No. 5 TCU welcomes West Virginia to Fort Worth Thursday night, and the Horned Frogs will be aiming for a slightly more comfortable win over the Mountaineers than last year. TCU just barely escaped Morgantown with a 31-30 win last November, clinched by a last-second field goal.
How to watch West Virginia vs. TCU on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
Can the Mountaineers beat the Horned Frogs after a near miss last year, or will TCU keep on humming? Here’s how you can tune in, and what to watch for.
After some early bumps this year, the TCU offense is mowing teams down at an incredible clip. The Frogs are second in the nation in Offensive S&P+ (behind Baylor, naturally), which is more than enough to make up for their so-so performance on defense (59th in Def. S&P+).
West Virginia, meanwhile, has gone into a three-game losing streak after opening the year with three straight wins in impressive fashion. The Mountaineers are currently in the toughest part of their schedule, but the strong defensive performances of September have given way to some much uglier numbers in November. It will take a massive effort to slow down TCU’s offense enough to stay within striking distance.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Fox Sports 1
Radio: TCU | West Virginia
Online streaming: Fox Sports Go
Spread: TCU is favored by 14 points.
Make friends: Get to SB Nation’s team blog chats for this game at Frogs O’ War for TCU fans and The Smoking Musket for West Virginia fans.
Three big things to know
1. Playoff chances are yet again on the line. Just like every other week this season, TCU's College Football Playoff chances are on the line. It's difficult to say much with certainty in October, but a loss would probably put the Horned Frogs out of the running for a spot. West Virginia was the team that ended up spoiling Baylor's chances last year, so there would be some symmetry to them doing the same to TCU a year later.
2. Trevone Boykin gets his star turn. Heisman chatter has been dominated thus far by Leonard Fournette and the other workhorse running backs across the country, but Boykin can thrust his name into the conversation with a big game on Thursday night with the whole country watching. He's been magnificent this year and is beating or on pace to beat many of his eye popping stats that made him fourth in Heisman voting last year. Pull up a seat and enjoy watching him work. His partner in points, wide receiver Josh Doctson, is deserving of your attention, as well.
3. End of the hurt for WVU. Unlike seemingly every other Big 12 team, West Virginia’s conference schedule was frontloaded rather than backloaded. This game will mark the end of a four-week span in which the Mountaineers have played Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Baylor, and TCU. They’ve lost the first three of those four games, but can prime themselves for a soft finish to the season with a monster win over the Horned Frogs.
See More:
