The No. 2 TCU Horned Frogs still feel slighted for not earning a spot in the College Football Playoff, and the team validated itself as a national power in the Peach Bowl by annihilating Ole Miss, 42-3, to cap a 12-1 season. On its way to a 4-0 start, TCU mowed through Minnesota, 30-7, at home in the second week of the year.
How to watch TCU vs. Minnesota on TV or online, plus 3 things to know
TCU returns almost all of its potent offense from 2014 and will look to validate its national championship hopes with an opening win on the road over Minnesota.
Now the Minnesota Golden Gophers will look to shake off a disappointing end to the 2014 season by beginning 2015 with a big upset.
While Minnesota has made steady growth since hiring Jerry Kill, a win over TCU would be monumental. The Golden Gophers are listed as two-touchdown underdogs, according to OddsShark, despite being the home team.
The formula for Minnesota is to grind away with a plodding rushing attack that helps keep the defense fresh and win games of field position with elite special teams, so avoiding the quick strike offense of TCU will be key. With Heisman contender Trevone Boykin and almost the entire Horned Frogs’ offense returning, that’s a gigantic challenge to deal with.
How to watch, stream and listen
TV: Thursday, Sept. 3, 9 p.m. ET, ESPN (Dave Pasch, Brian Griese, Tom Luginbill) ... after South Carolina-North Carolina ends
Radio: WBAP 96.7 FM, 820 AM (TCU), KFAN 100.3 FM, KTCN 1130 AM (Minnesota)
Online streaming: WatchESPN
Three big things to know
- The AP Poll voters didn't deviate much from each other, with all 61 voters picking the Ohio State Buckeyes as the top team in the nation. The vast majority of voters also stayed consistent with their selection of TCU as the No. 2 team, although there were a few detractors. The biggest was Mitch Vingle of the Charleston Gazette-Mail, who had the Horned Frogs at No. 17.
- Last year's meeting was only the second-ever between the two teams and a win for TCU evened the all-time record at 1-1. The only other game between the two schools was in 1974, when Minnesota came away with a 9-7 victory.
- Minnesota is excited about the early-season test and even created its own version of Frogger to get people excited about the matchup against the Horned Frogs.
Further reading
For more on TCU, visit Frogs O’ War. For more on Minnesota, check out The Daily Gopher.
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