San Diego State at TCU Odds

Written by Matthew Martz

Coming off a substantial blowout triumph in their showdown battle with Utah, the undefeated Texas Christian University Horned Frogs have two games left to impress the BCS pollsters, starting with Saturday’s contest in Fort Worth against a respectable San Diego State squad.

Gary Patterson’s team starts play on Saturday ranked third in the current BCS standings, meaning they would have to theoretically win out and have one of the two teams ahead of them lose once in order to stake their claim to play in the BCS Championship Game

San Diego State (7-2, 4-1) +110 at TCU (10-0, 6-0) -110, Saturday 4PM EST Versus

Our college football odds show TCU at -23 ½ over the Aztecs with a game total of 53.

The Horned Frogs have certainly been one of the more impressive programs the last two seasons, winning 22 of their last 23 contests. While most rave about the offense at TCU, it is the defense that is playing at an equally high level of efficiency. TCU is allowing an average of just 8.5 points per game, forcing 17 turnovers and allowing just 215.5 total yards of offense per contest.

Sophomore linebacker Tanner Brock has been a beast for the TCU defense, leading the team with 77 tackles, including 4 ½ for a loss. It was this defensive group in last week’s demolition of Utah that limited the high-powered Utes offense to just 199 total yards, limiting Utah to just three of 13 on third down attempts.

Offensively, the Horned Frogs main weapon is quarterback Andy Dalton. Not only is he completing 67.5 percent of his passes, with 19 TD tosses and just five interceptions thrown, but he is also third on the team in rushing with 418 yards and five rushing scores.

The leading ground gainer is Ed Wesley, who has 11 touchdown runs and is just 12 yards shy of 1,000 for the season. Dalton’s main target in the air has been Jeremy Kerley, with 42 catches and seven touchdown receptions. Last week, it was Josh Boyce who caught two early touchdown passes, including a 93-yarder that signaled the start of the rout.

But the Horned Frogs better not sleep on the Aztecs, who are having a solid season themselves.

Head coach Brady Hoke has turned the program around at San Diego State in just his second season, and the Aztecs are bowl eligible for the first time since 1998. The offense is steadily balanced by the rushing of Ronnie Hillman, with 1,044 yards on the ground and 11 rushing touchdowns, and the passing of quarterback Ryan Lindley, who has passed for 2,426 yards and 16 touchdown passes.

San Diego State knows that they will need to come up with their best defensive effort of the season to keep this one close. Since TCU joined the Mountain West Conference for the 2005 season, the Aztecs have never defeated the Horned Frogs in five career matchups. In their two previous visits to Amon G. Carter Stadium, the Aztecs have been outscored by a combined 93-13.

Matt’s Free Prediction: TCU 49 – San Diego State 20

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