TCU’s Patterson: Parity could produce two-loss Big 12 champion

Last week’s loss to Oklahoma last week did not knock TCU out of the Big 12 title picture, and maybe even a second loss wouldn’t.

Horned Frogs coach Gary Patterson said he’s thought all along the league champion this year could carry two losses.

“I said this, and I don’t know who I said it to, but I said it publicly, there’s a chance because of who everybody has to go to, the winner of this league could have two losses,” Patterson said Monday during the Big 12 coaches conference call with reporters. “To me, there’s a lot of parity in it. I think it’s going to make for a very interesting and exciting next seven or eight weeks in this season because of everything that goes down and where everybody has to go.”

TCU sits tied for fifth with Oklahoma State at 1-1 in the league standings. Three teams are a half-game ahead of that tie at 1-0, and Baylor is 2-0. TCU effectively trails Oklahoma by a game and a half because of the head-to-head result.

So if TCU is hoping to catch and pass Oklahoma, it would require at least two losses by the Sooners. Still on the OU schedule are Texas, Baylor and Oklahoma State, plus road games at Texas Tech and West Virginia. TCU’s remaining schedule includes road games at West Virginia, Baylor and Texas.

“We go to Kansas this week,” Patterson said. “They’re playing a lot better on defense, and offensively they’ve got a couple of playmakers. They always play us tough. Any time you go on the road, you’ve got to get your rest because people play better at home.”

This story was originally published October 3, 2016 at 12:20 PM with the headline "TCU’s Patterson: Parity could produce two-loss Big 12 champion."