First off, WWE creative could have had this whole thing penciled in since Summerslam, and WWE would never be embarassed because a guy got over.
Secondly the gap between TLC and Rumble always have these one off storylines because they need a holding pattern until Mania season,
Thirdly, if WWE were supposedly not wanting Bryan to get over, they wouldn't have even put him in a major storyline, that took 3 semgments a show, and they damn sure wouldn't have booked him to be so damn strong either. I find it funny how these so-called "experts" who make money off speculation and guessing games can't even see that, or the so-called smart fans who constantly bitch about the now and yesterday, but never look to the future, even though they proclaim this guy and that guy as such.