Flash back to December. The College Football Playoff committee was about to unveil the sport’s first final four field. Every Power 5 conference seemed confident that it would be represented in the bracket, but basic math revealed that one of them would be disappointed.
Big 12 teams Baylor and TCU were both very deserving of a playoff bid, but Ohio State ended up snagging the last spot after the Buckeyes beat Wisconsin the previous evening 59-0.
The Buckeyes went on to win the national title, and the Big 12 was on the outside looking in for the fifth consecutive year, but that snub might be what guarantees the conference a spot in the final four this season.
In college basketball, when it’s difficult to determine possession for one reason or another, usually because opposing players each hold the basketball, then a jump ball is called. When that happens, the team who missed out on getting the ball on the last jump ball gets possession.
If this season ends like last year, with two or three teams boasting comparable resumes, then the Big 12 will possibly be given the benefit of the doubt because the conference was excluded last season. The committee is not supposed to factor in such things when making its decision, but it is comprised of human beings.
TCU and Baylor both start the season in the top four spots of the USA Today Coaches Poll. With the returning talent and schedules that both teams have, it seems likely that one of those teams can finish in the top six. Maybe that’s all it will take.
In an effort to appear unbiased and fair, the committee could easily end up seeding a Big 12 team, regardless of whether it was the fourth, fifth or sixth best team in the country. The conference’s representative still has a long road ahead, but perhaps the path is just a little smoother this time around.
