By Jeffrey Swindoll
Sports Writer
Baylor football was ranked No. 13 in the inaugural College Football Playoff poll released on Tuesday night. The Bears were one of five Big 12 teams ranked.
No. 13 Baylor (6-1, 3-1) took a hit in the AP Poll after losing to West Virginia last week in Morgantown, W.Va., and its College Football Playoff stock seemingly dropped after that game as well. The committee said there will be an emphasis on conference play and head-to-head wins when considering their selections. Baylor holds the tiebreaker over TCU.
No. 7 TCU (6-1, 3-1) tops the conference in the College Football Playoff poll after impressive performances against Oklahoma, Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. The Horned Frogs’ one loss came against the Bears at McLane Stadium, in a dramatic 61-58 fourth-quarter comeback from Baylor.
No. 9 Kansas State (6-1, 4-0), though undefeated in the Big 12, ranks just one spot lower than TCU. The Wildcats are the only team left in the conference with an undefeated conference record, but do not have an overall undefeated record after losing to No. 3 Auburn earlier in the season. Kansas State plays TCU next week and the Bears in the season finale at McLane Stadium in a couple weeks.
Along with the SEC, the Big 12 was the only conference with multiple teams in the top 10.
No. 18 Oklahoma (5-2, 2-2) has been inconsistent in conference play with losses to TCU and Kansas State. Games against Baylor and Oklahoma State remain.
No. 20 West Virginia is the last Big 12 team in the College Football Playoff poll. WVU came into the season unranked, but managed to play their way into poll with a big win over Baylor last weekend.
