Briles on Big 12 and the CFP: Gate's locked, got to find a way in

When it comes to the College Football Playoff, the Big 12 is officially the black sheep, the ugly duckling, the red-headed step-child.

Why? 

According to the CFP playoff committee, it's because the Big 12 is the only Power 5 conference not to hold a championship game that determines one true champion. Accordingly, the Big 12 was the lone conference left out of the inaugural four-team playoff.

Of course, the thing is the playoff is four teams. As Power 5 indicates, there are five conferences, so one league is going to be shut out each year until the format is expanded to include more teams. What scares the Big 12 is being left out year after year.

The league believes the remedy is to stage a championship game. The 10 Big 12 coaches are mixed on whether or not that's the right thing to do. But here's how Baylor coach Art Briles, who was highly critical of the committee after his Bears finished No. 5 in the final ranking, describes the Big 12's standing with the CFP.

"If you’re looking over a fence and the gate is locked, you’ve got to find some way to get in,” Briles told the Dallas Morning News. “That’s where we are.”

He continued: "“I just think the way it fell was pretty unique,” Briles said. “There wasn’t an upset in the conference championship games. If there had been, I don’t think the discussion would have been as it is now. Maybe TCU or us or both schools would have been in the playoff.”

Of course TCU has its own beef with the selection committee. The Horned Frogs were ranked No. 3 in the penultimate rankings, but fell to No. 6 in the final rankings after thumping Iowa State, 55-3.

(h/t Dallas Morning News)

Photo Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports