Sooners still have a chance to make the College Football Playoff

After Saturday's 48-41 loss to Kansas State, Oklahoma coach Lincoln Ril ey said the Sooners weren't unprepared for the road they faced in getting back to College Football Playoff contention, citing the recent history.

And though this loss was different — it came later in the season and without a November schedule that offered plenty of opportunities to make up for the defeat — the chances of Oklahoma getting back into the race aren't as remote as it might seem on the surface.

According to FiveThirtyEight.com, the Sooners still have a 27 percent chance to make the playoff and a 5 percent chance of winning the national title.

The chance of making the playoff is fifth behind only Clemson (86 percent), Ohio State (65 percent), Alabama (54 percent) and LSU (44 percent). Penn State is tied with Oklahoma.

The site gives the Sooners an 83 percent chance of making the playoff if they win out.

Grinch blames coaches, not players' preparations

Oklahoma defensive coordinator Al ex Gri nch said he was surprised by his defense's struggles.

He said he didn't see anything in practice that made him think that a performance like Saturday's was possible.

“I think the easy thing for a coach is all of a sudden go back and say, `We didn't do this, we didn't do that,'” Grinch said. “And I think that's low-hanging fruit. I think we prepared this week. We did not perform up to our standards.

“It comes back to coaches.”

Sooners drop to No. 10 in AP poll

After Saturday' s loss,

Oklahoma fell to No. 10 in the Associated Press poll released Sunday.

The Sooners are one of three Big 12 teams ranked, joining undefeated Baylor (No. 12) and the Wildcats, who are ranked for the first time this season at No. 22.

Texas, Oklahoma State and Iowa State received votes.

At the top of the poll, LSU overtook Alabama for the top spot after the Tigers' victory over Auburn the day before.

Ohio State is No. 3, followed by Clemson, Penn State, Florida, Oregon, Georgia and Utah.

Riley brings back 2017 Baylor memories

When discussing the l ate onside kick ruling that went against the Sooners, Riley brought up Baylor's onside kick in the 2017 meeting with the Bears.

“That was the play that kept coming back to my mind because they engaged our player first and then the ball hit our player ,” Riley said of Saturday' s play. “And it definitely hit him before the 10 yards. But I was certainly under the impression that if they engage your player that there's no illegal touching.”

On that 2017 play, though, the ball wasn't touched before the 10- yard mark. Instead, Oklahoma's Lee Morris engaged a Bears player in a block before the 10- yard mark and the Bears' recovery was upheld.

In Saturday' s game, the So one rs' T re jan Bridges touched the ball before the mark, t hough Riley argued that Bridges had been blocked into the ball.

Officials ruled that wasn't the case.