Oregon State
5th PAC-125-7
Texas Christian
1st Mountain West12-0
Oregon State @ Texas Christian preview
AT&T Stadium
TCU came as close as any non-BCS school to the BCS national championship last year. After all, if Nebraska had held on to defeat Texas in the Big 12 championship game, the Horned Frogs likely would have played for the crown. Instead, TCU ended up in the Fiesta Bowl, where it fell to Boise State.
TCU, which at No. 6 has its highest-ever preseason ranking, begins this season with title hopes again. Those could vanish quickly, though, in Saturday’s tough opener against No. 24 Oregon State at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex.
This is their first meeting. It’s also one of only two games on Saturday featuring two Top-25 teams.
TCU has a lot of believers, as evidenced by its status as a near two-touchdown favorite. The Horned Frogs are 13-3 in their last 16 games against teams from BCS conferences.
TCU returns 16 starters, nine on offense. Quarterback Andy Dalton, tackle Marcus Cannon and wideout Jeremy Kerley are among the standouts.
Dalton will become TCU’s all-time winning quarterback this season: he’s currently tied with the legendary Sammy Baugh at 29 victories. Cannon, at 6-foot-6 and 350 pounds, is one of the top offensive linemen in the nation. And Kerley, who led the team with 44 receptions for 532 yards last year, has game-changing speed that he also displays on special teams.
Defensively, TCU lost end Jerry Hughes to the NFL, but returns end Wayne Daniels, who had 5 ½ sacks last season. Tejay Johnson, who tied for a team-high three interceptions, leads the secondary.
For its part, Oregon State has traditionally scheduled tough non-conference games under coach Mike Riley. The Beavers haven’t fared too well, losing at LSU in 2004, Louisville in 2005 and Penn State in 2008.
But the Beavers will be formidable Saturday. Star running back Jacquizz Rodgers is from Texas and wants to impress the home folks. Rodgers finished with 1,440 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore. His older brother, James Rodgers, caught 91 balls for 1,034 yards and nine scores.
The Rodgers brothers must carry the offense; sophomore quarterback Ryan Katz has played in just four games and could get rattled.
This will be the Beavers’ second straight game against a Mountain West opponent. Oregon State ended last season with a 44-20 loss to BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.
TCU, which at No. 6 has its highest-ever preseason ranking, begins this season with title hopes again. Those could vanish quickly, though, in Saturday’s tough opener against No. 24 Oregon State at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Tex.
This is their first meeting. It’s also one of only two games on Saturday featuring two Top-25 teams.
TCU has a lot of believers, as evidenced by its status as a near two-touchdown favorite. The Horned Frogs are 13-3 in their last 16 games against teams from BCS conferences.
TCU returns 16 starters, nine on offense. Quarterback Andy Dalton, tackle Marcus Cannon and wideout Jeremy Kerley are among the standouts.
Dalton will become TCU’s all-time winning quarterback this season: he’s currently tied with the legendary Sammy Baugh at 29 victories. Cannon, at 6-foot-6 and 350 pounds, is one of the top offensive linemen in the nation. And Kerley, who led the team with 44 receptions for 532 yards last year, has game-changing speed that he also displays on special teams.
Defensively, TCU lost end Jerry Hughes to the NFL, but returns end Wayne Daniels, who had 5 ½ sacks last season. Tejay Johnson, who tied for a team-high three interceptions, leads the secondary.
For its part, Oregon State has traditionally scheduled tough non-conference games under coach Mike Riley. The Beavers haven’t fared too well, losing at LSU in 2004, Louisville in 2005 and Penn State in 2008.
But the Beavers will be formidable Saturday. Star running back Jacquizz Rodgers is from Texas and wants to impress the home folks. Rodgers finished with 1,440 rushing yards and 21 touchdowns as a sophomore. His older brother, James Rodgers, caught 91 balls for 1,034 yards and nine scores.
The Rodgers brothers must carry the offense; sophomore quarterback Ryan Katz has played in just four games and could get rattled.
This will be the Beavers’ second straight game against a Mountain West opponent. Oregon State ended last season with a 44-20 loss to BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl.