Update: We could be here a while.
How to watch Texas vs. TCU: Preview, TV time, odds and more
Texas will try to stay undefeated in the Big 12 against the struggling Horned Frogs.
Brendan Maloney-US PRESSWIRE
Per Big 12 rules, there is no curfew for how late a game can resume or be played.
— Mark Cohen (@TCUSID) October 27, 2013
If you can't find FOX Sports 2, the TCU-Texas football game will also be carried locally on FOX Sports Southwest.
— Mark Cohen (@TCUSID) October 27, 2013
The preseason consensus was that TCU was primed to make a run at the Big 12 championship in their second year in the league, but instead it’s Texas who enters Saturday’s game in Forth Worth looking to keep pace with Baylor and Texas Tech at the top of the league. Despite already having three conference losses, the Horned Frogs still have a lot to play for and could jump-start a strong finish to the 2013 season with a win against the Longhorns.
Separated by just 187 miles on I-35, TCU and Texas could develop into a compelling Big 12 rivalry, and that might start with what is expected to be a closely fought game in Fort Worth this Saturday evening. The game will mark the 84th meeting between the two schools but just the 3rd since the Southwest Conference disbanded following the 1995 season.
There will be plenty of interesting match-ups to focus on in this one. TCU's strong run defense will have to find a way to hold off Johnathan Gray and the Texas rushing attack. The Horned Frogs' sputtering offense will be try to find a way to succeed against Texas' inconsistent defense. Was the vast improvement that Texas showed two weeks again in the Red River Shootout a mirage or a sign of improvement under new defensive coordinator Greg Robinson? We'll have a better idea after Saturday night.
The numbers
Rankings and records: Texas is 3-0 in conference play, just behind Texas Tech and Baylor who are 4-0 against Big 12 opponents. TCU is 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12, so they’re technically still in the hunt but would need to win out and catch a lot of breaks to grab a share of the conference championship.
Texas holds a 61-21-1 advantage in the series, which dates back to 1897.
Weather: 72 degrees with at 40% chance of rain.
Three names to know
Johnathan Gray -- The former blue-chip prospect has been Texas’ workhorse at running back in 2013, carrying the ball 111 times for 562 yards and four touchdowns. He’ll be matched up agains a stout Horned Frog run defense that is the strongest unit on the entire TCU roster. If the Texas offensive line is able to create space for Gray to run, it could be a long day for TCU.
B.J. Catalon -- Not many things have gone right for the TCU offense this year, but B.J. Catalon has been a bright spot. The sophomore running back has 359 rushing yards and 5 touchdowns on just 69 carries and has seen his touches steadily increase throughout the year.
Trevone Boykin -- Boykin has had to step in at quarterback after Casey Pachall broke his arm against Southeast Louisiana, and Boykin's ability to minimize mistakes have been directly correlated with TCU's ability to win. Boykin has 7 interceptions to 5 touchdown passes on the season. Five of those interception have come in losses to Oklahoma State and Texas Tech. (The other two came in a win against Kansas. Throwing two interceptions is difficult to over come unless you're playing Kansas.)
Two things at stake
After Texas got smoked by Ole Miss on Sept. 14th, Mack Brown’s post-game comment that everything would be OK once the Longhorns won the Big 12 was the laughingstock of college football. But the Longhorns are now 3-0 in conference play and will continue to control their own destiny if they just keep winning.
After coming into 2013 as an attractive sleeper pick in the Big 12, the Horned Frogs (1-3 in conference play) are trying to do everything they can to get to pull to 4-4 on the year to put themselves in good position to win at least two of their last four games and become bowl-eligible.
How to witness
TV: The FOX Sports 1 will be begins at 7:30 PM ET. Craig Bolerjack will be on play-by-play, Joey Harrington will add color commentary, and Ryan Nece will be working the sidelines.
Radio: Terrestrial radio and online streaming information for the Longhorn Radio Network can be found here (pdf). The Horned Frog faithful can find their radio options here.
Online streaming: No legal options.
Further reading
Read more about the Texas football at SB Nation’s Texas Longhorn sites Barking Carnival and Burnt Orange Nation, which takes an in-depth at the Horned Frogs’ statistical profile. For news and analysis on TCU, be sure to stop by Frogs O’War.
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