After being snubbed from the College Football Playoff last season, TCU doesn’t intend to be left out again. The Horned Frogs know that the best way to do that is an unbeaten regular season. The No. 2 team in the country will try to take the first step toward that lofty goal Thursday on the road against a Minnesota team set on revenge.
ODDS
TCU opened as a 14-point favorite against a team it easily covered the spread against last season. But laying two touchdowns on the road against a quality Power-5 team is hefty. The total surfaced at 58.5.
KEY MISMATCH
TCU defense against Minnesota passing game
While the Horned Frogs’ offense gets all the attention racking up the yards and points, the team’s defense put together a solid year in 2014. Though several key members are gone from a unit that forced 40 turnovers, the team is strong enough to duplicate its performance from a season ago. For the Gophers to take the next step in the Big Ten they need to improve their passing game and that will be difficult without leading receiver Maxx Williams. Much-maligned quarterback Mitch Leidner is back after finishing last among conference qualifiers with a 51.5 completion percentage with seven of his 11 scoring passes going to Williams. TCU’s base 4-2-5 defense did a number last season, limiting Leidner to 151 passing yards while picking him off three times. When forced into passing situations, the Gophers will be in trouble.
KEY STAT
A dual-threat quarterback running an up-tempo offense causes havoc for opposing defenses. And that’s exactly what TCU’s Trevone Boykin does. Boykin was ninth in the country with an average of 300.1 passing yards and seventh with 33 touchdown passes. He also rushed for an average of 54.4 yards with eight scores. He’s the third quarterback since 2009 to average at least 300 yards passing and 50 yards rushing, joining Heisman winners Robert Griffin III and Johnny Manziel. And that’s why Boykin is the favorite at +500 to win the Heisman this year.
BETTING ANGLE
Credit TCU for not scheduling a body bag game to open the season. The Horned Frogs are hell bent on getting to the College Football Playoff this season after feeling snubbed by the committee last year. The motivation to prove board members made a mistake in 2014 has driven TCU and will continue to drive them throughout the 2015 campaign. It also helps that TCU has nearly its entire offense back from a team that averaged 533 yards and 46.5 points last season. But the Horned Frogs struggled – at least by their standards – against the Gophers last season in Fort Worth, with a season-low point total and just 427 yards of offense, well below their season average. The Gophers coughed up the football five times in the 30-7 loss.
ANALYSIS AND PREDICTION
Take away Minnesota’s five turnovers and last year’s game is much closer than the 30-7 score. The Gophers did limit TCU to a season low in points in that game but still suffered its worst loss of the season. Hopefully Minnesota learned from last year’s game and playing at home gives them a little edge heading in, but TCU has perhaps the best collection of talent in college football. They are really good and deserving of the No. 2 ranking. The only thing that stops TCU is the rust of the first game. It’s always easier to come out and slam the ball on the ground rather than get the high-powered passing game revved up. Laying 14 points on the road against a good Big Ten team is a lot. I see the Gophers hanging close into the second half but get worn down by a team that’s on a mission.
TCU 37, Minnesota 24
The college football lines for this contest were first released by BookMaker and the Horned Frogs were positioned as 14-point favorites with a total of 58.5. Gamble on the game between every commercial break with BookMaker’s live betting feature. Along with an adjusted in-game moneyline, you can wager on what will happen on the next play or how many points will be scored in the next quarter. Live betting is the most exciting way to play!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker’s live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here so start betting with BookMaker today! The TCU Horned Frogs and Minnesota Golden Gophers square off on Thursday, September 3, 2015, at 9 p.m. ET at TCF Bank Stadium. The game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
