Oklahoma might be this year’s Ohio State

Oklahoma lost to Texas. We’re just going to get that out of the way right now. Had a good laugh? Alright.

Because right now, that loss no longer matters. The third-ranked Sooners dominated Oklahoma State 58-23 on the road Saturday, in what amounted to a Big 12 championship game. And after taking down preseason conference favorites Baylor and TCU in addition to the Cowboys — with two of those three wins on the road — Oklahoma has unofficially clinched the first College Football Playoff spot of the season.

No title game, no problem. The Sooners have proved ever since that Oct. 10 loss they are one of the four best teams in the country. They’re ranked fourth nationally in S&P+, and have outscored opponents by an average of 32.6 points since losing to the Longhorns. The offense ranks ninth nationally with 6.95 yards per play. If the Playoff committee was only deciding on who the best team is right now, it might be hard to keep the Sooners out of the top spot.

Remind you of another team last year?

The same “yeah, but [bad loss]” qualifier also had to be made for Ohio State last year, after the Buckeyes inexplicably lost to Virginia Tech at the beginning of the season. Then the Buckeyes rolled through the rest of the regular season undefeated and dominated Wisconsin 59-0 in the Big Ten Championship Game to make the Playoff. After that, they went and won the whole dang thing.

That’s quite the comparison for Oklahoma to hang its hat on, and it’s one the Sooners made themselves.

The Ohio State comparison makes a lot of sense even beyond the schedule. The Buckeyes defense, while suspect early in the season, turned it on at the end of the year and started playing more consistent. After giving up 38 points to Tulsa on Sept. 19, causing some concern, Oklahoma’s defense hasn’t given up that many points since — not against anyone in the points-heavy Big 12.

Quarterback Baker Mayfield embodies the traits of both J.T. Barrett and Cardale Jones. He can run like Barrett, but he also slings it downfield like Jones does. And while he has a penchant for big plays and escapes when his team is in trouble, he also uses great decisions in the option game to make Oklahoma’s offense one of the most efficient in the nation, according to S&P+.

The running game, like Ohio State’s under Ezekiel Elliott, is particularly explosive, behind the duo of Samaje Perine and Joe Mixon. The two backs combined for 267 yards against the Cowboys, with explosive runs of 68 and 66 yards, respectively.

This might be the most dangerous team in the country. It has playmakers on defense, and no apparent weaknesses on offense. And once the offense gets rolling, it’s almost impossible to stop. That sounds a whole lot like last year’s title winners.