What's done is done.
No, TCU (No. 6) did not make it into the first ever College Football Playoff despite ending the season on a seven-game winning streak. But if the Horned Frogs want to make a statement for next year, an explosive performance from the No. 2 offense in college football would certainly suffice.
Unfortunately, TCU is playing Ole Miss (No. 9), the nation's top defense.
The Horned Frogs, 11-1, finished the regular season with a 55-3 dismantling of Iowa State. Yet they were still dropped from the top four in favor of Ohio State.
"We've been talking about TCU since Oct. 28, it's been fantastic," athletic director Chris Del Conte said. "We wanted college football to be at the forefront of America and it has been. It's not time to panic. I thought the committee did a phenomenal job. Would we have liked to be in the four? Absolutely."
So, no, TCU isn't technically in the college football postseason. But they still realize the importance of today's game.
"We feel like this is a playoff game," head coach Gary Patterson said. "Ole Miss was as high as third in the nation, they play at a very high level."
The Rebels, 9-3, spent three weeks as the No. 3 team in the nation before falling to LSU in October and losing star wide receiver Laquon Treadwell to a gruesome leg injury a week later. But Ole Miss rallied against former No. 1 team Mississippi State in the Egg Bowl, winning 31-17 against their biggest rival.
"It's a difficult task in this league, but I think we've proven that we can be competitive and relevant," head coach Hugh Freeze said. Freeze was rewarded with a four-year extension worth $4.3 million annually.
Kickoff is scheduled for 12:30 PM ET. You can check out the game online by going to Watch ESPN.