Let's look at the record which shows that an unbeaten Big 12 champ

[Cuyahoga Falls Eers]

WILL be in the national playoffs.

In 15 years, after the regular season, there was NO unbeaten major team 5 times, ONE unbeaten major team 9 times and three unbeaten teams in 2004 (BCS champ Southern Cal, Oklahoma and Auburn). So what makes you think that there will be more than 1 or 2 this season? It would be the first time in at least 16 years if it happens. Probably a lot longer than that.

An unbeaten Big 12 champ that survives the Oklahoma State, Baylor, TCU and Oklahoma gauntlet will have a sufficient resume to make the national playoffs. Oklahoma State, Baylor and TCU play each other, and Oklahoma, so at most there can only be one unbeaten Big 12 team.


Clemson is the only unbeaten ACC team, and still needs to win the ACC title game.


Michigan State, Ohio State and Iowa are unbeaten in the Big 10, but mathematically there can be no more than one unbeaten Big 10 team.


There are NO unbeaten teams in the Pac-12.


LSU is the only unbeaten team in the SEC, and has to survive Alabama and the championship game.




Let’s look at the record and see how premature the doomsday speculation is:


Florida State was the ONLY unbeaten Power 5 team in 2014.


Florida State was the ONLY unbeaten Power 5 team in 2013.


Ohio State was the ONLY unbeaten in 2012.


NO unbeaten team in 2011.


Auburn was the only unbeaten major in 2010 (TCU was undefeated but in the Western Athletic Conference, Conference USA and the Mountain West until 2012).


Alabama was the only unbeaten team in 2009.


NO unbeaten major team in 2008 (Utah was unbeaten but in the Western Athletic Conference till 2011).


No unbeaten team in 2007.


NO unbeaten major team in 2006. (Boise State unbeaten but in the Mountain West.)


Texas was the only unbeaten team in 2005.


Southern Cal, Oklahoma and Auburn were the only unbeaten teams in 2004.


NO unbeaten team in 2003.


Ohio State was the only unbeaten team in 2002.


Miami was the only unbeaten team in 2001.


Oklahoma was the only unbeaten team in 2000.


I say we wait till midnight Dec. 5 and, if there is an unbeaten Big 12 champ, the school will be in the national playoffs. All the hand-wringing is premature.

 

[GoWVU]

Hate to burst your bubble, Cuyahoga, but you whiffed on 2004.

USC, Oklahoma, and Auburn were all unbeaten going into the bowls...thus, the controversy that year.

 

[Cuyahoga Falls Eers]

Hate to burst your bubble, Cuyahoga, but you whiffed on 2004.

USC, Oklahoma, and Auburn were all unbeaten going into the bowls...thus, the controversy that year.

Thanks. I fixed it. I think the thrust of my post still is valid. There were 3 unbeaten majors ONCE in 15 years. Again, thanks. I pride myself on accuracy, but looking up so many records caught my ancient mind in a quagmire.

 

[GoWVU]

It happens, buddy. No worries.

On a related note to your larger point, the Big 12 champion has gone unbeaten through conference play just 5 times in the 19 previous seasons of the league. However, each time it has happened that team later won the national championship or reached the national-championship game and lost.

So it's been fairly difficult to get through these schedules unscathed, but everybody who has done it to date was invited to the party. If our champ is unbeaten, they have few concerns.

 

[KeatonsCorner]

We are the conference currently with the most teams in the top 15..... And they all have to still play each other.


To say an undefeated B12 team will make the Playoffs isnt exactly a PHD-worthy hypothesis, friend......

 

[Cuyahoga Falls Eers]

We are the conference currently with the most teams in the top 15..... And they all have to still play each other.


To say an undefeated B12 team will make the Playoffs isnt exactly a PHD-worthy hypothesis, friend......

Not if you buy the sky is falling comments on this board about the Big 12 going to be left out again. NO unbeaten Power 5 champ will be left out of the national playoffs. Not good policy since the Power 5 run the national playoffs. You don't bite the hand that feeds you if you're smart.

The unbeaten will fall from the tree like over-ripe fruit in the next 5 weeks. It's inevitable. History tells us that.

 

[Low Mountains Drifter]

The danger is if the Big 12 champ has 1 loss. In comparison to other 1 loss teams there is a pretty high likelihood, the Big 12 team will have the weakest resume. If there are four or more zero and 1 loss teams from the other Power 5 +ND, that is when the Big 12 is in peril. Just like last year.

 

[WVex-pat in GA]

It appears that the deciding factor will be SOS. Currently the B12 SOS ranking through this week for games actually played using the NCAA calculation method is: WVU-2, TX-11, OK-16, TTU-23, KSU-24, TCU-36, OK St.-39, ISU-41, Baylor-54, KU-91.

ESPN uses another method to produce their FPI (FB Power Index) which includes projected SOS on the remaining schedule. The B12 FPI/Remaining SOS is: Baylor-1/9, TCU-2/23, OK-3/11, OK St.-14/2, WVU-28/77, TTU-38/24, TX-53/45, KSU-55/54, ISU-68/6, KU-120/18.

The B12's best bet looks like OK St. going undefeated.

 

[Low Mountains Drifter]

I think any of the 3 currently unbeaten will be in no problem if they finish undefeated. There will not be 4 other undefeated teams at the end of the season.

In the 1 loss side-by-sides, OSU runs into the same problem as Baylor-- a chicken$#!+ OOC slate. Oklahoma at least played Tennessee and TCU played Minnesota, not world beaters but legitimate Power 5 competition. Baylor and OSU deserve to be left out if they finish "tied" in record with other power 5 contenders. OU and TCU you would need to look deeper into the schedules of all the "even" contenders.

If it's a 1 loss Big 12 team competing I think OU would be strongest, it has the bad loss to Texas, but it would have beaten all the "good" teams in the Big 12 and Oklahoma is a brand.