In the final College Football Playoff rankings of the 2017 season, Oklahoma was ranked second, which earned them a spot in the national semifinal game to be played at the 2018 Rose Bowl on New Year's Day. Their opponent was the third-seeded Georgia Bulldogs, champions of the Southeastern Conference. It was the first ever match-up between the two schools. The Rose Bowl winner would go on to play in the 2018 College Football Playoff National Championship.