TCU and Utah on Collision Course: Can Anyone Stop Mountain West's BCS Busters?
Cute little Boise State with the blue turf and baby-faced QB is getting all the pub this year as a BCS buster and national title contender.
But there's another battle brewing that may knock the wind out of the Broncos' sails and leapfrog the winner into BCS title contention.
And it's brewing out west.
With BCS bowl...nay...BCS title implications on the line, it's never to early to begin the breakdown as we count down the weeks to this potentially epic game.
The players? The University of Utah and Texas Christian University.
This year's game should be bigger than ever...
BCS Title Hopes on the Line
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TCU is already ranked fourth in the country. Utah sits at No. 13 in each poll. With parity in college football this year as common as drunk SEC fans, it's likely both teams will climb higher.
TCU can't go too far, as Alabama looks extremely good and Ohio State plays a weakened Big Ten. Boise has a tough game against Oregon State and then pink-frosted cupcakes until Nevada.
Utah, meanwhile, could climb much higher, as the teams in front of it in the rankings will be forced to cannibalize each other.
That sets up a likely match of a No. 3 or 4-ranked TCU and a No. 8 or 10-ranked Utah.
The only possible hiccups could be...
Ryan is the publisher of BYUUtahRivalry.com. You can follow him at twitter.com/ryanteeples.
Only Falcons, Aztecs, and Irish Eyes Could End the Smiles
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Pittsburgh and Oregon State have been dispatched by Utah and TCU respectively.
BYU is struggling, while Mountain West bottom feeders Wyoming, New Mexico, Colorado State, and UNLV show no signs of putting up a fight.
So will anything stand in the way of a BIG-time showdown between the Utes and Horned Frogs on November 6 in Salt Lake City?
Not likely.
TCU's three toughest opponents (sans Utah) are BYU, San Diego State, and Air Force. But the Frogs get them all at home.
Utah has the same three games, plus a long trip to South Bend to play Notre Dame in November. The Irish aren't looking stellar, but any time you make the trip to ND, it's a tough go.
That said, both schools should triumph against their schedules.
So what about a team not on the schedule? What about Boise?
Ryan is the publisher of BYUUtahRivalry.com. You can follow him at twitter.com/ryanteeples.
But Could the Winner Really Leapfrog the Beloved Broncos of Boise State?
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Yes—and there's certainly no guarantee the Broncos will be undefeated at year's end.
First, Boise has to beat an extremely talented Oregon State team that TCU already beat soundly. Sure, the game is in Boise, but don't expect the Beavers to be intimidated playing in a stadium that holds 30,000, soaking wet blue turf notwithstanding.
Let's also not look past that November 26 showdown in Reno against a Nevada team that has some serious offensive firepower to match Boise State's explosiveness.
But let's assume Boise does win both of those games and Ohio State slips up.
Would the voters, and more importantly computers, keep Boise State ahead of a Utah or TCU team with a much stronger schedule?
All we can do is guess, but seeing how significantly the computers have penalized Boise State in the past, it's not a big leap in logic.
So in the end, what does the best-case scenario look like for the Frogs and/or Utes?
Ryan is the publisher of BYUUtahRivalry.com. You can follow him at twitter.com/ryanteeples.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
A Utah-Alabama Rematch? How About TCU-Texas?
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OK, at this point, it's a waste of time—but a fun one nonetheless.
If the winner of the Utah-TCU game keeps its record intact, it could certainly play for the title.
Who wouldn't love a rematch of the 2009 Sugar Bowl, when Utah beat down Alabama?
Or how about an All-Texas national title game with the Frogs taking on the Longhorns?
Until then, our eyes are on November 6.
Ryan is the publisher of BYUUtahRivalry.com. You can follow him at twitter.com/ryanteeples.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
