Most chaotic possibilities coming out of Championship Weekend
By Zach Bigalke
Baylor takes down Oklahoma State in a Big 12 championship rematch
Oklahoma State is the fastest riser up the College Football Playoff charts in the past few weeks. After opening at No. 11 in the committee’s first Top 25 back in early November, Mike Gundy’s crew has played itself into the Big 12 championship game and into prime position to snatch away one of the four semifinal spots this season.
They eliminated Oklahoma from the picture in a 37-33 Bedlam victory, ensuring a bit of chaos in the Big 12 picture and chasing Lincoln Riley out of Norman in the process. Now they square off against a Baylor team whose only two losses came by a combined 12 points in road games at Oklahoma State and at TCU.
An Oklahoma State win in Arlington would give the Cowboys a second straight win over a top-10 team and render much of the rest of this chaos scenario moot. The victory effectively forces the selection committee’s hand and puts the Big 12 back into the Playoff.
That, however, only happens if the Pokes prevail on Saturday. In the end, if things shake out right elsewhere around the country, Baylor could be playing for more than just a Big 12 title. Could Dave Aranda’s Bears climb into a top-four position if enough chaos transpires across the nation?