Posted on September 17, 2018, by Travis Pulver
Every year the media wants to shout from the rooftops that the Texas Longhorns are back. But then they do something like lose to Maryland in the season opener, and things get quiet. But then they beat Tulsa, and now a thorough dismantling of USC has some ready to talk big once again.
But the Trojans are rebuilding this season. Beating them is nice, but it doesn’t mean nearly as much as Longhorns fans may think. However, should they score a win over TCU this week…now that would open some eyes.
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However, the Horned Frogs have been a tough team in recent years. While they lost by 12 to Ohio State last weekend, they gave the Buckeyes a decent game. Can Texas matchup with them at home?
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Table of Contents
Texas
It wasn’t looking good for the Longhorns after the first quarter last week as they fell behind 14-3. But then the defense shut USC out for the remainder of the game as the offense scored 34 unanswered points.
“I ain’t gonna lie: I feel like we kinda proved that we’re back,” Texas cornerback Kris Boyd said after the game. “But it’s just the beginning.”
To their credit, the Texas defense did have a good night—against the run, at least. The Trojans running backs combined for just 21 yards and two touchdowns on 13 carries. However, while the Longhorns succeeded in stuffing the run, Daniels had 322 yards through the air (30-48)
On offense, they made the most of some big plays scoring on strikes of 47 and 27 yards. The defense also returned a blocked field goal for a touchdown, and quarterback Sam Ehlinger ran one in from four yards out.
There is some talent on the offensive side of the ball but beating the Trojans defense is nothing to hang your hat on this season. TCU’s defense will put up a much tougher fight.
TCU
The Horned Frogs faced a tough one last week in Ohio State. With a new quarterback and other new starters on both sides of the ball, the odds were long heading into that game. So, the loss isn’t surprising. But how it came about is actually encouraging.
Ohio State put up 77 points in Week One against Oregon State and 52 against Rutgers the week after. TCU’s defense held one of the most potent and high-powered offenses in the country to just 26 points. Their offense actually outscored the Buckeyes (28 points).
But the Buckeyes are CFB Playoff contenders for a reason. They get the job done on both sides of the ball. The 14 points they scored off of two turnovers ended up being the difference in the game.
Young, inexperienced teams make mistakes that can lose games, especially against teams like Ohio State. That was certainly the case last week. But that also means that they are talented. With experience and good coaching, they are going to erase the mistakes and become even better than they already are.
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So—who’s going to win?
Both teams have good receivers and decent (but not great) running backs. At quarterback, they are about even. Shawn Robinson may give TCU a slight edge since he is more of a threat to run than Texas B Sam Ehlinger. But the game will be decided by the defenses.
The Texas defense has done well against lesser teams, but TCU may be a little much for them to handle. The Horned Frogs defense, on the other hand, is built to run with the big dogs. TCU is favored by three, but they will win by at least seven. Take the Horned Frogs and give the points.