College Football News Predicition Frogs/Ponies

[Harry0569]

Game of the Week

TCU (3-0) at SMU (2-1) Sept. 24, 8:00 ET, ESPN

Here’s The Deal … Is TCU developing a chip on its shoulder? Yeah, the Horned Frogs are No. 5 in the Coaches Poll, but that’s two rungs below Boise State, which has made more headlines as a potential national championship game party crasher. The Frogs continue to do their talking on the field, impressing in all three wins, including last Saturday’s dismantling of Baylor. In Friday’s Battle for the Iron Skillet, they’ll have access to a national audience and no competition for viewers from other games. For SMU, a visit from a ranked team represents an opportunity to land a signature win and showcase its progress under June Jones. Winners of two straight over UAB and Washington State, the Mustangs rose a little in the Conference USA hierarchy after favorite Houston lost its top two quarterbacks to injury.
Why TCU Might Win: The Horned Frogs are firing on all cylinders just three games into the season. The offense has been diverse and explosive, getting mistake-free passing from veteran Andy Dalton and an All-American-type start out of RB Ed Wesley. It’s been tough getting a hand on Dalton, which means he’ll have the time he needs to spot top receiver Jeremy Kerley. On defense, it’s been typical TCU, meaning the tackling is reliable and the long gainers are scarce. This group will get after the quarterback and simply doesn’t budge or give up much ground to any opponent.
Why SMU Might Win: Sure, the Mustangs still like to air it out with QB Kyle Padron and receivers Aldrick Robinson, Cole Beasley and Darius Johnson, but the program has become a little less predictable in Jones third season in Dallas. It’s actually running the ball with success behind Padron and Zach Line, a north-south type averaging almost eight yards a carry. To beat the TCU defense, balance is an absolute must. SMU is trending in that direction with a mix of flash and crash that’s capable of catching the Horned Frogs off guard.
What To Watch Out For: Dalton is beginning to catch fire, sobering news for an SMU secondary that has struggled this month. He was razor sharp versus Baylor, connecting on 21-of-23 passes for 267 yards and two touchdowns. When he’s this crisp and getting protected up front, it’s significantly harder to defend Wesley and Matthew Tucker on the ground. SMU has to find a way to create backfield pressure with some combination of DE Taylor Thompson and blitz-happy LB Ja’Gared Davis.
What Will Happen: A red out has been forecasted for Friday night at Ford Stadium. It’ll create a lot of electricity, but not much of an impact on the final score. TCU is operating like a machine right now, meticulously chopping down whatever gets in its path. Improving with each passing week, the Frogs have too much on both sides of the ball for their perfect season to be threatened beyond halftime.
CFN Prediction: TCU 38 … SMU 20 … 5Dimes.com Line: TCU -17.5
Must See Rating: The Social Network – 5 … $#*! My Dad Says - 1 … 2.5

[Harry0569]

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[HollywoodMustang]

While I would love nothing more than an SMU win, I think this score is a pretty good guess. But that's why they play the game.