TCU Horned Frogs (1-1 SU, 0-2 ATS) vs. Texas Tech Red Raiders (2-0 SU, 2-0 ATS)
College Football Week 3
Date and Time: Thursday September 12, 2013, 7:30PM EST
Where: Jones AT&T Stadium, Lubbock, Texas
TV: ESPN
by Tim, Football Handicapper, Predictem.com
Point Spread: TCU -3/TT +3
Over/Under Total: 62 1/2
The Froggies hop into Lubbock, Texas looking to knock off regional rival Texas Tech. The spread moved quickly from -6 to -3 when TCU Senior QB Casey Pachall came down with a broken forearm (fracture) of his non-throwing left arm. Pachall was on par to break all of Andy Daltons (Bengals QB) passing marks making this injury critical for the Horned Frogs 2013 campaign. Or is it critical? Trevone Boykin stepped in nicely after Pachall went down and moved the Horned Frogs to 3 TDs in TCUs 38-17 win over Southeast Louisiana. Boykins a transfer from Oregon and played considerably well in 2012 when Pachall was busted (allegedly!!) for Suspicion of DUI leading the Horned Frogs for their last 9 games. Boykin can playand is extremely mobilesomething Pachall is not (mobile; that is). The Red Raiders are on a 2-game roll under 1st year coach Kliff Kingsbury allowing the Red Raiders to forget that Tuberville left Lubbock in the dead of night for Cincinnati! 700+ yards of offense by TT againstuhhhummm, Stephen F. Austinhas Zoro El Rojo holding his six-shooter tightly in his hands! Kingsbury? Offensive Genius and an intense competitor. Lubbock aint just a place for $2 Drive-In movies and 5 pound Crappies anymore!! Lets look closer at this matchup.
TCU got dominated by LSU in the season opener though only losing by 10 points; 37-27. Boykin played in the second half and TCU looked like the wicked step-sister with LSU wearing the ruby red slippers. TCU did win the Best Helmet award but in the end, TCU looked like the 2012 7-6 Horned Frogs; a day late and a dollar short. Texas Tech has almost forgotten Tuberville catching the Yankee train headed for Cincy on or about December 11th, 2012. Remember the Alamo and forget the Tuberville resonates with Kingsbury taking over the Red Raider Head coaching job. Ironically, Kingsbury comes to TTU from hated rival Texas A&Myes, that Texas A&M; the one with Johnny Goofball doing his thang! Texas Tech wasnt bad last year but Kingsbury is an unreal strategist ala Mike Leach. Fortunately for Texas Tech, Kingsbury played for Tech and Craig James doesnt have any more entitled sons ready to destroy the program.
Some suggest that Tech is somehow not as good as TCU and Techs numbers last week (+700 total yards) are skewed by Techs opponent; Stephen F. Austin. TCU played Southeastern Louisiana and was pushed hard throughout the game. I believe the Red Raiders are for real in 2013 and Kingsbury is a dynamic leaderperhaps one of the best in the countryand TCU is a little overrated like Southern Cal. Patterson is known to field strong teams year in and year out, but Pattersons TCU teams have competed in the horrid Mountain West and very average Conference USA for most of Pattersons tenure. In 2012, TCU moved to the Big 12 and has run off an unimpressive 8-7 win percentage while being 4-5 in the Big 12. This is the price for moving a giant leap up from the Mountain West to a major conference; injuries erupt because of the huge difference in size and talent and TCU just isnt deep enough to compete week-to-week! Texas Tech on the other hand has the experience with major conference competition knowing full well the necessity of depth and preparation to effectively competeweek after week—with the Biggest Big Boys.
TCU is overratedjust like Les Miles and LSU in 2013 (Les is not moreLes is Less!). Miles has his own problems with the NCAA investigating the Oklahoma State program when he was in-charge, and TCU is going to get the surprise of their life when Texas Tech pounds TCU into the oil rich Sothern Texas Plains. Texas Tech beat TCU last year on the road 56-53 in 3 overtimes and TCU was ranked prior to that game! TCU went on to lose a lot in the Big 12 and this game will be no differentexcept for one tiny thing: Texas Tech will win and cover sending TCU back to the bargaining table asking Whose idea was it to get into the Big 12? We were a good football team at one time? Texas Tech lays the lumber and TCU is stuck smelling swamp gas.
Tims Pick to Cover the Point Spread: Texas Tech +3
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