Art Briles slams co-champion stance
WACO, Texas -- Baylor coach Art Briles criticized Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby and the conference's stance on co-champions after his No. 6 Bears' 38-27 win over No. 9Kansas Stateon Saturday night gave them a share of theconference title.
Briles confronted Bowlsby on stage after the Big 12's trophy presentation and addressed his frustration about being presented as co-champions with TCU during his postgame news conference.
"You know, if you're going to slogan around and say there's 'One True Champion,' all the sudden you're gonna go out the back door instead of going out the front?" Briles said. "Don't say one thing and do another."
Despite Baylor's 61-58 win over the now-No. 3 Horned Frogs in October, Bowlsby has said he will not deem Baylor the tiebreaker champion of the Big 12. The College Football Playoff committee will treat both 10-1 teams as co-champions during their deliberations Sunday for one of the four spots.
"I'm not obligated to [Bowlsby]. I'm obligated to Baylor University and our football team," Briles said. "And we just happen to be a part of the Big 12. And we happen to be the champion two years in a row. So they need to be obligated to us, because we're helping the Big 12's image in the nation."
When asked specifically what he said to Bowlsby during their heated postgame conversation, Briles compared the commissioner's obligation to stand up for Big 12 programs to his own duty as a football coach to support a player who needs help.
"If I'm the commissioner of a league, then these universities are his kids, I would think. And so you love 'em all the same, but sometimes you have to differentiate between who you present as one or two," Briles said. "That was kind of the gist of the conversation. I mean, don't go public and say that we're going to present as co-champs if our bylaws say head-to-head determines who goes into a bowl game if neither one of us are in the top four."
Bowlsby, who was booed by the McLane Stadium crowd during the postgame ceremony, did not speak to reporters afterward.
No. 5 Ohio State's 59-0 victory over Wisconsin and No. 4 Florida State 's 37-35 victory over Georgia Tech raise the possibility that the Buckeyes could replace TCU in the top four and leave the Big 12 with no teams in the playoff.
Briles campaigned for Baylor after the win, citing the program's back-to-back Big 12 titles, difficult conference schedule, home wins over TCU and Kansas State and a road win at Oklahoma.
"My case would be, take the top 10 universities in the nation, put 'em on the wall, take the names off of them, all right? Look at the rsums and find four that are better," he said.
Briles also specifically addressed members of the playoff committee during his comments.
"Coach [Tom] Osborne, who's a Hall of Fame coach: If Nebraska had our rsum, would you have them in the final four?" Briles said. "Barry Alvarez with Wisconsin: If Wisconsin had our rsum, would you have them in the final four? Tyrone Willingham. Stanford, Washington, Notre Dame. If they had our rsum, would you vote them in the final four? That would be my case. Look at the rsums and then make a decision."
Baylor athletic director Ian McCaw supported Briles' stance and believes Baylor has "absolutely a final four rsum."
"[Bowlsby's] position is he's going to present two teams as co-champions. That was his decision he made," McCaw said. "I disagreed with it, but I certainly respect him; he's a great commissioner, but that's the decision he made."
The "College Football Playoff Selection Day" show will air at 12:30 p.m. ET Sunday on ESPN. Briles said he will not be watching.
"I hadn't watched it all year, so I'm not going to start tomorrow," Briles said. "I mean, I'm sure I'll get told. That's what usually happens. I'm not sure me watching is going to make a difference."
