If not for a Saturday in Ames, Iowa, who knows where TCU might have ended up in the first set of College Football Playoff rankings Tuesday night.
But No. 8 is not bad.
The Horned Frogs were a season-high No. 4 in the AP Top 25 before last week’s loss at Iowa State. Would it have translated to No. 4 in the CFP?
Maybe higher, considering Penn State also lost?
Probably so.
Instead, the Frogs debuted only four spots lower than their AP poll spot in the initial pecking order released by the CFP selection committee on Halloween night, signifying a committee impressed by what had been a 7-0 start that made TCU look like the Big 12’s best bet this season.