The Baylor Bears knew they needed to win and win big in order to have a shot at making the College Football Playoffs. They knew they had to win in order to at least have a share of the Big 12 Championship with the TCU Horned Frogs having already dominated Iowa State 55-3 earlier in the day. They did not disappoint the sellout crowd at McLane Stadium, knocking off the #9 ranked Kansas State Wildcats 38-27.

The Bears believe they should be the outright Big 12 champs and so do many of their fans. Signs and T-shirts could be seen all over the stadium reading “61-58…Enough Said,” which of course reference Baylor’s 61-58 win over TCU on October 11th. With the fans chanting “one true champ,” Coach Art Briles reiterated that he believes Baylor should be the only Big 12 champion when he told the crowd, “No matter what the Big 12 says…there’s only one true champ.”

Baylor’s high powered offense showed just how powerful it can be when running on all cylinders with their opening drive. The Bears drove 81 yards in eight plays, including six first downs, capping it off by a 1-yard run by quarterback Bryce Petty to put the Bears up 7-0. After exchanging drives, the Bears extended their lead to 14-0 with 1:12 left in the first quarter on a 1-yard run by Shock Linwood.

Kansas State, however, was not ready to just lay down to Baylor as they capped a 10-play, 68-yard drive that took up the first 5:25 of the 2nd quarter with a 1-yard run by Charles Jones to cut the Bears lead to 14-7. Baylor looked to extend their lead with 7:25 left in the half, but Linwood fumbled the ball on the three yard line, recovered by the Wildcats. Momentum seemed to be favoring the visitors, but a referee review of the play would overturn the call and give the Bears first and goal on the three yard line.

Baylor would take advantage of the referee ruling, as Johnny Jefferson would run it in from three yards out on the ensuing play to put Baylor up 21-7. The route seemed to be on, but the Wildcats would still not go away. With 4:08 left in the first half, Wildcats quarterback Jake Waters would find tight end Zach Trujillo open for a 36-yard strike and score to cut the Baylor lead to 21-14.

However instead of being satisfied with a 7-point lead at halftime, the Bears would drive 48 yards on seven plays to get within field goal range for kicker Chris Callahan, who nailed a 46 yard field goal to end the half to put the Bears up 24-14.

The second half opened with the Wildcats quickly driving the length of the field as Waters hit Trujillo on a 48-yard strike down to the Baylor six yard line. But penalties and Kansas State’s inability to run the ball domed the Cats from getting into the end zone and instead settling for a 24-yard field goal by Matthew McCrane to cut the Baylor lead to 24-17.

The Bears must not have taken too kindly to the Wildcats opening drive as Petty and the Bears only needed two plays to go 77 yards for a score on their next possession, capped by a 58-yard touchdown pass to Antwan Goodley to go up 31-17. On their ensuing possession, the Wildcats once again drove down the field on the Bears defense but thanks to a sack by Jason Osei and K.J Smith stopped the Wildcats from getting into the end zone and having to settle for a 47-yard McCrane field goal.

The Bears’ offense continued their air attack on the Wildcat secondary as Petty would throw for 43 yards on the next Baylor possession before Jefferson would find the end zone from three yards out to go up 38-20 heading into the 4th quarter.

The Wildcats gave their fans some hope in the 4th quarter as Waters would connect with Tyler Lockett from eight yards out to cut the Baylor lead to 38-27. The eight yards would put Lockett into the Kansas State record books as the having the most receiving yards in school history, passing his father Kevin to take the top spot with 3,073 yards in his career.

The Cats would get the ball back with 9:48 left in the game and begin what they were hoping would be a scoring drive to cut even more into the Baylor lead. But with 5:08 left in the game, Waters was intercepted by Bears’ cornerback Xavien Howard to seal the win for the Baylor Bears.

So now what? Both TCU and Baylor have arguments to be in the College Football Playoffs. Wide receiver KD Cannon, who had three catches for 33 yards, believes as his coach does that they are the true champions. “No matter what, we are still the Big 12 champs. No one can take that from us.”

Linebacker Baylor Black also agrees with his coach and his teammate. “Personally I feel like we beat TCU out to be the Big 12 champions. I feel when you beat someone head to head there should be co-champions.”

It all comes down to who the College Football Playoff committee thinks deserves to be in the playoffs. Did TCU do enough to erase their half-a-quarter meltdown? Or did Baylor make up for their bad play against West Virginia? Will the committee decide to avoid all the controversy and keep both teams out of the playoffs? Only time will tell. But for one night in Waco, Texas, the Bears and their fans believe they are the one true champ.