T. Boone Pickens: CFP committee 'not going to put' one-loss team in over 12-0 OK State, not even Notre Dame

Appropriately, T. Boone Pickens was showing off a 700-page book detailing his family heritage Thursday at his BP Capital Dallas office.

One ancestor was a Revolutionary War general. Another ordered the first shots on Fort Sumter, starting the Civil War.

On Thursday, Pickens was far more comfortable talking history than what might happen if his beloved Oklahoma State football team finishes off an undefeated regular season by beating Baylor on Saturday and Bedlam rival Oklahoma on Nov. 29. Part of the caution is an old athlete guarding against sounding overconfident. Part is the oil, natural gas and stocks tycoon who uses the phrase "Don't look in the sack" to avoid jinxing success.

"We're a long ways from 12-0," Pickens said.

Finally Pickens admitted that 10-0 and what may come is a big deal to him after giving $500 million to his alma mater and funding the major renovation of the football stadium that bears his name. Only Oregon's Phil Knight may be as prominent a booster.

As he sipped an afternoon V8, Pickens wore an Oklahoma State orange sweater, a gift from an ex-wife with the lettering, "We will be competitive." Those were the words he uttered when giving his first major athletic gift to the university.

"When we decided we were going to be competitive -- and we have achieved that -- I said there would be a day we would win the BCS," Pickens said. "At 87, I'm running out of seasons to get there. Sure, the sooner the better. It would be fabulous if we did.

"I'm not sitting here on this Thursday afternoon thinking we're going to win the [College Football Playoff] this year. But it could happen."

Pickens did express faith in Oklahoma State's ability to make the playoffs if the Cowboys run the table and finish 12-0. Currently, Oklahoma State is No. 6 in the CFP rankings, with Notre Dame at No. 4 and Iowa fifth. The Irish are viewed as perhaps the biggest impediment to Oklahoma State or any other Big 12 team.

"Shoot, we will," Pickens said when asked if Oklahoma State would be in. "They're not going to put somebody in with a loss ahead of somebody [undefeated]."

Not even Notre Dame?

"They're not going to put Notre Dame in at 11-1 against us at 12-0," Pickens said. "I don't even think that's realistic."

Oklahoma State saw its BCS hopes dashed in 2011 by a double-overtime loss at Iowa State. Since then, the Cowboys have weathered an NCAA investigation pretty well after an investigative report by Sports Illustrated. The report prompted Pickens to warn OSU officials about the consequences for cheating.

"I'm honest. You're going to be honest," Pickens said when asked about the message. "You embarrass me and I'm out of here."

Pickens also patched up a three-year rift with coach Mike Gundy during a Jan. 28 meeting in Dallas. He remembers the details down to who sat where and said what.

Since then, things have gone remarkably well. Even Pickens, who guessed that Oklahoma State would finish 9-3, has been impressed by narrow escapes against Texas, Kansas State, West Virginia and Iowa State. He loves what Gundy has done with the two-quarterback system and J.W. Walsh's leadership.

After Oklahoma State hammered TCU 49-29, Pickens said he told Gundy: "The offense was good, the defense was good and you outcoached them."

He's just not getting ahead of himself.

"See, I'm living in the past," Pickens said. "I won't go contemporary until Saturday morning."

Twitter: @ChuckCarltonDMN