TCU vs. Baylor: How Bears' Win Reshapes Playoff Picture
Many understood that Saturday's Big 12 showdown between No. 9 TCU and No. 5 Baylor was going to birth a little College Football Playoff chaos, but few could have imagined it would do so through a jaw-dropping 119 total points in the Bears' 61-58 triumph.
It took Baylor 24 unanswered points in the final 11 minutes of the game and 510 passing yards and six touchdowns from Heisman contender Bryce Petty, but the Bears were able to stave off CFP disaster against an upstart TCU program.
As a refresher, here is a look at how The Associated Press Top 25 stood before Saturday's epic showdown to get a better idea of how the inaugural playoff looked heading into the weekend:
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
| 1 | Florida State Seminoles |
| 2 | Auburn Tigers |
| T-3 | Mississippi State Bulldogs |
| T-3 | Ole Miss Rebels |
| 5 | Baylor Bears |
| 6 | Notre Dame Fighting Irish |
| 7 | Alabama Crimson Tide |
| 8 | Michigan State Spartans |
| 9 | TCU Horned Frogs |
| 10 | Arizona Wildcats |
| 11 | Oklahoma Sooners |
| 12 | Oregon Ducks |
| 13 | Georgia Bulldogs |
| 14 | Texas A&M Aggies |
| 15 | Ohio State Buckeyes |
| 16 | Oklahoma State Cowboys |
| 17 | Kansas State Wildcats |
| 18 | UCLA Bruins |
| 19 | East Carolina Pirates |
| 20 | Arizona State Sun Devils |
| 21 | Nebraska Cornhuskers |
| 22 | Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets |
| 23 | Missouri Tigers |
| 24 | Utah Utes |
| 25 | Stanford Cardinal |
The Horned Frogs dip to 4-1 and 1-1 in the Big 12 as a result, although a strong defense and great dual-threat play from quarterback Trevone Boykin will keep the team alive in a murky conference that features just three unbeatens in league play, with only the Bears riding high as undefeated overall.
Speaking of Boykin, his 287 yards and a score through the air, along with 45 more yards on the ground, were simply not enough to get it done Saturday. As Pat Doney of NBC DFW notes, though, the performance should not discourage those who wish to see the Horned Frogs stick around in CFP talk:
"Bold statement time: TCU QB Trevone Boykin might be the most improved player in NCAA football. Night/day compared to 2013. Dropping dimes.
— Pat Doney (@PatDoneyNBC5) October 11, 2014"
After all, quarterback play goes a long way in that pursuit, which is why Baylor is such a strong contender with Petty under center. His performance, paired with the continued dominance of Shock Linwood on the ground—who had 29 totes for 178 yards Saturday—makes the Bears a serious threat to run the table.
The table, of course, includes a date with No. 11 Oklahoma:
| Sat. October 18 | at West Virginia |
| Sat. November 1 | vs. Kansas |
| Sat. November 8 | at No. 11 Oklahoma |
| Sat. November 22 | vs. No. 16 Oklahoma State |
| Sat. November 29 | vs. Texas Tech |
| Sat. December 6 | vs. No. 17 Kansas State |
That taken into account, though, the Sooners looked shaky at best Saturday one week removed from an upset at the hands of the Horned Frogs, hardly scraping past unranked and now 2-4 Texas, 31-26.
The rest of this weekend's outcomes play a major result in the picture, too.
While not as damaging as last week's historic carnage, Saturday's action did provide some wide-reaching CFP implications thanks to blockbuster matchups. No. 2 Auburn took a major loss at the hands of No. 3 Mississippi State, 38-23, while No. 6 Notre Dame surely took a serious hit in the minds of many after three horrific turnovers from quarterback Everett Golson in a 50-43 win over unranked North Carolina.
All that equal, No. 3 Ole Miss' 35-20 victory over No. 14 Texas A&M likely killed the Aggies' CFP outlook.
As it stands, Baylor has surely leapfrogged an SEC squad for a spot, although it is impossible to deny Dak Prescott and the Bulldogs. Obviously the same goes for Jameis Winston and No. 1 Florida State, most recently winners over Syracuse, 38-20.
For now, here is how the CFP figures shape up:
| No. 1 Florida State | 6-0 |
| No. 3 Mississippi State | 6-0 |
| No. 3 Ole Miss | 5-0 |
| No. 5 Baylor | 6-0 |
Of course, a number of one-loss teams are right behind for a coveted slot, highlighted by No. 7 Alabama and No. 12 Oregon. The latter, along with others, only gets help in the CFP pursuit thanks to Baylor's dismissal of the Horned Frogs on Saturday.
After the gut-wrenching loss, the road gets no easier for the Horned Frogs as the No. 16 Oklahoma State Cowboys next come to town. Baylor, on the other hand, looks to unwind ever so slightly in a bit of a breather against unranked West Virginia, although the Mountaineers have given teams such as Alabama trouble this season.
Saturday's result is yet another step toward a one-loss team making the inaugural CFP, as well as reaffirming the notion that Baylor is a surefire entrant should it be able to run the table. If not, well, that would be par for the course in what has been a wild season to date.
Stats and information via ESPN.com, unless otherwise specified. AP poll via The Associated Press.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
