Nov 21, 2015; Stillwater, OK, USA; Baylor Bears quarterback Chris Johnson (13) throws a touchdown pass in the third quarter against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Boone Pickens Stadium. Baylor won 45-35. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-USA TODAY Sports
Those short-sighted preseason predictions would’ve pegged this week’s Baylor vs. TCU matchup as a battle royal and very likely national quarterfinal with the winner a shoo-in for the College Football Playoff.
Of course, things never seem to work out as clean and crisp as those forecasts project. As it stands, Baylor (9-1) is a long-shot to work its way into the CFP and TCU (9-2) is out with two losses.
But anyone who thinks this week’s game has lost its meaning clearly doesn’t know any Bears or Horned Frogs. In the last two seasons, the Baylor versus TCU matchup has become one of the most contentious in college football, particularly among the fans of the two programs.
In early October, the Robert Griffin III statue near Baylor’s McLane Stadium was vandalized with purple spray paint and, soon after, the score “61-58” (the margin by which Baylor defeated TCU in 2014) was spotted in various places on the TCU campus. It’s not difficult to figure out who the vandals were, or at least that they were supporters of the Bears and Horned Frogs sniping at each other.
The athletic directors of the two schools came out with a joint statement condemning the actions. But it didn’t do much to douse the flames of the rivalry.
Both Baylor coach Art Briles and TCU coach Gary Patterson had their minds on each other as soon as they walked off the field last Saturday. Briles mentioned having a game in six days — Baylor and TCU face off Friday night in Fort Worth — in his post game television interview.
Patterson took it to another level, saying the Baylor game affected his decision to go for a two-point conversion and attempt to defeat Oklahoma in regulation on Saturday night. The Horned Frogs’ pass failed and the Sooners escaped with a 30-29 win.
“If you go to three overtimes, you’ve got no chance to win that game next week,” Patterson said in his post game press conference.
Briles played it cool in his Monday press conference, saying that the Bears will prepare for this game like all of the challenges in the Big 12.
“Every time we play any Big 12 opponent, it’s going to be a hard-fought game and this is certainly going to be no different,” Briles said “We’ve had some great games with TCU over the last five or six years, and that’s because they’re a really good football team. They do a great job, work extremely hard, and are really well-coached and well-disciplined. That makes it a really good football game.”
NOTES, QUOTES
PLAYERS TO WATCH
–QB Chris Johnson was thrown into action in Saturday’s 45-35 victory at Oklahoma State when freshman QB Jarrett Stidham went down with ankle and hand injuries. Johnson gave a quality performance, highlighted by a 39-yard touchdown pass to Jay Lee and a 71-yard touchdown pass to KD Cannon. But how will Johnson play when he has a week to think about starting versus TCU?
–WR KD Cannon stepped into the big-play-receiver role as he caught five passes for 210 yards and two TDs versus Oklahoma State. It’s a dangerous proposition for any defensive coordinator to try to stop Cannon and Corey Coleman.
–DT Andrew Billings had the best game of a balanced defensive effort against Oklahoma State. Billings, while clogging up the middle, also posted two sacks totaling 17 yards in losses versus the Cowboys.
