Inches separated TCU from perfection. After coming up just short in the Big 12 championship game against Kansas State, the Horned Frogs and first-year coach Sonny Dykes will settle for the most unexpected College Football Playoff berth in the history of the postseason format.
And now the really hard part begins: third-seeded TCU enters the Fiesta Bowl as underdogs against Big Ten champion and second-seeded Michigan in a matchup of contrasting offensive styles.
This is the second playoff appearance in a row for the Wolverines, who ended the regular season with impressive wins against Ohio State and Purdue.