FORT WORTH, Texas – TCU has been on this place earlier than, third within the School Soccer Playoff rankings going into its final sport earlier than the ultimate 4 groups are set.
And identical to in 2014, there sits Ohio State in fifth, hoping for an opportunity to maneuver up.
These rankings are the identical, however the eventualities are fairly totally different for this primary Saturday of December. Undefeated TCU has a Large 12 championship sport to play, and the most effective the Buckeyes can do is attempt to tout what that they had already accomplished earlier than final week’s 45-23 residence loss to Michigan that stored them from reaching the Large Ten title sport.
“Whenever you take a look at the physique of labor that Ohio State has put ahead, they’ve been a top-ranked workforce your complete season,” Large Ten Commissioner Kevin Warren informed the AP on Friday. “In the event that they’ve performed 48 quarters of soccer, they’ve 46 1/2 glorious quarters of soccer. They actually didn’t play as much as their customary for 1 / 4 and half for your complete season.”
TCU followers actually have not forgotten what occurred eight years in the past, when the Frogs received overlooked of the inaugural four-team playoff proper after a seven-touchdown win of their regular-season finale towards Iowa State. The Buckeyes received the Large Ten championship 59-0 towards Wisconsin later that day, and went on to win the primary championship of the CFP period — in a title sport performed about 20 miles from the TCU campus.
The Frogs (12-0) play No. 13 Kansas State (9-3, No. 10 CFP) for the Large 12 title Saturday. Win and so they make the playoff. Lose and so they nonetheless may get in, however it’s no slam dunk. TCU is the convention’s first workforce since Texas in 2009 to complete the common season with no loss.
Ohio State (11-1) will likely be at residence, with no alternative earlier than Sunday’s last rankings to make one other playoff case on the sector.
Quickly after shedding to “The Recreation” for the second 12 months in a row, Buckeyes coach Ryan Day was already speaking about his workforce’s total physique of labor. He did not imagine they have been overmatched by way of total play by second-ranked Michigan.
“We’ve received numerous good items on this workforce,” Day mentioned. “I believe if we have been in a position to get a shot within the high 4, we’d be a harmful workforce.”
That lopsided shutout over Wisconsin in 2014 improved the Buckeyes to 12-1, and the Large Ten champions moved up one spot within the last CFP rankings the subsequent day. They beat Alabama in a nationwide semifinal sport on the Sugar Bowl, after which Oregon for the nationwide title.
One-loss TCU had overwhelmed Iowa State 55-3 at residence, however that eleventh victory got here towards a two-win Cyclones workforce when the Large 12 was in a six-year hiatus with no championship sport.
TCU was dropped to sixth within the last CFP rankings, a spot behind Large 12 co-champion Baylor, which received a midseason 61-58 thriller in Waco that was the Frogs’ solely loss. They needed to accept a New Yr’s Six bowl, and beat Mississippi 42-3 within the Peach Bowl.
Sitting behind TCU in fourth in CRP rankings is Southern California (11-1), which misplaced 47-24 within the Pac-12 championship sport towards Utah on Friday evening. A loss by the Trojans may bolster the Frogs’ probabilities of staying within the high 4 even when they lose.
TCU is coming off one other common season-ending rout of Iowa State. First-year TCU coach Sonny Dykes informed his gamers after the 62-14 win at residence simply how exhausting it’s to get by way of a season 12-0.
“Typically coping with all of the buildup and all these items is usually a little exhausting, and even overwhelming,” Dykes mentioned. “And that’s what’s so spectacular for these guys, is that they’ve by no means batted a watch, by no means felt like they received overwhelmed. I by no means felt just like the stage was too massive for them.”
The final time Kansas State made the Large 12 title sport in 2003, the Wildcats beat undefeated, top-ranked Oklahoma 35-7. At TCU six weeks in the past, Okay-State constructed an early 28-10 lead earlier than shedding 38-28.
Warren reiterated that he believes Ohio State is likely one of the greatest 4 groups in school soccer primarily based on their complete season.
“Now it seems to be like they’ll want some assist this weekend, which we completely perceive,” he mentioned. “However I am hopeful, and can stay hopeful, that they’ve the chance to have the ability to compete within the School Soccer Playoff this 12 months. I believe they’ve clearly proven what they’ll do.”
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AP School Soccer Author Ralph D. Russo contributed to this report.
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