FORT WORTH, Texas - The Horned Frogs find themselves in the most unenviable of enviable positions.
TCU (8-1, 5-1 in the Big 12) is one of the few teams with a realistic shot at making the College Football Playoff field. That became more evident Tuesday when the Frogs found themselves No. 4 in the latest rankings, up two spots from a week ago.
But it can also be a tough spot to be in when you're trying to prepare for a Kansas team that's won just three games and put your best foot forward for a committee that decides whether or not you're playoff-worthy.
TCU head coach Gary Patterson joked he's enjoying the run the Frogs are on for about 20 minutes a week, that coming after the games. He also realizes that he has no control over what happens with the Frogs in the eyes of the selection committee, which is a tough position to be in.
"I can plead a lot better case if I win the next three ballgames," said Patterson, whose team is 26-3 when ranked in the top 10. "I just need to find a way to beat Kansas and do the things we need to do. I thought we went to this whole thing (playoff format) to where it was all about body of work, not about politicking and the rest of it. We're going to do what we need to do. Obviously there's going to be a group that decides on all of that."
Of course for the Frogs to remain in the picture they have to win at Kansas (3-6, 1-5) Saturday (2 p.m. CT, FOX Sports 1).
Facing the Jayhawks after going through a six-week stretch in which the Frogs played five ranked teams would seem like the perfect opportunity for a trap game for TCU.
The Frogs aren't going to let it happen. They know the stakes are high as the close out the season with games against Kansas, Texas and Iowa State.
"Every game is a big game for us," said safety Chris Hackett. "It doesn't matter if it's a ranked game. It doesn't matter if it's another game. Every game is the same for us. We're just trying to get a win and finish out the season."
Patterson said he'll have a better idea by Thursday if his team is in the right mindset for a game against Kansas that could be played in cold, wind and snow and then he'll adjust accordingly. It doesn't sound like that will be an issue.
"We can't look too far ahead," wide receiver David Porter said. "That is our next game. That's all we can worry about is the upcoming game. All we can do is go out there and play our best and let the score take care of itself. It makes it easier knowing that we have a great chance of possibly being in the playoff system. That really does pump us up a lot."
One thing the Frogs don't plan on doing is trying for style points if they are fortunate enough to get a big lead against the Jayhawks. Patterson said TCU didn't do that last weekend in a 41-20 victory over then seventh-ranked Kansas State when they opted to run the ball in the second half with a big lead.
Patterson said that kind of stuff isn't supposed to matter to the selection committee.
"I just watch everybody say ‘You've got to win by X amount of points and impress the committee,'" Patterson said. "Just watch the film. And who you play and the schedule, I thought it was just about watching the film. At the time you play them, what you did. I thought that's why they changed it (format). To me why does there have to be style points. I don't understand style points if it's about picking the best four football teams whether TCU is in it or not."
