NCAA football preview: The TCU Horned Frogs attempt to wrap up a perfect regular-season
After winning by just five points in their last contest, the Texas Christian University (TCU) Horned Frogs (11-0, 7-0 MWC) will have to be more dominant in their regular-season finale if they hope to gain
any ground in the BCS (Bowl Championship Series) rankings. They’ll have a chance to head into their bowl game on a high note when they travel to University Stadium to take on the floundering New Mexico Lobos (1-10, 1-6 MWC) on Saturday 27 November.
Although the Horned Frogs are currently ranked No. 3 in the BCS, they’ll need a little help to be considered for a national championship game invitation. TCU has to hope that either the also-undefeated No.
1 Oregon Ducks or No. 2 Auburn Tigers lose one of the four remaining games between them. But if that wasn’t enough, they also have to cross their fingers that the No. 4 Boise State Broncos, who have been gaining ground and also have two regular-season games
left on their schedule, don’t surpass the Horned Frogs in the BCS standings.
Though unblemished, TCU has gained little recognition this season, as detractors have cited the Horned Frogs’ lack of quality opponents. In what was supposed to be TCU’s signature win this season, the Horned
Frogs dismantled the (then-No. 6 and undefeated) Utah Utes on 6 November. However, even that key win lost a lot of its credibility when the Utes fell to Notre Dame the following week, 28-3.
Compounding the Utes’ slip-up was the Horned Frogs’ efforts just a week later against a pesky San Diego State squad that nearly pulled off one of the biggest upsets of the season. Still, coach Gary Patterson
insists that the only team he cares about is his own.
“The bottom line is we’re 11-0,” he told the media. “That is what we wanted to do.”
“I can’t do anything about the polls,” he continued. “I would say we found a way to win in a conference game. We played a big game and we didn’t play as well as we needed to the next week. It’s not the final
score we would have liked to have had, but the bottom line, it falls under my category of (to win) by one point.”
Aside from their presence in the national championship race, the Horned Frogs have been taking care of business in their conference this season as well. Should they defeat the Lobos on Saturday, TCU will
capture its second straight outright Mountain West conference championship.
New Mexico comes into the game as six touchdown underdogs, and they have done little this season to show that they can run with the Horned Frogs. Still, the game could be a great indication of just how good
or worthy TCU actually is, as the Lobos faced the Oregon Ducks in the first week of the season. The Horned Frogs may not dominate New Mexico like the Ducks did (72-0), but the contest could provide a measuring stick for those looking to compare championship
contenders.
With just one regular-season game left to prove their worth, the Horned Frogs are solely focused on what they can affect.
“There are so many things going on that we have no control over,” TCU receiver Bart Johnson told reporters.
Prediction: TCU 41, New Mexico 10
Tags: