If the TCU Horned Frogs had completed the undefeated 2022 season at 13-0, it was always more-or-less guaranteed to reach the College Football Playoff. However to climb into the Top-4 while not winning the Big 12 Championship, TCU needed some external help throughout the season to leave a spot open for the Frogs to fill. So often that perfect storm hasn’t come to fruition for the Frogs:
- In 2009 TCU had worked up to #4 in the BCS computer rankings, needing some upsets in the final week of the season to jump into the National Championship Game; Texas was granted a phantom extra second to kick a walk-off winner in the Big 12 Title and Cincinnati scored a TD in the final minute to complete a 21-point comeback, each coming away with 1-point wins to force undefeated TCU to the kids table to face Boise State in consecutive seasons.