Undefeated TCU to Meet Kansas State in Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship at AT&T Stadium

The undefeated TCU Horned Frogs capped off their 12-0 season with a crushing 62-14 win over the Iowa State Cyclones and found out Saturday night their opponent in the Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship game would be the Kansas State Wildcats. TCU scored 62 points and had 377 yards against an Iowa State team that was eighth nationally in scoring defense (16.5 points per game) and sixth in total defense (277.3 yards per game).

The Wildcats beat their in-state rival Kansas Jayhawks 47-27 behind quarterback Will Howard’s 213 yards and two touchdowns and running back Deuce Vaughn’s 229 yards and a touchdown.

TCU defeated Kansas State 38-28 in their earlier meeting this season on Oct. 22 at Amon Carter Stadium in Fort Worth.

In 2014, No. 3 TCU beat Iowa State 55-3 to finish 11-1 and watched as the CFP committee moved Ohio State ahead of the Frogs into the final spot in the inaugural playoffs.

“I know the history with TCU and Iowa State and big victories,” Dykes said, following Saturday’s victory. “It didn’t work out particularly well in 2014. I know that. I think it’s different. I think college football is different. I think the committee is different, I think the Big 12 is viewed differently than it was then.”

TCU is 12-0 for the third time in its history and first since 2010, when they went 13-0 en route to winning the Rose Bowl 21-19 over Wisconsin.

TCU is the first Big 12 team to be 12-0 since Texas in 2009. The Longhorns would eventually drop the BCS Championship game played at the Rose Bowl to Alabama 37-21.

TCU is the first Big 12 team to go 9-0 in conference play since Oklahoma in 2016. After starting 1-2 in non-conference games, the Sooners finished the season with an 11–2 record and beat Auburn in the Sugar Bowl, 35-19.

Sonny Dykes is the first head coach in TCU and Big 12 history to win his first 12 games.

With No. 2 Ohio State’s 45-23 point home loss to No. 3 Michigan, the Horned Frogs (12-0) moved up a spot in the new AP poll on Sunday morning behind Georgia (12-0) and Michigan (12-0) and ahead of USC (11-1). 

Kansas State moved up two spots to No. 13 in the AP poll.

The Dr Pepper Big 12 Championship game is Dec. 3 at 11 am at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. The game will be broadcast on ABC.

For information on tickets, visit seatgeek.com.