It's that time of year again. Teams from large conferences, regardless of whether they are undefeated or not are in the discussion to play in the national championship game while teams from outside the "Big Six" are struggling to gain respect. Despite the fact that these small-conference teams can play with any team in the country, most teams are afraid to play them, forcing these teams to have weak non-conference schedule. Although it is a conference matchup, the game between TCU and Utah tomorrow will thrust each team into the national spotlight, but one of these teams will lose and end their hopes of playing for a national title. This game is effectively surrounded with a "go or go home" mentality. With a win, you keep your hopes alive of playing for the BCS National Championship. However, the team that loses will likely find themselves in a bowl game against a three or four loss "Big Six" team who they will likely beat.
Both TCU and Utah feature strong offenses, with both teams ranked in the top 10 nationally in points per game. TCU also features the top defensive unit in the country. TCU was able to steamroll UNLV last week 48-6, while Utah survived against Air Force to remain unbeaten, 28-23. Utah should have added motivation for this contest, as TCU won easily over the Utes, 55-28.
The Horned Frogs are led by senior quarterback Andy Dalton who has thrown for 16 touchdowns this season against just five interceptions. Jordan Wynn will be under center for the Utes, and the sophomore quarterback has shown remarkable consistency during his brief career. Both teams feature two-back systems with TCU using sophomore running backs Ed Wesley and Matthew Tucker, while Utah relies on seniors Eddie Wide and Matt Asiata to carry the load.
The matchup between the Horned Frogs and the Utes will be the first in Salt Lake City, since a 2008 13-10 Utah victory that led them to an eventual win over Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.
The highly anticipated matchup tomorrow at 3:30 p.m. will play a large role in determining which non-automatic qualifying teams will receive BCS bids. Expect a game with plenty of offensive firepower throughout.
Prediction: TCU 38-31
Sources used: espn.com, gofrogs.cstv.com, utahutes.cstv.com
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment