:format(webp)/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/19425393/154482045.0.jpg)
Editor's Note: I put out a blast last week asking for volunteers to write previews each Friday for the upcoming Big 12 slate. David, dfrank_BU here, responded. We are extremely glad to have him aboard at ODB, and I look forward to his take on future matchups!
So how about a little in-state rivalry on a Thursday night in the 3rd week of the season? TCU travels to Lubbock tonight to duke it out with Texas Tech on a national stage (ESPN, 6:30 CT). This is an interesting matchup between two teams that appear to be moving in different directions than was expected of them this year, although we just have a two game sample size. Texas Tech is 2-0 following wins over SMU and Stephen F. Austin while TCU struggled last week to put away Southeastern Louisiana after their opening week loss to LSU.
The biggest attraction in this game is clearly the play of the two quarterbacks: Trevone Boykin (TCU) and Baker Mayfield (Tech). Boykin has looked like an improved player in the first two weeks and honestly had outplayed Casey Pachall before Pachall went out with a broken forearm that will keep him sidelined for the foreseeable future. However it is a different situation when you are the starting quarterback in a hostile environment so this will be a different test for Boykin. For the record, TCU was 3-1 in Boykin's road Big 12 starts last season. On the other side, Mayfield has been one of the better stories in the nation thus far, excelling as a true freshman walk-on at quarterback in place of the injured Michael Brewer. He provides a dual-threat that Tech has never really under previous coaching staffs, leading the team in rushing to go along with 780 yards and 7 touchdowns through the air. This will no doubt be his biggest test to date going up against a solid TCU defense that could have Devonte Fields available for four quarters tonight. It will be interesting to see how the freshman responds.