Big 12 commissioner: Would have voted TCU for 4th playoff spot
Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby told the Dan Patrick Show on Monday that if he were part of the College Football Playoff committee, he would have voted TCU, not Baylor, for the fourth playoff spot.
Neither Baylor nor TCU were chosen for the final foul playoffs spots, which went to Alabama, Oregon, Florida State and Ohio State. The Big 12 was the only Power Five Conference not to be represented in the playoffs.
The Big 12 is also the only Power Five conference that doesn’t have a championship game. Baylor and TCU were deemed co-champions by the conference even though Baylor beat TCU 61-58 on Oct. 11 and finished ahead of the Horned Frogs in the final College Football Playoff Rankings. Bowsbly explained his reasoning on why he would have selected TCU.
"The only reason I say this is anything between our two schools — they had a better chance of staying in [the final four],” Bowlsby said. “It seemed like they were better positioned to have a chance to stay there.”
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Bowlsby was asked why he had the two teams as co-champions.
"That has been our rule and it’s not something we can change during the season,” he said.
Both teams did secure spots to one of the "New Year's Six" bowls. Baylor takes on Michigan State in the Cotton Bowl Classic on Jan. 1 and TCU faces Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl on Dec. 31.
- Scooby Axson
