Posted by ESPN.com’s Graham Watson

Gary Patterson didn’t waste much time getting his players focused for this week’s game against cross-town rival SMU.

When the Horned Frogs returned to the locker room after last week’s win over Clemson, TCU’s coach said he congratulated his players then told them to get ready for SMU.

Patterson’s quick shift in focus is understandable. Five seasons ago, the Horned Frogs were in a similar position, coming off a big win against No. 5 Oklahoma with SMU on the horizon. TCU was the talk of the country, another BCS buster, just a year after Utah’s inaugural trip, and the Horned Frogs’ schedule was all downhill from Oklahoma.

But three SMU interceptions, three missed field goals in the final 8 minutes, and a 21-10 SMU victory later, TCU’s season was crashed. The Horned Frogs went on to finish the year 10-1, but weren’t invited to a BCS bowl. SMU finished 5-6, but the Mustangs might as well have won the national championship. The victory was the team's most important accomplishment since prior to receiving the NCAA death penalty in 1989.

TCU is the only ranked team the Mustangs have defeated since 1986.

Since that game, TCU has won the last two meetings against SMU by an average of 27.5 points, but that doesn’t make Patterson any more hopeful that history won’t repeat itself.

“Any time you give somebody two weeks to prepare, especially somebody like June Jones,” Patterson said trailing off as he thought of SMU’s coach. “They’re really a lot better on offense, they’re really good football team. Really playing a lot better than they did a year ago. We have a lot of work to do. All you have to do is turn on the film.”

SMU is 2-1 this season and would have been 3-0 were it not for a come-from-behind overtime win by Washington State two weeks ago. The Mustangs have had those two weeks to reflect on that game, get healthy and craft the perfect gameplan for TCU.

Jones, who is in his second year with SMU after spending the previous nine seasons with Hawaii, said he hasn’t quite embraced the rivalry yet.

“I've heard about it, but I don't feel it like some of the kids that have been here yet,” Jones said.

But Jones does know what it’s like to be in pursuit of an undefeated season. In 2007, his Hawaii team went undefeated to earn a spot in the Sugar Bowl against Georgia. The Warriors are the only nonautomatic qualifying team to lose in a BCS bowl game.

Patterson just wants a chance to appear in one.

In his eight full seasons as TCU’s head coach, Patterson has had four 11-win seasons and twice he’s finished in the top 11 of the Associated Press poll. But in those years there’s always been that loss that he wished he could have back. Last year, it was Utah.

In 2005, it was SMU.

“I think [the players] understand after going through last year with the Utah loss,” Patterson said. “I think that really helped us, playing in that kind of venue, it really helped us playing at Oklahoma a year ago, for us to handle the crowds and what you have to do to go take ballgames.

“We’re just going to have to find a way to win a ballgame because I think everybody has us circled as somebody that you have to beat. We wanted to have a chance to be 3-1 or 4-0 going into conference play and that’s where we sit here with SMU, having an opportunity to be 4-0. So, we’re going to work toward that.”