Mike Roach
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Who: #5 TCU Horned Frogs 9-1 (6-1) vs. Texas Longhorns 6-5 (5-3)
When: Thursday, November 17 2014
Where: Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin TX (Fox Sports 1)
Odds: TCU -6.5
The Good: After going through a re-invention on offense, the Horned Frogs have emerged as one of the most dangerous teams in the nation. The new high powered offense mixed with their always reliable defense has turned the Frogs into a playoff contender. Trevone Boykin, who many thought wouldn't make it as a quarterback is now a heisman contender, and TCU is a close loss at Baylor away from being undefeated. Boykin has been masterful in guiding the TCU offense to explosive plays and big wins while protecting the ball. Boykin has thrown for 2691 yards and 23 touchdowns to just 4 interceptions. He's also a threat on the ground having run for 546 yards and 7 touchdowns. The TCU rushing attack has really been the backbone of their offense behind BJ Catalon and Aaron Green. Catalon is questionable for Thursday's game but Green is fully healthy and brings with him an absurd 8.7 yards per carry. On defense the Horned Frogs have managed to find guys to plug in on what looked like a depleted front seven before the season started. The Frogs have held teams to 378 yards per game but are also averaging nearly 3 turnovers per game.
The Bad: While it may seem like picking nits of a 9-1 team, TCU has looked shaky in a couple of games this season. Some might say they were fortunate to get out of West Virginia with a win, and their last minute escape against Kansas definitely raised some eyebrows. This is common for a team in the playoff hunt to wear under the late season grind. The Frogs are right there on the bubble for the first annual college football playoffs with Baylor on their heels. With the Frogs fighting to keep winning while also trying to impress the playoff committe, they are prone to some tightness on the field. These mistakes haven't manifested in a loss yet, but they've come close. The Frogs defense hasn't been good on the road and are giving up 120 more yards than they are at home. The same can be said of the offense who are averaging nearly 100 yards less on the road. They will be playing a confident Texas team with nothing to lose at night in Austin.
The Uncertain: The Texas defense has been stellar for the most part this year, but have struggled with the running quarterback. Can Boykin take advantage of that to extend drives and manufacture first downs? The Frogs haven't been great at methodically driving the ball and have instead relied on the big play thus far this season. Will they let the late season pressure get to them in a game that should be a win and possibly see their playoff hopes slip away?
What's at Stake: For TCU it's everything. A chance at the Big 12 title, a spot in the playoffs, and a breakthrough season in the Big 12. For Texas it will be a bit of a role reversal as they have the chance to ruin another team's hopes and put a big stamp on the first season under Charlie Strong. Recruiting momentum is starting to bubble for the Longhorns and a win over TCU on national TV could make it explode. Texas is already bowl eligible and should be able to let it all go against the Frogs to try and pull off a Thanksgiving upset.
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