West Virginia Mountaineers Vs. TCU Horned Frogs Preview: Season 125, Episode 6 - The One With Extra Hype

OPENING THOUGHTS

So I’d say it’s been a pretty eventful week. The Big 12 confirmed that expansion is dead and schools of the likes of BYU, Cincinnati and Houston were severely disappointed at the decision. Other schools that were being considered were Air Force, UCF, Colorado State, UConn, Rice (really?), South Florida, SMU, Temple and Tulane.

I think my favorite quote of the Big 12’s press conference on Monday was when University of Oklahoma president David Boren mentioned that any school’s time put into making presentations for admittance to the conference was ‘not wasted effort’. BUT YOU DIDN’T ADD ANYBODY!!!! It’s the definition of wasted effort!!

Honestly though, I’m seriously concerned about what will happen to WVU after the Big 12 grant of rights deal end in 2025. If the Big 12 is as strong of a model as Boren and Big 12 commissioner Bob Bowlsby says it is, WVU should be fine. However, I don’t think that it is. I believe that in 2025, the conference will appear just as weak as it does now and Texas, Oklahoma, Texas Tech and Oklahoma State will bolt for the Pac-12. That leaves WVU in another sinking ship of a conference and we’d either have to prey that the ACC takes us or we’d be stuck in a reincarnation of the American.

It’s nine years down the road still, but I can’t help but think that this is the beginning of the end of the conference.

Anyway, the Mountaineers have got another interesting conference match up against TCU this week. In the past, we’ve been heartbroken every time the Horned Frogs have come to Morgantown but this might be the year to break that streak.

At first, I was worried that with all of the positive press that West Virginia had gotten over the weekend, the Mountaineers would be primed to disappoint. Thanks to ESPN’s Joey Galloway though, we’ve still got enough negativity to keep a chip on our shoulder.

Thank you very much Joey!! Can’t wait for you to be proven wrong!!

Also, Baylor is idle this weekend. So if WVU manages to handle Kenny Hill and the Horned Frogs, a Dec. 3 de facto Big 12 Championship in Morgantown is still possible.

WHEN/WHERE

Date: Saturday, October 22nd

Kickoff Time: 3:30 PM ET

Where: The House That Epipens Built, Morgantown, WV

Tickets: General Public ; WVU Students

WATCH/LISTEN

TV: ABC or ESPN2 (Coverage Map)

Streaming Video: WatchESPN (or the WatchESPN app for smartphones)

Radio: WZST Variety 101 (100.9 FM in Morgantown) and the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG (Radio Affiliates)

Streaming Audio: Locate the Mountaineer Sports Network from IMG on TuneIn Radio (or TuneIn app for smartphones)

Satellite Radio: Sirius 136; XM 199

THREADS

West Virginia:

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

TCU:

Photo by Brett Deering/Getty Images

ODDS

Spread: WVU by 5 to 6.5 (according to OddsShark)

O/U: 65-65.5

Bill C:

Spread (Home)	S&P Projection	Margin	Win Prob.	S&P+ Pick (ATS)	F/+ Projection	F/+ Pick (ATS)
-6.0	West Virginia (35.1-30.9)	4.2	59.5%	TCU	West Virginia by 7.9	West Virginia

WEATHER FORECAST:

Cold and rainy in the morning, but should be dry by kickoff. Highs should only get up into the low to mid 50s with lows getting into the lower 40s for those driving back to Parkersburg, Charleston or Beckley.

THE ENEMY

Where are they from? Fort Worth, Texas

All-Time Series: TCU leads the series 3-2

Last Year: No. 3 TCU 40, WVU 10

SB Nation Blog: Frogs O’ War

Record: 4-2 (2-1 Big 12)

Head Coach: Gary Patterson

KEY TO THE GAME

• Contain Kenny Hill. Hill is having his most productive season in his career. He is on pace to have a much more productive season than the eight games he started for Texas A&M back in 2014. If Tony Gibson’s DAWGS can bring it like they did against Patrick Mahomes and the Red Raiders, WVU should be in good shape.

HOW AFRAID SHOULD WE BE (ON A SCALE OF 1-10)?

The history of the series along with the extre hype that WVU has received leads me to be at about a 6. I am just as afraid of TCU as I would be if I were behind the wheel of a Mercedes that crashes into a department store. I’m fine, the car’s fine, but I can’t come back from the financial damages.

PREDICTION THAT WILL BE WRONG

West Virginia and TCU should cancel each other out for the most part throughout the first half. Let’s just say, for the sake of argument, the halftime score will be 17-14 Horned Frogs. WVU will go on a large scoring run in the third quarter and by the end of it will be up 35-17. TCU will score a couple more TDs very late in the game to make the final score respectable.

West Virginia 35, TCU 31