TCU deserves to go to the national championship
There’s a top-5 team south of Red River that is 12-0, has two key victories over ranked teams and beat a non-conference team that is set to play in its conference championship game this weekend.
And oh yeah, I’m not talking about the Longhorns.
Fourth-ranked Texas Christian is undefeated and should have a spot in the national championship game. This is the year of the BCS buster.
TCU and Boise State are both lossless and in the top 10, but the Horned Frogs have a much beefier resume than the Smurfs.
TCU has decisive 38-7 and 55-28 victories over BYU and Utah, both ranked No. 16 at the time. Best of all, the Horned Frogs also toppled Clemson 14-10. The Tigers are now set to face Georgia Tech Saturday for the ACC championship.
That’s a more than adequate strength of schedule.
The biggest hurdle standing in the way of national championship glory for the Horned Frogs is the third-ranked, 12-0 Texas Longhorns.
Pending an expected win over Nebraska Saturday, the Texas Longhorns are also hoping to secure that spot against the SEC championship winner in the Big One.
I’d argue that TCU is more qualified to be there than Texas.
Texas beat eight teams that are going bowling this year; TCU beat seven. Texas’s combined opponent record is 74-70, TCU’s is 70-73. At first glance, the teams’ accomplishments seem fairly evenhanded.
Look closer.
Texas beat two teams that were ranked at that time, and so did TCU. The difference is both teams TCU beat are still ranked, but one of those ranked teams Texas beat was OU.
This year’s debilitated Big 12 conference is a far cry from the national prestige it enjoyed just a few months ago. In fact, I’d argue that Texas’ Big 12 schedule this year was no more difficult than TCU’s Mountain West schedule.
However, against an evenly-matched gauntlet of opponents, TCU showed itself to be more dominant.
Both teams have top-5 defenses: TCU’s is No. 2, just behind Florida, and Texas’ is No. 5. TCU’s offense is No. 5 in the country, and Texas’ is six spots lower at No. 11.
Combine TCU’s offense with their defense and you find the Horned Frogs have beaten their opponents by an average of four touchdowns this season.
So they not only won all 12 games—they won big.
The Horned Frogs are better across the board than Texas. TCU doesn’t have a Heisman hopeful quarterback-wide receiver tandum that accounts for nearly two-thirds of its overall offense like Texas does. Instead, the Horned Frogs are better overall with talent from top to bottom on both sides of the ball.
I think that any team that has the second-best defense and fifth-best offense paired with an undefeated record and signature wins deserves to play for the national championship. TCU is that team and deserves a chance to prove themselves against the Florida-Alabama winner.
And hey, if Nebraska pulls off an upset over Texas down in Jerryworld this weekend, the Horned Frogs might just get their chance.
James Corley
Texas deserves to go to the national championship
There's not much of an argument here because only way Texas doesn't go to to the national championship game against the winner of Florida and Alabama is if UT somehow loses in the Big 12 Championship against Nebraska.
Although on a positive note, I'll give it to TCU, they've had an amazing season. Any team that can go undefeated is obviously a talented team, and the TCU defense is certainly one of the best in the business.
But let us remember, TCU is in the Mountain West Conference. This conference doesn't compare to the SEC or Big 12. They claim four of the worst teams in all the land: UNLV, San Diego State, New Mexico, and Colorado State.
And TCU hasn't played a team ranked in the top 15 all season. If TCU would have, maybe they wouldn't even be in this situation. UT hasn't exactly had the toughest schedule either, but they played teams that were in and out of the rankings all season, and won.
TCU isn't going to get the chance to play for a national title very often, but it's a part of our generation of football. Teams like TCU are now more commonly sneaking into the national title hunt each year.
But come on. Let's not become sympathetic.
This is UT we're talking about here. UT quarterback Colt McCoy looks like he'd win the prestigious Heisman trophy if the season ended today. They have an array of exciting playmakers and have owned one of the toughest conferences the entire season.
There are a few factors that play into this decision.
UT carries a bigger fan base, which means more profit. Dollar signs are always top priority.
One also has to think about who is the better team. If UT and TCU were to play one another as a form of playoffs, I see no reason McCoy and wide receiver Jordan Shipley wouldn't be hooking up for a pair of touchdowns, and ultimately winning by a medium margin of points. It's obvious UT gets the top-tier talent in the state of Texas, and their team plays like it.
If UT loses against Nebraksa, I'm fine with putting TCU in there. But thinking TCU actually has a shot at the national title with the undefeated Goliath-like Longhorns controlling their destiny, that's simply ludicrous.
M.J. Casiano
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jordanh89 2 years, 5 months ago
texas is so over rated. i dont think they deserve a title shot. they couldn't hardly move the ball on offense against unranked nebraska. and that's playing like a #2 team in the country? yea right
leimapapa 2 years, 5 months ago
Hahaha! Never been so glad to be completely wrong. I dunno anymore... if UT loses...
leimapapa 2 years, 5 months ago
I liken TCU to Boise State the year they upset us in that one bowl game (which I refuse to mention for reasons of a spiteful nature). Sure, they may be able to barely beat a good team from a real conference on an off year, but there would be absolutely no way they could give (let's face it) probably Florida, a game. And as far as I'm concerned, whoever has the best shot of making sure Tebow doesn't smugly hold up that trophy for a second time, is who should be there. And from where I'm sitting, there are two teams capable of that. One of them is Alabama, (but God help me, I can't even bare to hope on the SEC title game. Bama CAN win, but they just won't. It's how the world works. I hope and pray I'm wrong, but I just don't see it playing out in Bama's favor without divine intervention.) and the other is UT.
biffula 2 years, 5 months ago
Casiano is on crack. In case you havent been watching Casiano, the MWC was better than the Big 12 this year. The Big 12 had Texas and....well, no one else. Nebraska has finally edged into the top 25 while the MWC has had 3 in the top 25 all season. TCU has played and beaten more ranked teams than UT this year as well. So just because its the Big 12, well, that argument doesnt wash this year. I have watched both teams play numerous times this year, and TCU would not just win, but stomp UT this year.
GERGreg427 2 years, 5 months ago
Casiano,
Really, “Fan Base”, that’s your reason? I thought football was played on the field, not in the stands by the fans.
OSU is the Texas teams big win who was #14, and guess what, they lost to OU who lost to (is now) #14BYU(who lost to 2 teams, one TCU and one Florida State who was destroyed by Clemson, who TCU beat @ Clemson) who TCU Dominated 38-7.
What are you trying to prove about the strength of schedule? Stop writing about things you do not know about and being a headline reader for your "Works Sited"
Oh, and the worse Conference in FCS is defiantly going to be Big 12 North.