Read it here, in the predictions for the game.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/ncaaf/2022/12/30/michigan-tcu-expert-picks-fiesta-bowl-college-football-playoff/10946103002/

Then ask why the Big 12 gets no respect?
Well, it started with the claim that "they don't play defense" and continued with deriding the spread offense which was called "a gimmick", or "a system offense."
What really hurt was that no Big 12 team won a CFP playoff game, but one of OU's losses was to Clemson, a team that was loaded with talent that year.

I have said on here before that the Big 12 is one of the toughest conferences to emerge from undefeated.
The SEC gets all of the love because of 'Bama and Georgia, the best recruiting machines in the country.
Talent wins, and they get talent out of proportion to everyone else.

But I am glad to see a TCU team that ran the spread, and the 3-3 stack defense, against a supposedly more physical (and talented) Michigan team and left the Wolverines not only defeated, but befuddled.
They had never met an offense or defense like that in the Big 10.

I pull for TCU to win the Natty because they represent the Big 12, and a rising tide lifts all boats.
Rah, rah, TCU!!!

(The opinions expressed are only my own.)

Anything that increases the number of eyeballs on Big 12 TV games going forward is a good thing.

You know the it was killing the Selection committee to include TCU in the first place. They would have been perfectly fine putting Alabama vs Michigan and OSU vs Georgia...

Respect will come when a big 12 team beats a top flight sec team in the playoff. I believe those are the only teams OU played in addition to an sec like team in Clemson.

The opportunity is there

OU also lost in a semi to a magical LSU loaded with talent.

historian said:

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OU also lost in a semi to a magical LSU loaded with talent.

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Which, ironically, struggled with an 8-5 Texas squad that year.

If they hadn't converted a late third-and-17 for a touchdown, Texas likely would have scored to take a lead on the next possession because the Horns had all the momentum and LSU couldn't stop them at that point.

It may not be as much disrespect for TCU as over-respect for the Michigan and Big 10 brand, typical media bias.

Not many of us here expected TCU to get past the first round, either.

Dia del DougO said:

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It may not be as much disrespect for TCU as over-respect for the Michigan and Big 10 brand, typical media bias.

Not many of us here expected TCU to get past the first round, either.

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Mostly because people bought what they were sold by the CFB media.

Having watched what Georgia did to Michigan last year, I always felt the gap was much larger between Georgia and Michigan than it was between Michigan and TCU.

It's all an illusion.

The sec is the favorite of ESPN. So they get the positive news while everyone else gets minor updates. It's also a money thing.

The SEC doesn't play great defense but we get told they do.

Space Cutter said:

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It's all an illusion.

The sec is the favorite of ESPN. So they get the positive news while everyone else gets minor updates. It's also a money thing.

The SEC doesn't play great defense but we get told they do.

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The SEC does put the most players in the NFL so that is what helps the perception. Like it or not I don't really see that changing ever. The SEC is the best league and with OU & Texas joining they will just get better. We just have to try and get our league better onfield than the B10.

muddybrazos said:

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Space Cutter said:

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It's all an illusion.

The sec is the favorite of ESPN. So they get the positive news while everyone else gets minor updates. It's also a money thing.

The SEC doesn't play great defense but we get told they do.

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The SEC does put the most players in the NFL so that is what helps the perception. Like it or not I don't really see that changing ever. The SEC is the best league and with OU & Texas joining they will just get better. We just have to try and get our league better onfield than the B10.

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Only way CFB means more than NFL minor league is if we ll have a legit shot to win otherwise it is SEC elite and everyone else.

I think he knows what conference TCU is in now pic.twitter.com/cKyaxuPUz2

— Derek Duke (@DerekDuke25) January 1, 2023

boognish_bear said:

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I think he knows what conference TCU is in now pic.twitter.com/cKyaxuPUz2

— Derek Duke (@DerekDuke25) January 1, 2023

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Speaking of running. Sure hope TCU's top RB is ok for the Championship game.

Space Cutter said:

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It's all an illusion.

The sec is the favorite of ESPN. So they get the positive news while everyone else gets minor updates. It's also a money thing.

The SEC doesn't play great defense but we get told they do.

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It's kinda like how we're "not in a recession"

boognish_bear said:

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I think he knows what conference TCU is in now pic.twitter.com/cKyaxuPUz2

— Derek Duke (@DerekDuke25) January 1, 2023

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Such. Easy. Money.

It's all very Orwellian. We are "not in a recession" because someone redefined recession to mean something it is not. It's still a lie no matter how often it's repeated or how many people fall for it. Sports propaganda about the different conferences often follows the same pattern.

Can we hit the pause button on the recession talk in a football thread before it goes off the rails?

Is it not possible to keep politics out of completely unrelated sports discussions? There's a board for that nonsense.

historian said:

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It's all very Orwellian. We are "not in a recession" because someone redefined recession to mean something it is not. It's still a lie no matter how often it's repeated or how many people fall for it. Sports propaganda about the different conferences often follows the same pattern.

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Information is controlled by people whose goal is not to inform, but to program.

Well said

Our bowl records do not point to a powerful conference.

Our conference champion being taken to the woodshed by Alabama does not bode well for the conference.

Harrison Bergeron said:

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Our bowl records do not point to a powerful conference.

Our conference champion being taken to the woodshed by Alabama does not bode well for the conference.

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Gotta take our victories where we can get em...

Tulane is doing their part for the non-blue blood programs. Giving USC all they can handle. Announcers seem to be trying to talk up USC and then Tulane scores again. Not sure they will have enough.

I want their to be enough evidence that the other 66% of schools can compete and taking away access by creating a minor leagues is not in the interest of CFB. If it means all of CFB going away from the NCAA so be it. But, I want more teams in the mix, not less.

How about our conference runner up beating the B1G conference champ?

boognish_bear said:

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How about our conference runner up beating the B1G conference champ?

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Love it. The more these things happen, the harder it will be to cut the mid P5 and top G5 teams out.

RMF5630 said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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Our bowl records do not point to a powerful conference.

Our conference champion being taken to the woodshed by Alabama does not bode well for the conference.

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Gotta take our victories where we can get em...

Tulane is doing their part for the non-blue blood programs. Giving USC all they can handle. Announcers seem to be trying to talk up USC and then Tulane scores again. Not sure they will have enough.

I want their to be enough evidence that the other 66% of schools can compete and taking away access by creating a minor leagues is not in the interest of CFB. If it means all of CFB going away from the NCAA so be it. But, I want more teams in the mix, not less.

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I hope that is true, but the full effects of NIL have not yet had time to manifest themselves. Of course the talent can be congregated in a relatively few schools, but the egos also probably get congregated, along with a sense of entitlement. The latter there might end up being something that goes against the anticipated buying of championships that many believe will occur. At least we can dream that it does.

blackie said:

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RMF5630 said:

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Harrison Bergeron said:

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Our bowl records do not point to a powerful conference.

Our conference champion being taken to the woodshed by Alabama does not bode well for the conference.

---

Gotta take our victories where we can get em...

Tulane is doing their part for the non-blue blood programs. Giving USC all they can handle. Announcers seem to be trying to talk up USC and then Tulane scores again. Not sure they will have enough.

I want their to be enough evidence that the other 66% of schools can compete and taking away access by creating a minor leagues is not in the interest of CFB. If it means all of CFB going away from the NCAA so be it. But, I want more teams in the mix, not less.

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I hope that is true, but the full effects of NIL have not yet had time to manifest themselves. Of course the talent can be congregated in a relatively few schools, but the egos also probably get congregated, along with a sense of entitlement. The latter there might end up being something that goes against the anticipated buying of championships that many believe will occur. At least we can dream that it does.

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I am with you. I have heard some say that the portal and NIL may allow some schools to compete and bring a little more parity. There are only so many slots at the big NIL places. TCU is a pretty good poster child for how to play the portal game, they say a lot of their D is portal and Dykes is very active. Based on Aranda's actions this year, it looks like he learned that we need the portal to compete.

And playing for a national title. That's something many blue bloods have never done in the playoff era (Texas, OU, USC, UCLA, ND, Michigan, Florida, Florida State, etc).

Jacques Strap said:

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Anything that increases the number of eyeballs on Big 12 TV games going forward is a good thing.

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Getting way from the Big 11am conference and streaming only crap would help that area a lot.

The Big 12 seems to compete with its own teams in the same time slot far too often, as well. It's well past time to get more creative with our networks and try to get some better slotting, perhaps overlapping slots that are a little bit different than the usual, which could benefit all parties involved.

If the Big 12 adds any west coast schools, we will likely have more 9:00 p.m. & later games.

Ahh so It wasn’t that TCU won it was that Michigan lost 🫠 pic.twitter.com/GWATUH8o6T

— Marc Istook (@MarcIstook) January 2, 2023

boognish_bear said:

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Ahh so It wasn’t that TCU won it was that Michigan lost 🫠 pic.twitter.com/GWATUH8o6T

— Marc Istook (@MarcIstook) January 2, 2023

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Which is why they play the games. Unless, you cut out all the TCU's of the world and can just deem the SEC and B10 better.

This is why the Tulane, TCU and other games are important. This is with the B12 winning, if they lose they are not competitive and should just play among themselves. Yeah, TCU getting crushed would be SO good for Baylor and the B12.

boognish_bear said:

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Ahh so It wasn’t that TCU won it was that Michigan lost 🫠 pic.twitter.com/GWATUH8o6T

— Marc Istook (@MarcIstook) January 2, 2023

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Finebaum's excuse is pretty lame. No one on the field cared that it was New Years Eve & Harbaugh losing bowl games is nothing more than a curious pattern. I doubt if the reasons for this loss have much relation to what happened in previous years.

Heather actually said something more substantive but she sounded like she's just parroting Paul.

Good point. Whether they realized it or not, these espn talking heads are making the case for an expanded playoff.

historian said:

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Good point. Whether they realized it or not, these espn talking heads are making the case for an expanded playoff.

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TCU gets crushed we may win a head-to-head for a recruit or two. Yeah, us...

Dia del DougO said:

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It may not be as much disrespect for TCU as over-respect for the Michigan and Big 10 brand, typical media bias.

Not many of us here expected TCU to get past the first round, either.

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Yep.

I went to East Texas saturday to visit family, visit our land, do some target practice out there and on the way back when I saw the game on TV at a restaurant was very surprised TCU was ahead 21-6 at halftime.

Lets just say I listened to the game the rest of the way home. Did not think they could hang with Michigan, glad they did.