In 2014, TCU entered the final week of the season ranked third by the College Football Playoff selection committee. It defeated Iowa State, 55-3, to move to 11-1. The next day, the Horned Frogs dropped to sixth, out of the playoff field, replaced by Ohio State.
One of the stated reasons was the Buckeyes, 12-1, had won the Big Ten championship game and thus was able to present a so-called “13th data point” to TCU’s 12 total games. The Big 12, which had just 10 members, was prohibited by NCAA rules at the time from staging a league title game (12 members were needed).