Significant gap between TCU and Baylor as playoff committee considers 'body of work'

There is a significant gap between TCU and Baylor, even with their identical 10-1 records and both in position to share the Big 12 title.

With one game left before the playoff selection committee sets the matchups Sunday for the new four-team playoff, the Horned Frogs are ranked third. Baylor is sixth, even with a 61-58 victory over the Horned Frogs.

Chairman Jeff Long has repeatedly said that the committee looks weekly at each team's "body of work" to that point.

"The committee is increasingly impressed by TCU's resume," Long, the Arkansas AD, said after the release of this week's rankings, when the Frogs jumped two spots and ahead of undefeated defending national champion Florida State.

TCU has won six in a row since that loss at Baylor on Oct. 11, when the Frogs blew a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter. Baylor lost by two touchdowns at West Virginia the following week, but has won its last four games.

Here is a look at some of each team's "body of work":

WHAT'S LEFT: TCU is a big favorite at home Saturday against last-place Iowa State. Baylor plays at home that night against ninth-ranked Kansas State, which is tied with the Bears and Frogs for the Big 12 lead.

VS. RANKED TEAMS: TCU is 4-1 against AP Top 25 teams, the lone loss to Baylor. The Bears have won both games against ranked teams, their only wins against teams currently with winning records.

"That's certainly discussed. That's part of their strength of schedule," Long said. "It's part of their body of work, and the committee is certainly aware that (the Bears) have two top-20 victories, and those are the only teams that they've beaten with winning records."

Baylor's Top 25 wins are against TCU and 48-14 at Oklahoma, which was ranked fourth before that in a 37-33 loss at TCU.

The Horned Frogs beat Kansas State by three touchdowns in their last home game. The other ranked teams they beat were Oklahoma State and West Virginia, both unranked when they lost to Baylor.

TECH DISPARITY: TCU and Baylor both beat Texas Tech, but the games were drastically different.

TCU had the Big 12's highest-scoring conference game ever, and Trevone Boykin threw a school-record seven touchdowns in an 82-27 victory over the Red Raiders on Oct. 25.

Baylor held on for a 48-46 win in the season finale Saturday for 4-8 Tech. The Red Raiders erased almost all of a 25-point deficit before a failed two-point conversion after their fourth consecutive TD pass of at least 40 yards with 1:42 left.

OUT OF CONFERENCE: Much has been made of Baylor's non-conference schedule, but TCU also had a lopsided shutout against winless SMU and beat an FCS team.

The difference is TCU's 30-7 win over Minnesota, a Big Ten team with eight wins. Baylor won 63-21 at Buffalo, a Mid-American team that finished 5-6 and changed coaches.