PREMIUM
Rogers' ALAMO BOWL ANNIHILATION >> 4-2 Wednesday! 6-3 Run w/ Bowl Sides!
(NCAAF) Stanford vs. TCU,
Point Spread: -3.00 | -115.00 TCU (Home)
Result: Loss
Point Spread: -3.00 | -115.00 TCU (Home)
Result: Loss
The set-up: The 9-4 Stanford Cardinal and the 10-3 TCU Horned Frogs meet Thursday in the Alamo Bowl, fittingly played at the Alamodome. Both team's lost in their respective conference championship games. Stanford in the Pac-12 (to USC) and TCU in the Big 12 (to Oklahoma). The Cardinal are 4-2 in bowls under head coach David Shaw and a win would also give Stanford at least 10 wins for the sixth time in Shaw's seven seasons. A victory would give TCU at least 11 games for the 12th time in school history and for the 10th time under head coach Gary Patterson.
Stanford: Bryce Love is arguably the best RB in college football (maybe, not many would argue). He was a Heisman finalist and enters this game with 1,973 yards (8.3 YPC) and 17 TDs. The problem was, the Cardinal's offense was fairly one-dimensional before K.J. Costello took over as the starting QB late in the season (replacing Keller Chyrst) and finished with a total of 11 TDs against just two INTs. Costello's favorite targets are wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside (43 catches / 16.7 YPC / 6 TDs) and TE Dalton Schultz, an All-Pac-12 First-Team selection. Stanford will check in averaging 32.0 PPG (39th), a good number when the team's defense is allowing just 21.5 PPG (29th).
TCU: QB Kenny Hill is completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 2,838 yards with 21 TDs and just six INTs. TCU averages 237.7 YPG through the air and that's balanced nicely by ground game that is averaging 176.3 YPG (52nd). RB Darius Anderson led the way with 768 yards (6.0 YPC) and eight TDs but an injury in the Big 12 title game will keep him out here. The Horned Frogs are scoring 33.2 PPG (33rd) and play defense even better than Stanford, allowing 17.6 PPG (11th) on 328.5 YPG (18th). In fact, TCU had five All-Big 12 First-Team selections on defense, including DEs Mat Boesen and Ben Banogu, LB Travin Howard, safety Nick Orr and CB Ranthony Texada.
The pick: Two of TCU's three losses came to Oklahoma and the San Antonio location won't hurt the team from Fort Worth. TCU's elite rush defense will get its toughest test here vs. Love but it has allowed just 99.8 YPG (4th) on 3.2 YPC (eighth in the nation). Stanford's an old-school grind it out team and TCU's defense should handle that better than it did Oklahoma's high-powered passing game. Make TCU an 8* play.
Stanford: Bryce Love is arguably the best RB in college football (maybe, not many would argue). He was a Heisman finalist and enters this game with 1,973 yards (8.3 YPC) and 17 TDs. The problem was, the Cardinal's offense was fairly one-dimensional before K.J. Costello took over as the starting QB late in the season (replacing Keller Chyrst) and finished with a total of 11 TDs against just two INTs. Costello's favorite targets are wide receiver JJ Arcega-Whiteside (43 catches / 16.7 YPC / 6 TDs) and TE Dalton Schultz, an All-Pac-12 First-Team selection. Stanford will check in averaging 32.0 PPG (39th), a good number when the team's defense is allowing just 21.5 PPG (29th).
TCU: QB Kenny Hill is completing 67.2 percent of his passes for 2,838 yards with 21 TDs and just six INTs. TCU averages 237.7 YPG through the air and that's balanced nicely by ground game that is averaging 176.3 YPG (52nd). RB Darius Anderson led the way with 768 yards (6.0 YPC) and eight TDs but an injury in the Big 12 title game will keep him out here. The Horned Frogs are scoring 33.2 PPG (33rd) and play defense even better than Stanford, allowing 17.6 PPG (11th) on 328.5 YPG (18th). In fact, TCU had five All-Big 12 First-Team selections on defense, including DEs Mat Boesen and Ben Banogu, LB Travin Howard, safety Nick Orr and CB Ranthony Texada.
The pick: Two of TCU's three losses came to Oklahoma and the San Antonio location won't hurt the team from Fort Worth. TCU's elite rush defense will get its toughest test here vs. Love but it has allowed just 99.8 YPG (4th) on 3.2 YPC (eighth in the nation). Stanford's an old-school grind it out team and TCU's defense should handle that better than it did Oklahoma's high-powered passing game. Make TCU an 8* play.
