More Alike Than They’d Like: Baylor vs. TCU, Round 121
By CRAIG SMOAK | 365 Sports
The 4-2 Bears return from a brief respite for some rivalry action in Fort Worth on Saturday, where it gets no more familiar or heated than the annual tangle with TCU.
Both teams enter susceptible, more alike than different. The Frogs, perhaps slightly worse for wear after a pummeling by Kansas State last week in Manhattan, while the Bears rode two wins into a bye week.
Nevertheless, this is one series where the adage “throw the records out” certainly applies.
The REVIVALRY
It’s a better name in every way for a college football rivalry, but especially this college football rivalry. And undoubtedly superior to the official moniker coined all the way back in 2023. I’ve said that before and will continue to do so each year until something changes, as long as I’m able to write. Sure, it’s not as marketable, but it’s also not nearly as sterile.
The FAMILIARITY
The sibling-like history of these two teams is well-documented. So too is the bad blood, as nasty a rivalry as any in college football during its most intense stretches, on and off the field. In the current Aranda-Dykes era, the passage of time and the nomadic nature of coaching mean we’ve seen several staffers switch sides and allegiances over the past few cycles. Earlier this year, it was Dave Aranda bringing on longtime Frogs CB coach Paul Gonzalez. Then, TCU hired Baylor’s “Biletnikoff” Corey Coleman as Assistant Wide Receivers Coach and Brian Norwood as Safeties Coach.
Of course, nothing should be surprising after seeing Gary Patterson hanging around Waco to help out and lend his expertise. While at the same time, the Briles family business continues in Fort Worth. That role reversal topic isn’t new, but that doesn’t make it any less strange to remember, especially as the familiarity and numbers continue to grow on both sides.
The on-field football is entertaining more often than not and has provided its fair share of drama and intrigue at its peak on a national scale. The regionality and neighborly judgment make this game closer to the BYU-Utah end of rivalries rather than something spawned from a simple conference affiliation. It’s one of the best rivalries in college football, and it remains a sliver of the personal and cultural importance that has always played an enormous role in this sport’s nostalgia.
The CONFERENCE RACE
After the upheaval of Week 7 in the Big 12, Texas Tech has separated from the pack a little further. If Sam Leavitt returns to lead an upset against the Red Raiders, ASU would certainly join the party. Beyond that, the Holy War will determine the specific order of 2-3. If Baylor can move to 3-1, they’re sitting pretty, even though they’re a team that can overlook absolutely no one. In some ways, TCU needs this game, or it will fall a couple of games behind with only a handful left to play.
EXPLOSIVE PASSING
This series has seen no shortage of epic offensive stars and tandems, and this year should be no different, with two of the nation’s best passing attacks going toe-to-toe with a pair of defenses that are bend, but don’t break on their best days.
Shining bright in Funky Town is the Josh Hoover to Eric McAlister connection. The latter, senior WR who transferred in from Boise before last season, is 10th in receiving yards nationally (541) and second in touchdowns (7). Meanwhile, Hoover is second nationally in passing yards and touchdowns, with dynamic targets like Joseph Manjack IV and Jordan Dwyer contributing alongside McAlister.
So if Hoover is second in both categories, then who is #1? Look no further than Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson, who has his own collection of talented outlets like Josh Cameron and Michael Trigg.
For all the positives, these two signal-callers are also prone to gaffes and untimely turnovers that can flip a game on a dime.
We could see a lot of yards in the air on Saturday; then again, nothing would shock me with these two teams.
The PREDICTION
TCU 38, Baylor 31 – I anticipate a typical Big 12-style shootout, and I keep having to shake this feeling of a Baylor upset, because I don’t think much separates these teams at all, including the location. It’s a toss-up, and my coin landed on toads. But a Baylor victory, should they play clean and confident, is attainable in Fort Worth.