probably aren’t a good barometer for what to expect against the Sooners, who gave up just 34 passing yards on 1.7 yards per attempt in the season opener.
Advertisement
Buy-in moment for both teams
The Sooners and Wolverines have earned plenty of off-the-radar hype as legitimate playoff contenders, though this faith is tempered by a wait-and-see approach for two teams that have yet to prove themselves against elite competition.
That makes Saturday a type of buy-in game that alters the national perception of both teams — potentially skyrocketing the winner up the rankings while knocking the loser out of the Top 25 entirely.
The hesitancy to jump on the Sooners’ bandwagon stems from the program’s thud of an SEC debut. That Michigan is currently seen as no better than the fourth-best team in the Big Ten can be attributed to Moore’s uneven first year and the lack of experience under center.
Advertisement
But the conversation around the Sooners and Wolverines will change after Saturday night.
The Sooners have to “focus on each other,” Mateer said. “Just stay off the phone because they’ll say a lot of good and say a lot of bad and you’ve just got to focus like it’s any week. And it’s awesome. Like, embrace how cool it is because you only get so many opportunities. But also know you’ve got to play the game.”
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: MIchigan-Oklahoma clash has CFP and SEC, Big Ten implications