The most Big 12 outcome possible would be for West Virginia to stun TCU in Morgantown.
It would be so exceptionally Big 12 for the 3-4 West Virginia Mountaineers to upset the undefeated No. 7 TCU Horned Frogs in Morgantown on Saturday.
The Big 12 is a league defined by its parity. With Kansas no longer being conference cannon fodder, one could argue that the Big 12 is the best Power Five conference, top to bottom. For now, the top dogs are the Horned Frogs, while the ‘Eers are pretty much bringing up the rear, alright. With TCU thinking playoff and West Virginia thinking about a new head coach, what can go wrong?
If West Virginia shocks TCU on Saturday, no couches will be safe in Morgantown from a fiery blaze.
If West Virginia beat TCU, it would be the antithesis of 13-9 Pat McAfee Pitt
Although we are still a ways away from this game venturing into 2007 Backyard Brawl territory, it might make up for Pat McAfee missing two field goals vs. Pitt. A win over TCU might be the best win for the Mountaineers since the Rich Rodriguez era. Conversely, it might be what it takes to give Neal Brown another year, as Texas Tech rang the bell prematurely during his WVU funeral.
Alright, if we don’t want to bring up any bad memories from Big East yesteryear, West Virginia upsetting TCU would be the equivalent of Iowa State stunning Oklahoma State in 2011. That was the best Pokes team Mike Gundy ever coached. He was still in his 40s, and man, did the Pokes blow that one. Had the Cowboys won that game, they would have played LSU for the national title.
It may not even be Halloween yet, but a shocking TCU loss to West Virginia would probably end the Big 12’s chances of getting a team into the playoff. Every team in the conference would have a conference loss, as its best team might have the most damning. Oklahoma State would have a decent shot at getting in if it ran the gauntlet and beat TCU in Arlington, but even that is a stretch.
Overall, the fact that this is not out of the realm of possibility is why Big 12 football is so utterly fascinating. This is not like Georgia playing Vanderbilt or Ohio State playing Rutgers. Anybody can beat anybody on any given Big 12 Saturday. If this one were played in Fort Worth, no way. But with it being in Morgantown, I’m telling you there’s a chance for it to be almost heaven in Morgantown.
It will be hard to tell if it is indeed the rapture amid the flaming couches and John Denver anthems.
For more College Football news, analysis, opinion and unique coverage by FanSided, including Heisman Trophy and College Football Playoff rankings, be sure to bookmark these pages.