TCU vs. Texas Complete Game Preview

The Texas Longhorns will look to end their season on a high note with a Thanksgiving night upset over No. 5 TCU. But the task of taking down the Horned Frogs will be far from easy.

The Horned Frogs went from missing a bowl game in 2013 to being in contention for the College Football Playoff the following season. And their turnaround is not a fluke.

Some may consider this game an automatic win for TCU and yet another loss for Texas.

But if recent history has proved anything, it's that it's not a wise decision to count out the Longhorns in November.

First-year head coach Charlie Strong's message to the team following the loss to Kansas State ignited a fire under the Longhorns to finish off the season the right way. Texas has won three consecutive games and will look to continue the winning streak against TCU.

Will the Horned Frogs be too much for the Longhorns to handle? Let's take a look.

When: Thursday, Nov. 27, 7:30 p.m. ET

Where: Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas

TV: Fox

Austin radio: KVET 98.1/1300

SiriusXM satellite radio: XM 202; Sirius 117; Internet 969; Spanish 550

Last meeting: Oct. 26, 2013; Fort Worth, Texas

Last meeting outcome: Texas 30, TCU 7

Opening spread: TCU (-7.5), per OddsShark.com

Texas' Keys to Victory

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Prepare with a Fighting Mentality

The Longhorns have discussed the importance of making it to a bowl game all season. The team achieved that goal against Oklahoma State but has to enter Saturday's game with a fighting mentality.

Texas has a chance to finish the regular season on a four-game winning streak. It obviously wouldn't erase the five losses the Longhorns suffered earlier in the year, but finishing November with an undefeated record and upsetting two Top 25 opponents in the month would give Texas a lot of momentum heading into next season.

The Longhorns have proved they can fight to become bowl eligible, now they have the chance to prove they can fight against the No. 5 team in the country. 

Texas needs to prepare for this game the same way it did before becoming bowl eligible. It will not end well for the Longhorns if they head into this game overconfident or too comfortable.

Contain TCU's High-Powered Offense

The Horned Frogs have surprised the college football nation this season. TCU went from a 4-8 record without a bowl bid in 2013 to being in contention for the College Football Playoff. 

And a major reason for the turnaround is the offense.

Since hiring co-offensive coordinators Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie, TCU has averaged 45.9 points and 541.6 yards per game and ranks as the No. 2 scoring offense and No. 4 total offense in the nation.

The spread offense has posed a threat to opposing defenses this season, but one could argue the Horned Frogs have not faced a defense as talented as the Longhorns.

Texas can slow down spread offenses. Baylor quarterback Bryce Petty went so far to say in his postgame press conference his head was "still spinning" from the number of different looks the Texas defense gave him.

The Longhorns will need to constantly change up the looks the defense gives to the Horned Frogs offense to attempt to throw Trevone Boykin off his game Thursday night.

TCU's Keys to Victory

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Play with a Purpose

TCU and Texas have been fighting to prove their worth all season. But the teams are competing in two different battles.

While the Longhorns fought with all of their might to become bowl eligible, the Horned Frogs have battled to prove themselves as worthy playoff contenders to the College Football Playoff committee.

Texas has achieved its season-long goal, but TCU has not.

A lot is on the line for the Horned Frogs, and they will need to play a solid game to catch the attention of the committee. TCU has a favorable matchup against Texas, but the team has to be prepared to put up a fight. If the Horned Frogs enter Thursday's game with a win-at-all-cost mentality, they will likely leave with a victory.

If TCU expects to beat Texas handily and comes to Austin with an overconfident mindset—similar to the way West Virginia approached the game against Texas—the Horned Frogs' playoff hopes could be shattered by the Longhorns.

Rattle the Longhorns Offense

TCU head coach Gary Patterson has a history of putting together stout defenses.

Even though many people have focused on the Horned Frogs' offensive success, the defense has been solid all season.

The Texas offense has been fairly consistent over the last three games, and TCU needs to put a stop to the recent progress. Quarterback Tyrone Swoopes is coming off one of his better performances of the season against Oklahoma State, but the sophomore has struggled to play consistently well throughout the year. 

The Horned Frogs need to put extra pressure on Swoopes early in the game and attempt to rattle the young quarterback. 

Texas Players to Watch

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DT Malcom Brown

Junior defensive tackle Malcom Brown has gradually become a quarterback's nightmare. The 6'2", 320-pound junior leads the Longhorns with 6.5 sacks and 14 tackles for loss. He is a finalist for the Nagurski Trophy, which is given to the nation's defensive player of the year, and a semifinalist for the Outland Trophy, which is awarded to the best interior lineman in the country.

Some Texas fans may expect Brown will declare for the NFL following his junior season, which would make Thursday's game his final time playing in Darrell K Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. 

Brown has the opportunity to make a statement for his future by shutting down one of the top offenses in the country.

WR John Harris

Wide receiver John Harris is arguably one of the best Cinderella stories in recent Texas football history. The fifth-year senior went from being a highly touted prospect coming out of high school to a non-factor who was lost on the depth chart following his redshirt freshman year.

Harris contemplated walking away from football prior to the 2014 season but decided to fight to prove himself to the new coaching staff.

And the fight paid off for the wide receiver.

Harris leads the Longhorns in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns this season. He ranks No. 17 nationally with 976 total receiving yards and No. 20 with 88.7 average receiving yards per game.

Harris is 24 yards shy of reaching 1,000 receiving yards and will look to achieve that milestone against the Horned Frogs.

TCU Players to Watch

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QB Trevone Boykin

TCU's shift to an uptempo, spread offense has done wonders for Boykin's football future. The quarterback struggled to get in a rhythm during his first two seasons playing for the Horned Frogs, which wasn't surprising considering the number of times his position was switched between wide receiver and quarterback.

But 2014 has been a breakout season for the redshirt junior, who is currently listed at No. 3 on ESPN's 2014 Heisman Watch.

A solid performance from Boykin could potentially sway the opinion of the Heisman Trophy voters, as well as help make a statement to the College Football Playoff committee.

RB Aaron Green

Junior running back Aaron Green has played the backup role to B.J. Catalon for the majority of the season. But when Catalon suffered a torso injury against West Virginia, the former backup was ready to take control of the ground game.

Green averaged roughly 47 rushing yards through the first eight games of the season but totaled 299 yards on the ground and three touchdowns against Kansas State and Kansas.

On Monday's Big 12 football coaches' teleconference, Patterson said he did not have an injury update for Catalon. With his status up in the air, Green could play a significant role in Thursday's game.

What They're Saying

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Texas Head Coach Charlie Strong:

"It's going to be a big challenge for us. We're going to have to play very well in order to win this football game. We're going to have to execute. Also, for our seniors, we need to send them out the right way. They've done a great job this season. Through everything they've been through with adversity, you see a group that's really come together and played well these last three weeks. That's the reason why we're in the position we're in right now."

TCU Head Coach Gary Patterson:

"Our kids are fired up about playing in the game. They have an opportunity to get to 10 wins and a chance to share a conference title. We're playing Texas, but we're also playing for ourselves and the things we are trying to get accomplished. That's what we're trying to get done and also keeping ourselves in playoff contention. Our job is to keep our nose down and to finish the journey. That's what we're trying to get accomplished."

Texas Cornerback Quandre Diggs:

"We're not playing spoiler to anyone. We're just going to go out and compete. We just want to play football, no spoiler. Go play football, go out and compete and not even worry about the rankings. It's a big game. It's a big opportunity for us. Those guys are good. I appreciate the opportunity to go out and match up with a high-powered offense and a great team. We just want to go out and compete."

Prediction

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The Longhorns' final game of the regular season could very easily go either way. Texas is on a three-game winning streak and has come together as a team to battle for bowl eligibility. Everything has gone in the Longhorns' direction in November.

But finishing out the season with a win over No. 5 TCU is difficult to predict. 

While the Longhorns have shown progress for the future of the program, the talent on TCU's team is impossible to ignore.

In one of the most significant wins of the season, the Horned Frogs racked up 41 points on Kansas State—a team that shut out the Longhorns—and fought their way No. 4 in the College Football Playoff rankings.

The following week, TCU escaped a near-death experience against Kansas, which dropped the Horned Frogs to No. 5. But expecting the same team that struggled on the road in Lawrence to show up Thursday night in Austin is illogical.

The Horned Frogs have everything to lose and are fighting to prove their worth. A solid win over the Longhorns could be exactly what the College Football Playoff committee needs to see to place TCU in the Top Four.

There's a good possibility this game could turn into a defensive battle, but in the end, the Horned Frogs have a better chance of outscoring the inconsistent Longhorns offense.

Prediction: TCU 31, Texas 24

Unless otherwise noted, all quotes were obtained firsthand.

Taylor Gaspar is Bleacher Report's featured columnist covering the Texas Longhorns. Follow Taylor on Twitter: @Taylor_Gaspar.