Baylor @ Texas Christian preview

Last Meeting ( Sep 1, 2007 ) Baylor 0, Texas Christian 27

TCU and Baylor have a long history together. TCU was originally located in Waco until a fire forced the school to move to Fort Worth in 1910. The teams were rivals in the Southwest Conference for more than 70 years. And, when the SWC split up, TCU fans still haven’t forgotten how Baylor used political pull to get in the Big 12 Conference over them.

Now, TCU and Baylor meet for just the third time since the bitter SWC split after the 1996 season. The fifth-ranked Horned Frogs (2-0) host the Bears (2-0) on Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The series began in 1899, with the teams playing to a scoreless tie. The all-time series record is tied at 49-49-7.

A victory over a Big 12 school would boost TCU’s BCS resume, while a win over a top-five team would bolster Baylor’s status.

TCU won its last meeting against Baylor, rolling to a 27-0 home victory in 2007. That year, Frogs quarterback Andy Dalton was a freshman making his college debut. He completed 18-of-30 passes for 205 yards and a touchdown.

Now, Dalton is one of the most decorated quarterbacks in TCU history. He has led TCU to 31 victories, and is the nation’s leader in victories by an active quarterback.

Dalton is coming off an impressive game, as TCU defeated Tennessee Tech 62-7 on Saturday. Dalton was 15-of-21 for 182 yards and a touchdown. He also had a 19-yard scoring run.

While the 62-point offensive performance is impressive, the Frogs’ defense played just as well.

TCU senior defensive back Alex Ibiloye was named the Mountain West defensive player of the week, as he had nine tackles and forced three fumbles. Sophomore linebacker Tanner Brock also had nine tackles, and senior defensive end Wayne Daniels had 1½ sacks.

Baylor, meanwhile, has had its own impressive defensive showings in its first two weeks, not allowing a touchdown. The Bears defeated Sam Houston State 34-3 and Buffalo 34-6.

The Bears’ secondary has been very impressive and senior defensive back Byron Landor leads the team in tackles with 13. Last week, sophomore defensive back Chance Casey had a team-high eight tackles.

Offensively, Baylor will look to sophomore quarterback Robert Griffin III, who has had an impressive start to the season. In fact, Griffin’s next rushing touchdown will give him 19, the most by a quarterback in school history – and he has played in only 17 career games.

Griffin is ranked 13th nationally in total offense (312.5) and 55th in passing efficiency (134.47).

In its last 17 games against BCS schools, TCU is 14-3, and is 5-2 in its last seven games against Big 12 opponents.