<
        >

          Big 12 Blog

          Mailbag: Baylor, West Virginia, OU playoff chances

          • Jake Trotter, ESPN Staff WriterOct 31, 2014, 04:00 PM ET
            Close
              Jake Trotter covers the Cleveland Browns for ESPN. He joined ESPN in 2011 covering college football. Before that, he worked at The Oklahoman, Austin American-Statesman and Middletown (Ohio) Journal newspapers. You can follow him on Twitter @Jake_Trotter.
            Follow on X

          In today's Twitter mailbag, West Virginia, Baylor and Oklahoma fans want to know their playoff odds, Iowa State fans want to know their chances for an upset Saturday and Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Texas fans solicit hope for the future.

          Everyone have a safe and happy Halloween tonight.

          Now, on to the 'bag:

          @Jake_Trotter: That's probably asking too much. West Virginia would need a lot of help in that scenario, like Florida State, Oregon, Michigan State and Notre Dame losing, and the SEC West cannibalizing itself to some degree. The Mountaineers would have some really good wins and no bad losses. But the odds would be long.

          @Jake_Trotter: Like West Virginia, Baylor would need a bunch of help. West Virginia's hindrance is that it has two losses. For Baylor, it is its nonconference schedule, which ultimately could be what keeps it from snagging a spot. By ranking them 13th in the inaugural poll, the committee clearly punished Baylor for its nonconference schedule. Because otherwise, Baylor's résumé was strong with a marquee win over TCU, and a not-bad loss at West Virginia. When compared with every other contender, Baylor is going to lose the nonconference debate. That will be tough to overcome.

          @Jake_Trotter:OU, I guess technically has some shot as the highest-ranked two-loss team on the board. But it would take a minor miracle. Outside next weekend's clash with Baylor, the Sooners don't have another game ahead that would allow them to make a splash nationally. So it would take a deluge of losses from other teams ranked ahead for OU to re-emerge into in the playoff picture.

          @Jake_Trotter: Those two might be the most improved QBs in the country, but if I had to pick one, it would be Boykin. At least Trickett was a full-time QB last year. In the spring, I would have guessed that Boykin would have ended up at receiver. I don't think I've ever seen a one-year turnaround more dramatic than Boykin's.

          @Jake_Trotter: I have optimism Texas will continue to get better. Tyrone Swoopes has shown promise this year, and the offensive line keeps improving. The most important change has been Charlie Strong putting his toughness stamp on the program. That foundation will serve the Longhorns well down the road.

          @Jake_Trotter: It's basically going to come down to the game against Texas on Nov. 15, because I don't see the Cowboys beating K-State, Baylor or Oklahoma on the road. If I had to pick that game today, I'd pick Oklahoma State to beat Texas in Stillwater. But that's a game the Cowboys are more than capable of losing. Even with all the turnover from last year, 5-7 would be a very disappointing season for Mike Gundy's bunch.

          @Jake_Trotter: The offensive line is probably the biggest culprit. The Cowboys just aren't any good up front. But Daxx Garman hasn't been accurate enough throwing the football, and offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich hasn't found a groove with this unit. Toss all those factors together, and you have a train wreck offense.

          @Jake_Trotter: It's unfair to judge Kingsbury yet. The 7-0 start last year was ultimately a bit of a mirage that blocked how much rebuilding the program really needed. I always give coaches the benefit of the doubt of three years. Next year will be a big one for Kingsbury and the Red Raiders.

          @Jake_Trotter: It kind of depends what happens to West Virginia and TCU in the interim. But I will say this weekend could be dangerous for the Sooners. Iowa State has played OU tough in Ames in recent years, and Mark Mangino and Co. can move the ball on an Oklahoma defense that has shown plenty of vulnerability in recent weeks. I wouldn't be surprised if this game came down to the fourth quarter.

          @Jake_Trotter: The Big 12 tiebreaking procedure is the same as before, only the College Football Playoff Rankings have replaced the BCS in the tiebreaking pecking order. Head-to-head is the first tiebreaker. But if we had, say, a three-way tie at the top like we did in 2008, then playoff ranks would break the tie.