First Look: TCU Horned Frogs

vs.

5/3 BAYLOR (5-0, 1-0) vs. 9/12 TCU (4-0, 1-0) Oct. 11, 2014 | 2:30 p.m. CT Waco, Texas | McLane Stadium (45,140) TV: ABC

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OPPONENT: TCU Horned Frogs
ODB GAME HUB: Baylor Bears vs. TCU Horned Frogs 2014
ODB PREDICTS: Baylor vs. TCU
MEET THE PRESS: Baylor vs. TCU
OFFICIAL WEBSITE: GoFrogs.com
HORNED FROGS MEDIA GUIDE Click for .pdfs (depth chart pg. 17)
LAST MEETING: 41-38 Baylor win in 2013 | ODB Game Hub
LAST GAME (for TCU): 37-33 W vs. OU
SB NATION BLOG: Frogs O' War, at right
SPREAD: Baylor -10 (Open: Baylor -10.5)
TV COVERAGE: ABC
WEATHER FORECAST: Partly to mostly cloudy skies with scattered thunderstorms in the morning. High near 85F. Winds WSW at 10 to 15 mph. Chance of rain 50%.
BAYLOR UNIFORMS: Unknown

SB Nation TCU Preview
BaylorBears.com Preview
Horned Frogs vs Bears coverage

About the TCU-Baylor Rivalry

I'm not going to sugarcoat it: when Baylor and TCU play, it represents a meeting of two fanbases with a lot of history, acrimony, and, if we're being honest, similarity between them.  That makes almost any discussion about a game like this a breeding ground for name-calling, trolling, and the like. You'll see a lot of Baylor fans talking crap about TCU in other places and vice versa, a lot of people talking about how much they don't like the other side or what they wish would happen to that guy they met once that was a total douchebag and definitely represents every single Bear/Horned Frog (depending on your alignment) in existence.

I can't tell you not to hate the Horned Frogs.  Horned Frogs, I can't tell you not to hate the Bears.  Part of being a fan is having strong feelings with almost no justification, and that's fine.  I can't change the way you feel, nor do I want to detract from the overall atmosphere of the game itself, which should be amazing.  What I can tell you is that if you come here as a troll, you will be banned as a troll.  The same goes if you leave here as one to head somewhere else.  You may think that's just a natural part of online interaction, but I don't care.  All are welcome here as long as they are civil, and that rule applies no matter the color of the jersey you root for on Saturday.

TCU Horned Frogs' 2014 Schedule

I didn't realize before doing this post that TCU has played a grand total of zero games outside the DFW Metroplex, with their only away game so far coming against SMU in Dallas two weeks ago.   I also did not realize that they've had two bye weeks already with a third coming before their game in Austin on 11/27.  That's a very favorable schedule for implementing a new offense and getting it off the ground.

TCU in 2014

Speaking of that new offense-- if you've somehow avoided paying any attention at all to TCU's football team thus far this season, you're going to be very surprised to see that everything you thought you knew about the Horned Frogs' offense is now wrong.  Over the offseason, TCU brought in two new coaches-- Sonny Cumbie from Texas Tech and Doug Meacham from Houston-- and named them co-offensive coordinators.  With them came the New Hotness of college football: an up-tempo spread attack designed to bring TCU out of the offensive Dark Ages.  That change spurred the obvious question asked by the subtitle to Bill C's TCU preview linked above: Could tweaking the offense provide the missing link for TCU Football?

So far, the answer is a resounding yes.  Always a defensive powerhouse under Gary Patterson and longtime DC Dick Bumpas, TCU now boasts one of the best statistical offenses in the country, a unit finally capable of turning a weakness into a strength and a one-dimensional team into a complete unit.  They've gone from unranked to #9 in a matter of weeks, along the way notching their first huge win of their Big 12 tenure and changing the complexion of their program going forward.

TCU's Individual Statistics

Quarterbacks

The big story of TCU's season thus far has been the play of junior Trevone Boykin, a player Baylor fans know well from his destruction of our defense in that awful 2012 game, our last loss in Waco.  After playing WR during much of last season following Casey Pachall's return, Boykin seized the starter's job in the offseason over Aggie transfer Matt Joeckel and has almost bested his 2013 statistics in just four games.  So far, he's avoided turning the ball over, improved his completion percentage, and run TCU's new offense as well as can possibly be expected.

Running Backs

Clearly, because I just talked about him with the QBs, Boykin is not a running back.  Still, he's TCU's leading rusher, meaning this will be the second game in the last three where Baylor faces a team led in rushing by a dual-threat QB.

Yes, that Aaron Green is the same one that played at San Antonio Madison in high school, initially went to Nebraska after supposedly considering Baylor, and then transferred.

Wide Receivers

That's a lot of receivers to know.  Listenbee leads the way in yardage, Doctson in catches.  TCU has been remarkably good at distributing the load so far this year.

TCU's Team Stats and Rankings

We're taking a clear step up in opponent difficult this week.  F/+ hasn't yet updated because the FEI components are missing, but S&P+ rates TCU 11th overall against Baylor's 6th and gives them the #12 and #18 offense and defense, respectively.  They are a healthy #16 in the country in total defense per the chart above and #7 in total defense.  It's worth noting that because they have only played 4 games, some of the pure counting stats above are skewed, like first down offense and defense (both of which just count first downs obtained and allowed).

QUESTION TIME!

• FIRST -- Do you have any specific questions about TCU that we can have answered?
• SECOND -- How worried are you about Bryce Petty at this moment?
  
• THIRD -- Have you watched the TCU-OU game?  If so, I'd like your impressions.  If not ... watch it, I guess.
  
• FOURTH -- How scared are you to face a legitimately talented dual-threat QB in Boykin?
• FIFTH -- What uniform combo do you want to see this week at home?
  
• BONUS -- Had GameDay chosen Baylor-TCU, what would your sign have said?  Assume for a second that signs can contain gifs.