Colleges: schedule analysis 2013
Schedule analysis: TCU Horned Frogs
April, 30, 2013
Apr 30
1:00
PM CT
By
David Ubben | ESPNDallas.com
It's a big season in Fort Worth with lots of expectation and excitement. How does the schedule stack up? Let's take a closer look.
Full schedule:
Gut check game: at Texas Tech. Tech will be a bit of a wild card this season, and win or lose that game against LSU, the Frogs will have to validate themselves in a tough road atmosphere in the first big game of the Kliff Kingsbury Era. Believe me, Tech is no doubt good enough to beat TCU, though the Frogs did play very well on the road last season. It's also got a tinge of revenge to it, too. The Red Raiders beat the Frogs in triple overtime last season. Lose this game, and regardless of what happens in that LSU game, the Frogs' balloon will be pretty deflated.
Chance to impress: at Oklahoma. Gary Patterson went and beat Oklahoma in Norman before it was cool and everybody was doing it. Until 2011, only two coaches had ever done it. Patterson's been joined by Brian Kelly, Bill Snyder and Tommy Tuberville in the past two seasons, but this season is different. TCU's not trying to pull an upset. It's trying to walk into Oklahoma and gain an edge in the Big 12 title race by proving it's definitively better than the Sooners. That's new territory for the Frogs, and no doubt: If TCU wins this game, they'll impress and be forced to be taken seriously as a real Big 12 title contender.
Eyeing revenge: at Oklahoma State. For one, TCU will have to fight through more than just the Sooners to win a Big 12 title but last year's 27-0 second half in Stillwater was the low point of TCU's season, and the biggest disappointment for Patterson's team last year. Thanks to a scheduling quirk, the Frogs have to make a return trip to Oklahoma State, but this game will have a big impact on the Big 12 title race and winning it would mean a whole lot to TCU.
Upset watch: at Kansas State. If TCU does hang on and is in the thick of the Big 12 title hunt, the late-season trip to K-State will be a difficult one for a team that's never easy to beat. Add to that a frenzied road atmosphere and the pressure of badly needing a win and everything that a title would mean to the program, and it's going to be a bumpy road for the 11th game and the final road game of the season for the Frogs.
Final analysis: TCU gets the favorable five home games in conference play and goes on the road four times, though two of those road games are against contenders Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. That makes the road to the Big 12 title look a bit more uphill. Granted, this is the same team that didn't win a Big 12 game at home last season, so maybe that's not quite a good thing. The middle of the season is where it all will go down for the Frogs, playing the league's three other top teams sandwiched around a home date in October against Kansas, who actually gave the Frogs some issues last season, thanks to turnover problems. That was with Pachall on the field, too. That stretch will decide if TCU's Big 12 title dreams are pipe dreams or if they'll become reality.
Full schedule:
- Aug. 31: vs. LSU at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas
- Sept. 7: SE Louisiana
- Sept. 12: at Texas Tech
- Sept. 28: SMU
- Oct. 5: at Oklahoma
- Oct. 12: Kansas
- Oct. 19: at Oklahoma State
- Oct. 26: Texas
- Nov. 2: West Virginia
- Nov. 9: at Iowa State
- Nov. 16: at Kansas State
- Nov. 30: Baylor
Gut check game: at Texas Tech. Tech will be a bit of a wild card this season, and win or lose that game against LSU, the Frogs will have to validate themselves in a tough road atmosphere in the first big game of the Kliff Kingsbury Era. Believe me, Tech is no doubt good enough to beat TCU, though the Frogs did play very well on the road last season. It's also got a tinge of revenge to it, too. The Red Raiders beat the Frogs in triple overtime last season. Lose this game, and regardless of what happens in that LSU game, the Frogs' balloon will be pretty deflated.
Chance to impress: at Oklahoma. Gary Patterson went and beat Oklahoma in Norman before it was cool and everybody was doing it. Until 2011, only two coaches had ever done it. Patterson's been joined by Brian Kelly, Bill Snyder and Tommy Tuberville in the past two seasons, but this season is different. TCU's not trying to pull an upset. It's trying to walk into Oklahoma and gain an edge in the Big 12 title race by proving it's definitively better than the Sooners. That's new territory for the Frogs, and no doubt: If TCU wins this game, they'll impress and be forced to be taken seriously as a real Big 12 title contender.
Eyeing revenge: at Oklahoma State. For one, TCU will have to fight through more than just the Sooners to win a Big 12 title but last year's 27-0 second half in Stillwater was the low point of TCU's season, and the biggest disappointment for Patterson's team last year. Thanks to a scheduling quirk, the Frogs have to make a return trip to Oklahoma State, but this game will have a big impact on the Big 12 title race and winning it would mean a whole lot to TCU.
Upset watch: at Kansas State. If TCU does hang on and is in the thick of the Big 12 title hunt, the late-season trip to K-State will be a difficult one for a team that's never easy to beat. Add to that a frenzied road atmosphere and the pressure of badly needing a win and everything that a title would mean to the program, and it's going to be a bumpy road for the 11th game and the final road game of the season for the Frogs.
Final analysis: TCU gets the favorable five home games in conference play and goes on the road four times, though two of those road games are against contenders Oklahoma and Oklahoma State. That makes the road to the Big 12 title look a bit more uphill. Granted, this is the same team that didn't win a Big 12 game at home last season, so maybe that's not quite a good thing. The middle of the season is where it all will go down for the Frogs, playing the league's three other top teams sandwiched around a home date in October against Kansas, who actually gave the Frogs some issues last season, thanks to turnover problems. That was with Pachall on the field, too. That stretch will decide if TCU's Big 12 title dreams are pipe dreams or if they'll become reality.
Schedule analysis: Texas Longhorns
April, 25, 2013
Apr 25
1:00
PM CT
By
David Ubben | ESPNDallas.com
Let's take a closer look at the schedule for the Big 12's biggest brand and a team looking to turn the corner in 2013: The Texas Longhorns.
Full schedule:
Gut-check game: Kansas State. On paper, there is zero reason Kansas State should win this game. The Longhorns will have been well-tested and return more starters than any team in the Big 12 from a nine-win team a year ago. They know their identity and know the importance of the season while Kansas State is rebuilding with just eight starters returning from last year's Big 12 title team. However, this is Kansas State we're talking about, whose odd mastery of the Longhorns (7-2 all-time vs. Texas in Big 12 play) is one of the league's great mysteries. K-State won the Big 12 at Texas' expense in last year's regular-season finale.
Chance to impress: Oklahoma. Oklahoma's not the best team in the Big 12, but the memory of ugly, ugly losses in Dallas will be fresh when Texas arrives at the Cotton Bowl, and this should be the biggest test of the season to date on a big stage for the Longhorns, who could very well be in the top five and 5-0 entering the annual rivalry game. A win against the Sooners would validate that start and validate Texas' status as a major contender for the Big 12 title.
Upset watch: at West Virginia. West Virginia will have figured out a whole lot offensively by the middle of November, when this game is slated to be played. The Big 12 is a deep league and WVU may be playing to keep its postseason hopes alive at this point in the season. WVU will definitely be more able to put up some points by this point in the year, and going on the road to a difficult atmosphere with plenty of pressure is always dangerous.
Eyeing revenge: at TCU. The Frogs delivered the most difficult and frustrating loss of Texas' season last year, and effectively eliminated the Longhorns from Big 12 title contention with a Thanksgiving night win in Austin. Texas will probably have to go through Fort Worth to win its first Big 12 title since 2009, but the good news is the Frogs didn't win a single Big 12 game at home last season.
Final analysis: I always think it's a good idea with a nine-game conference schedule to play a neutral site game so you never have to go on the road five times in a season, and that's what Texas does, though it's done that for a long time with the Red River tradition. All things considered, this is a very balanced schedule for the Longhorns, who play one Big 12 contender (Oklahoma State) at home, one on the road (TCU) and Oklahoma on a neutral site. The toughest matchups of the year don't ever come in back-to-back weeks, and less-heralded opponents break them up. Texas' schedule doesn't have any hugely notable stretches that will decide the season, but those big games will decide whether Texas is really "back."
Full schedule:
Aug. 31: vs. New Mexico State- Sept. 7: at BYU
- Sept. 14: vs. Ole Miss
- Sept. 21: vs. Kansas State
- Oct. 3: at Iowa State (Thursday)
- Oct. 12: vs. Oklahoma at the Cotton Bowl in Dallas, Texas
- Oct. 26: at TCU
- Nov. 2: vs. Kansas
- Nov. 9: at West Virginia
- Nov. 16: vs. Oklahoma State
- Nov. 28: vs. Texas Tech (Thursday)
- Dec. 7: at Baylor
Gut-check game: Kansas State. On paper, there is zero reason Kansas State should win this game. The Longhorns will have been well-tested and return more starters than any team in the Big 12 from a nine-win team a year ago. They know their identity and know the importance of the season while Kansas State is rebuilding with just eight starters returning from last year's Big 12 title team. However, this is Kansas State we're talking about, whose odd mastery of the Longhorns (7-2 all-time vs. Texas in Big 12 play) is one of the league's great mysteries. K-State won the Big 12 at Texas' expense in last year's regular-season finale.
Chance to impress: Oklahoma. Oklahoma's not the best team in the Big 12, but the memory of ugly, ugly losses in Dallas will be fresh when Texas arrives at the Cotton Bowl, and this should be the biggest test of the season to date on a big stage for the Longhorns, who could very well be in the top five and 5-0 entering the annual rivalry game. A win against the Sooners would validate that start and validate Texas' status as a major contender for the Big 12 title.
Upset watch: at West Virginia. West Virginia will have figured out a whole lot offensively by the middle of November, when this game is slated to be played. The Big 12 is a deep league and WVU may be playing to keep its postseason hopes alive at this point in the season. WVU will definitely be more able to put up some points by this point in the year, and going on the road to a difficult atmosphere with plenty of pressure is always dangerous.
Eyeing revenge: at TCU. The Frogs delivered the most difficult and frustrating loss of Texas' season last year, and effectively eliminated the Longhorns from Big 12 title contention with a Thanksgiving night win in Austin. Texas will probably have to go through Fort Worth to win its first Big 12 title since 2009, but the good news is the Frogs didn't win a single Big 12 game at home last season.
Final analysis: I always think it's a good idea with a nine-game conference schedule to play a neutral site game so you never have to go on the road five times in a season, and that's what Texas does, though it's done that for a long time with the Red River tradition. All things considered, this is a very balanced schedule for the Longhorns, who play one Big 12 contender (Oklahoma State) at home, one on the road (TCU) and Oklahoma on a neutral site. The toughest matchups of the year don't ever come in back-to-back weeks, and less-heralded opponents break them up. Texas' schedule doesn't have any hugely notable stretches that will decide the season, but those big games will decide whether Texas is really "back."
The Big 12's schedule is set, and this year, we didn't have to wait until just a few months before the season to see it.
We'll take a closer look at each Big 12 team's schedule with some analysis over the coming weeks. Next up: the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Full schedule:
Gut-check game: Kansas State. It's tough to tell what to expect from K-State this year, who returns just eight starters from last year's title team, but even at home, K-State has given OSU tons of trouble lately. It nearly knocked off the Big 12 champs in 2011 and had the most success slowing OSU's offense in 2010, though it did so without Justin Blackmon. K-State will probably be a tougher matchup than West Virginia, and we'll learn a bit about the Cowboys in this early-season matchup.
Eyeing revenge: Oklahoma. I've been saying it for a year or so now, but if you take the pageantry of the state fair out of the equation, Bedlam is gaining quickly on Red River as the Big 12's best rivalry. The last three games have been incredibly memorable, and two of them were played with the Big 12 title on the line. The Sooners knocked OSU out of the title chase with a dramatic comeback and overtime win in Norman last season, but the rivalry goes back to Stillwater to close the season this year. Don't be surprised if a win for either team in this game means a share of the Big 12 title or the league championship outright.
Chance to impress: at Texas. Texas looks good on paper, and don't be surprised if the Nov. 16 matchup is something of an elimination game in the Big 12 title race. You've got to knock off the other contenders to win a title, and OSU will have to try and win its third game in Austin in four years. That won't be easy, but OSU seems likely to have a good shot to control its own fate in the Big 12 race if it goes down to the 40 Acres and comes back to Stillwater with the win.
Upset watch: at Iowa State. I mean ... obviously, right? I'd say there will be some special motivation for OSU's first return to Ames since that painful upset in 2011 that dashed the Pokes' national title hopes, but Paul Rhoads knows defense and everyone in the Big 12 knows the Cyclones are dangerous in Ames. It's one of the most underrated venues in the league.
Final analysis: What a way to close the season for Oklahoma State. It's a backloaded schedule, and if OSU is going to win the title, it will have to earn it with games against Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas to close the season. Don't be surprised if two of those teams (or maybe even all three) control their fates in the Big 12 title race to close the season. The Mississippi State game to open the season will be a good test early on that pays off in conference play, and doesn't have the same level of pressure as the 2009 opener against Georgia that was one of the most hyped season openers in school history. The good news for OSU is in a year that it looks like a contender, it gets five league games at home and goes on the road just four times (West Virginia, Texas Tech, Iowa State, Texas) and gets fellow contenders Oklahoma and TCU in Stillwater. That's welcome, and my pick as the Big 12 favorite this season has a schedule that sets them up for success and, perhaps, a second Big 12 title in three years.
We'll take a closer look at each Big 12 team's schedule with some analysis over the coming weeks. Next up: the Oklahoma State Cowboys.
Full schedule:
- Aug. 31: vs. Mississippi State at Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas
- Sept. 7: at Texas-San Antonio at the Alamodome
- Sept. 14: vs. Lamar
- Sept. 28: at West Virginia
- Oct. 5: vs. Kansas State
- Oct. 19: vs. TCU
- Oct. 26: at Iowa State
- Nov. 2: at Texas Tech
- Nov. 9: vs. Kansas
- Nov. 16: at Texas
- Nov. 23: vs. Baylor
- Dec. 7: vs. Oklahoma
Gut-check game: Kansas State. It's tough to tell what to expect from K-State this year, who returns just eight starters from last year's title team, but even at home, K-State has given OSU tons of trouble lately. It nearly knocked off the Big 12 champs in 2011 and had the most success slowing OSU's offense in 2010, though it did so without Justin Blackmon. K-State will probably be a tougher matchup than West Virginia, and we'll learn a bit about the Cowboys in this early-season matchup.
Eyeing revenge: Oklahoma. I've been saying it for a year or so now, but if you take the pageantry of the state fair out of the equation, Bedlam is gaining quickly on Red River as the Big 12's best rivalry. The last three games have been incredibly memorable, and two of them were played with the Big 12 title on the line. The Sooners knocked OSU out of the title chase with a dramatic comeback and overtime win in Norman last season, but the rivalry goes back to Stillwater to close the season this year. Don't be surprised if a win for either team in this game means a share of the Big 12 title or the league championship outright.
Chance to impress: at Texas. Texas looks good on paper, and don't be surprised if the Nov. 16 matchup is something of an elimination game in the Big 12 title race. You've got to knock off the other contenders to win a title, and OSU will have to try and win its third game in Austin in four years. That won't be easy, but OSU seems likely to have a good shot to control its own fate in the Big 12 race if it goes down to the 40 Acres and comes back to Stillwater with the win.
Upset watch: at Iowa State. I mean ... obviously, right? I'd say there will be some special motivation for OSU's first return to Ames since that painful upset in 2011 that dashed the Pokes' national title hopes, but Paul Rhoads knows defense and everyone in the Big 12 knows the Cyclones are dangerous in Ames. It's one of the most underrated venues in the league.
Final analysis: What a way to close the season for Oklahoma State. It's a backloaded schedule, and if OSU is going to win the title, it will have to earn it with games against Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas to close the season. Don't be surprised if two of those teams (or maybe even all three) control their fates in the Big 12 title race to close the season. The Mississippi State game to open the season will be a good test early on that pays off in conference play, and doesn't have the same level of pressure as the 2009 opener against Georgia that was one of the most hyped season openers in school history. The good news for OSU is in a year that it looks like a contender, it gets five league games at home and goes on the road just four times (West Virginia, Texas Tech, Iowa State, Texas) and gets fellow contenders Oklahoma and TCU in Stillwater. That's welcome, and my pick as the Big 12 favorite this season has a schedule that sets them up for success and, perhaps, a second Big 12 title in three years.
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Richard Durrett joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. He writes about colleges, the Dallas Stars and the Texas Rangers. Richard spent nine years at The Dallas Morning News covering the Rangers, Stars, colleges, motorsports and high schools.
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Tim MacMahon joined ESPNDallas.com in September 2009. Tim covers the Cowboys and Mavericks. He has covered the local sports scene from high schools to colleges to pros during his six-year tenure at The Dallas Morning News. MacMahon is a graduate of UNT.
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