The #6 ranked TCU Horned Frogs head out on the road to Manhattan, KS, to take on the hungry Wildcats of Kansas State. TCU is looking to remain undefeated on the season and in Big-12 conference play. Kansas State is hoping to knock off a Top 10 team and make some serious noise within the conference. Kickoff at Bill Snyder Family Stadium is at 12 PM ET.
The TCU Horned Frogs (5-0, 2-0 BIG-12) are coming off a hard fought victory over the previously #23 ranked West Virginia Mountaineers. The Horned Frogs were able to score late in the game to win against a solid WVU team. TCU will face another solid team in Kansas State this weekend. It will be a good road test for the Horned Frogs, and one that they should win if they expect to win the conference and make a run at the CFP.
The Kansas State Wildcats (3-2, 1-1 Big-12) are coming off a tough road loss to the Texas Longhorns 40-34 in double overtime. The Wildcats had their chances to win the game including holding the lead late in the 4th quarter. But, they gave up a last minute field goal to Texas, which sent the game into overtime. Kansas State looks to wash the bad taste out of their mouths by upsetting TCU this weekend.
The spread opened with TCU favored by 4.5 points. It has since gone up to 6 points. The Over/Under opened at 53.5 total points and remains unchanged.
TCU quarterback Kenny Hill is a threat no matter where he lines up on the field. Last week vs WVU, Hill caught a touchdown pass, ran for a touchdown and threw for a touchdown. His versatility will pose challenges for the KSU defense this weekend. Hill has thrown for 1153 yards so far and has a nice TD-to-INT ratio of 10-to-3.
Kansas State also has a dual threat quarterback in Jesse Ertz who has thrown for 930 yards and has rushed for 336 yards on the season. Ertz also has 10 total touchdowns between throwing and running.
Both teams will need their quarterbacks to make big plays in this game. I would have to give the edge to Hill in this one as he’s faced tougher competition this season than Ertz has. Not to mention, he’s undefeated while Ertz has two losses.
KSU has faced Central Arkansas, Charlotte, Vanderbilt, Baylor and Texas. This isn’t a resume worth bragging over. It definitely isn’t a mark of a good team if they have lost 2 games already. TCU has faced Jackson State, Arkansas, SMU, OK State and WVU. They remain undefeated and look like the Big-12’s best team.
On the season, TCU averages 44 points per game. In Big 12 play, they are averaging 37.5 points per game and are 2-0. KSU is averaging 33.5 points per game and are 1-1 in Big-12 play. But, their one conference win was against the worst team in the conference – Baylor.
TCU’s two touchdown victory over Oklahoma State proved that they are a legit contender for the conference title. And, instead of a letdown the next week, TCU earned a hard fought victory over Top 25 ranked WVU. So, this team is not only good on the field, but they’re proving that they are mentally tough as well. And, I don’t see any letdowns this week either. In fact, I think TCU smells blood in the conference waters and they can definitely make a run at going undefeated on the season. Their one big game left is against Oklahoma in 4 weeks. However, until then, they must continue to march along in military like fashion and earn style points along the way so that they can stay in the AP Top 25.
TCU is 4-1 ATS in their last 5 road games and 4-0 ATS in their last 4 games against an opponent with a winning record at home.
Both defenses hold their opponents to 20 points or less. They also hold their opponents to 360 total yards or less. But, the big difference is that TCU has been doing this against tougher competition than KSU. So, I expect the Horned Frogs to go into this game against KSU and win by at least a touchdown. Look for Hill to make plays with his arm and legs and lead TCU to victory 34-21.