Kansas
TCU loses Big 12 title game to Kansas State to send CFP into frenzy
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — TCU quarterback Max Duggan was battered and bloodied, bodily exhausted and mentally drained. And nonetheless uncertain if the No. 3 Horned Frogs had finished sufficient to get into the four-team Faculty Soccer Playoff.
Duggan dropped to his knees ultimately zone after his 8-yard TD run ended his gusty game-tying drive late in regulation of Saturday’s Huge 12 championship sport, and buried his facemask into the turf after diving and developing simply inches wanting one other landing in extra time. He then stood alone in the midst of the sector with each arms on his helmet when his operating again Kendre Miller was stuffed for the second play in a row, on fourth down, to provide No. 13 Kansas State the ball one final time.
Ty Zentner then kicked a 31-yard discipline objective because the Wildcats beat TCU 31-28.
“We obtained beat immediately and now it’s out of our arms. That’s one thing that we wished to do is be in management,” stated Duggan, who needed to collect himself after beginning to discuss on the rostrum. “All we are able to do is sort of watch.”
Deuce Vaughn ran for 130 yards and a landing and Will Howard threw two TDs for the Wildcats (10-3, No. 10 CFP), who six weeks earlier had jumped out to a 28-10 lead early within the second quarter earlier than TCU scored the sport’s final 28 factors.
That was considered one of 5 video games the Horned Frogs (12-1, No. 3 CFP) gained when trailing after halftime. However they couldn’t do it once more with the possibility to ensure being the primary Huge 12 crew aside from Oklahoma to make the playoff.
TCU, the primary Huge 12 crew to finish an everyday season undefeated since Texas in 2009, might nonetheless get into the playoff. Whereas their case was helped when fourth-ranked Southern California (11-2) misplaced 47-24 to Utah within the Pac-12 championship sport Friday evening, the Frogs now have to attend till the ultimate CFP rankings come out Sunday.
“I believe we’re definitely deserving. I believe the league is likely one of the finest leagues within the nation to undergo, undefeated within the league, definitely we should get in,” first-year TCU coach Sonny Dykes stated. “And I don’t assume we must be punished for coming to the Huge 12 championship sport.”
Huge 12 Commissioner Brett Yormark stated earlier than the sport that TCU, with first-year coach Sonny Dykes, already deserved to be within the playoff.
“You take a look at their energy of schedule. You concentrate on how they’ve carried out all 12 months lengthy,” Yormark stated. “I believe regardless, they need to be in, for positive.”
Kansas State coach Chris Klieman agreed after his crew reached 10 wins for the primary time since 2012, when the Wildcats gained the Huge 12 title when there was no championship sport.
“TCU must be within the within the CFP, they’re probably the greatest 4 groups,” Klieman stated. “We went toe to toe with them. I assumed we might go toe to toe with them and discover a method to win. It was an distinctive soccer sport.”
Duggan, who went from shedding his job as TCU’s beginning quarterback going into the season to now being a possible Heisman Trophy finalist, threw for 251 yards and a landing, and in addition ran for 110 yards with an 8-yard rating with 1:51 remaining in regulation.
The quarterback was sacked thrice and hit quite a few different instances. He needed to have patches on his bloody elbow changed a number of instances, and was so drained late within the sport that the offensive linemen had been mainly carrying him off the sector after drives.
“Clearly I used to be a little bit drained, however I believe everyone else was and I wasn’t going to return out,” Duggan stated.
“Typical Max Dugan efficiency,” Dykes stated. “Simply gritty, robust, made performs when he needed to. Did the whole lot that he might do to provide us an opportunity to win.”
Vaughn’s 44-yard landing, together with an open-field transfer that led to a defensive again falling down yards from him, made it 28-17 and capped a drive arrange after Julius Brent intercepted a go by Duggan ultimately zone on the primary play of the fourth quarter.
However TCU scored the final 11 factors of regulation, together with Griffin Kell’s 42-yard discipline objective with 7:30 left. The kick ended a drive that Duggan stored alive with a 16-yard go to Taye Barber on fourth-and-10.
Duggan’s TD run late in regulation got here proper after his 40-yard dash down the left sideline after scrambling away from strain on the earlier play, although he nonetheless needed to stand up and throw a tying 2-point conversion to tight finish Jared Wiley. He additionally had runs of 15, 13 and 19 yards on the drive, the longest of these three changing a fourth-and-2 from close to midfield.
Identical to 2014, the inaugural season of the four-team playoff, TCU went into its final sport earlier than the ultimate rankings at No. 3, with Ohio State fifth.
TCU obtained not noted that point, even after a seven-TD win over Iowa State in its regular-season finale earlier than the Buckeyes beat Wisconsin 59-0 within the Huge Ten title sport later that day to make the playoff and win the nationwide title. However this 12 months, the Buckeyes (11-1) missed their convention title sport after a loss final week to Michigan.
And now each of them are ready for Sunday once more.
