No team has ever gone undefeated in Big 12 play while failing to qualify for the National Championship Game. Texas (2009) was the most recent to do so. The Bears have won 11 games in a row after their first loss this year, and are looking to become the first team since Oklahoma in 1995 to win every game by at least 21 points. They've already done it once this season.
Baylor is one of four remaining unbeaten teams left in college football. The others are No. 2 Alabama, Ohio State and Notre Dame. All four teams have scored at least 30 points in each of their games this year.
Baylor has been ranked No. 1 in the country all year long. This is only the second time in school history that they've started the season ranked No. 1; the other time was 2007 when they went 9-0 before losing their last game of the year to Maryland 24-17. That year, they finished the season 13-1.
Baylor has never lost more than two games in a row during the regular season. They're 27-0 when winning the overall series.
Baylor has won 90 games over the past three years. They've won nine or more games each year, with this year being the exception rather than the rule.
Since then, other "mid-major" teams have gone unbeaten, including Boise State in 2006, Utah in 2004, and Tulane in 1998, only to fall short of serious national title consideration. During the regular season, the Cougars only defeated one bowl team (Air Force) and did not face anyone ranked in the top 20.
Despite this, 80 teams have won an NCAA championship. However, there are a handful that stick out. Let's face it: winning a national title is difficult, and going unbeaten for a whole season is much more difficult. Every team has off nights.
Nebraska became the first national champion to finish with a record higher than 11-0 in 1971, going 13-0. In 2002, Ohio State became the first team to go 14-0 and win a national title.
Since 1936, every undefeated college football team has won the national title.
| Year | School | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2018 | Clemson | 15-0 |
| 2013 | Florida State | 14-0 |
| 2010 | Auburn | 14-0 |
| 2009 | Alabama | 14-0 |
Oklahoma, the runner-up in 2003, also went unbeaten following a rout of Colorado in the Big 12 championship game. USC, the nation's top-ranked team, defeated UCLA to complete the season 12-0. "There will be some harsh feelings if we don't get a chance to compete for the national title," Campbell stated at the time.
Nonetheless, Auburn's flawless season was insufficient to persuade pollsters that the Tigers deserved a shot at the national title game. Oklahoma, the runner-up in 2003, also went unbeaten following a rout of Colorado in the Big 12 championship game. USC, the nation's top-ranked team, defeated UCLA to complete the season 12-0.
The 2004 Auburn Tigers football team competed in the NCAA Division I-A football season for Auburn University.
Oklahoma, the runner-up in 2003, also went unbeaten following a rout of Colorado in the Big 12 championship game. USC, the nation's top-ranked team, defeated UCLA to complete the season 12-0. "There will be some harsh feelings if we don't get a chance to compete for the national title," Campbell stated at the time.
History of NCAA tournament championships Since 1976, five teams have gone unbeaten in the regular season, the most recent being Wichita State in 2014, Kentucky in 2015, and Gonzaga in 2021. Two of those teams, 1991 UNLV and 2015 Kentucky, were eliminated in the Final Four. The other three teams went on to win it all.
The only other time this has happened was in 1975 when Louisville went 32-0 before losing to Michigan State in the championship game.
There have been nine other seasons where a single-season record was broken or tied four times by one team, but they did not go undefeated. These seasons include 1979 Virginia, 1980 Indiana, 1987 Maryland, and 1988 Maryland again. All five of these teams lost in the first round of the playoffs.
There have been eight other occasions where two separate teams finished the season with perfect records, but they didn't meet in the final game of the year. These include 1973 Ohio State and 1974 Ohio State, both varsity programs for the University of Ohio at Columbus; 1977 North Carolina and 1978 North Carolina; and 1981 Louisiana Tech and 1982 Louisiana Tech. None of these teams won their opening game of the postseason.
In addition, there was one occasion where three different teams ended the season with perfect records, but they didn't play each other during the season.
Here is a list of every national champion who has gone unbeaten since 1936: Since 1936, every undefeated college football team has won the national title.
| Year | School | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 2020 | Alabama | 13-0 |
| 2019 | LSU | 15-0 |
| 2018 | Clemson | 15-0 |
| 2013 | Florida State | 14-0 |
Texas Tech has won two NCAA national team titles. The first was when the college football world was not given the same attention it is today; the Golden Bears were champions of the Pacific Coast Conference (PCJC) in 1919. California went on to defeat Pittsburgh in the post-season tournament known as the Rose Bowl, which was then the highest profile bowl game in the country. The second title came four years later when California again met Pittsburgh in the final game of the season. This time however, California could not overcome their opponents and lost by one point. California then became the first freshman class to win the NCJC.
In addition to these two championships, Texas Tech has also been ranked No. 1 in the country during the regular season several times. In 1972, Texas Tech was undefeated and ranked No. 1 after winning its first 10 games. However, they lost at home to Oklahoma in the annual Red River Showdown. In 2001, Texas Tech was once again ranked No. 1 after winning its first 11 games but lost at Kansas State. Last year, Texas Tech finished with a 12-1 record and was ranked No. 1 for most of the season before losing to Ohio State in the Fiesta Bowl.
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