Mark Twain once famously quipped after reading his obituary in a major American newspaper that incorrectly wrote about his passing, "The reports of my death are greatly exaggerated."
The same can be said for TCU's College Football Playoff hopes after the Horned Frogs came in at #6 in this week's rankings.
RELATED: College Football Playoff Rankings: Here's Why the Sooners Deserved a Top 4 Ranking
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COMPARISON TOOL: College Football Players | College Football Teams
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A lot of folks had written them off after a tough 14-7 loss at the hands of Iowa State, but massive upsets a week ago by the likes of Ohio State and Penn State have left the door open.
Here are three things that must happen for TCU to sneak into the top four by the time December rolls around.
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Knock Off Oklahoma in Norman
Everything else on this list won't matter if TCU doesn't defeat the 8-1 Sooners on Saturday night.
With only Texas Tech and Baylor left on the schedule, this is their chance to really grab the attention of the committee by knocking off a squad that is skyrocketing up the rankings after an impressive 62-52 win over #11 Oklahoma State last weekend.
TCU is currently a seven-point underdog in a game that will decide the playoff future for both teams.
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Pray the Upsets Continues
Between Iowa State's wins over TCU and Oklahoma, plus last weekend's Big 10 stunners that saw Iowa upset Ohio State and Michigan State defeat Penn State, who knows which crazy upset is next.
We can be fairly certain that the loser of Miami–Notre Dame is toast after this weekend. That leaves the following possible upsets that could greatly benefit the Horned Frogs.
Georgia: At #14 Auburn this weekend and then a season finale against the always-tough Georgia Tech option attack.
Alabama: Still must travel to #16 Mississippi State and Auburn, plus a possible SEC Championship game.
Clemson: The rest of the regular season schedule isn't too rough, but then again who saw the Tigers getting hammered by Syracuse earlier this year? TCU's best hope is that Clemson gets its second loss in the ACC title game.
Wisconsin: Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, and a possible conference championship game. The Badgers could end up anywhere from undefeated to 11-2.
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Hope Iowa State Wins Out
The Cyclones didn't do their purple conference-mates any favors by losing to West Virginia last week, but they host the Cowboys this Saturday in what would be their third win over a top 15 program in 2017.
If ISU can finish the season with a 9-3 mark, TCU's defeat in Ames won't look too shabby. It also helps that the Cyclones are ranked #21 in the College Football Playoff rankings.
