West Virginia Football: 3 Takeaways from loss to TCU in Week 6
1. The Big 12 is a mess
Neither team knew it heading into the game, but this became a battle for first place in the Big 12. That speaks volume about both of these teams and the conference as a whole.
The blue bloods aren’t going to win every year, but the Big 12 has been dominated by Texas and Oklahoma for a long time. To see neither of those programs in first place, even at the midway point of the season is a bit of a surprising. Since 2000, one of those two national powers has finished with at least a share of the Big 12 Championship 12 out of 17 times.
The addition of the Big 12 Championship Game this ear adds another interesting wrinkle to this situation. Should TCU run the table and finish undefeated they will have to square off again with a team that they’ve already beaten. That adds one more chance for the Big 12 Champion to have at least one loss.
Without a team with a perfect record to hang their hat on the Big 12 gets into a resume contest. That’s exactly the problem they need to avoid, especially if it’s not Oklahoma or Texas at the front of the line.
Next: Latest 2018 NFL Mock Draft entering Week 6
Any other 1-loss team from the Big 12 lacks the name-brand value to carry much sway in a potential College Football Playoff decision. A 1-loss Alabama, Georgia, Auburn, USC, Washington, Ohio State, Michigan, Penn State, and Clemson all would be more popular Playoff picks than any non-Texas or Oklahoma Big 12 team. That puts the Big 12 in real danger of missing the Playoff entirely.