Luck is an important factor in college football.
It’s what separates the Big 12 champion from the middle in recent seasons. The team who wins the conference usually wins multiple one score games. To make that happen, the ball has to bounce that team’s way more than once.
The Texas football program has probably seen some of the most bad luck since Mack Brown stepped down as head coach. In recent seasons, the team has been on the losing end of several one score losses. Some of its opponents have seen better results in games decided by eight points or less.
The TCU Horned Frogs won quite a few close games. It catapulted the team to a national championship appearance. Albeit, the team shouldn’t get too comfortable in close matchups as fortunes often reverse for teams that play within a score.
Baylor is the perfect example of tight game success in one season bringing bad luck in the next season. Under different coaches, the team won several games by a touchdown or less in 2019 and 2021 to propel itself to the conference title game. The following seasons (2020 and 2022) saw the Bears suffer multiple close losses, as the team regressed to the mean in close contests.
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Here’s a look at how Big 12 teams fared in highly contested matchups in 2022.