The Texas Longhorns are on upset alert this week. Texas\u2019 hopes of returning to the Big 12 Championship Game could be dashed when they travel to Fort Worth to take on the TCU Horned Frogs. It\u2019s clear the Longhorns aren\u2019t as good as everyone believed, and they are somewhat fortunate to be 5-2 and 3-1 in Big 12 play. Their biggest win in conference play came by 11 points over an overmatched West Virginia team, and Texas barely hung on to beat lowly Kansas last week. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
These football betting odds<\/a> raised more than a few eyebrows when they were released. TCU is 3-3, and the Horned Frogs most impressive win of the season was a road victory over Purdue. They have great advanced numbers though, and they are just three spots behind Texas in the latest SP+ ratings. <\/p>\n\n\n\n TCU won four straight games over Texas before finally falling to the Longhorns last year. All four of the Horned Frogs\u2019 wins in that stretch were by 17 points or more, and blowouts have been the norm in this rivalry. The last game to be decided by 13 points or less was back in 2012 when TCU edged Texas 20-13 in Austin.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Sam Ehlinger is one of the best quarterbacks in the country. Ehlinger has answered the critics and then some with his play, proving that he does have the skill necessary to succeed at an elite level. He has completed 69.4 percent of his passes for 2,057 yards this season with 21 touchdowns against just three interceptions. He has done a great job of moving the chains with his legs too, and Tom Herman uses him often in this scenario. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Devin Duvernay is Ehlinger\u2019s top target, and he has proven to be one of the finest possession receivers in college football. Duvernay has caught almost three times as many passes as any other receiver on the Longhorns, and he has 61 receptions for 627 yards and six touchdowns this year. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Longhorns have run the ball well, averaging 4.5 YPC, but TCU has one of the best run defenses in the country. The Horned Frogs are allowing just 3.3 YPC, so it\u2019s not a great idea to take Keaontay Ingram to finish over his CFB player prop<\/a> numbers in this game. <\/p>\n\n\n\n Texas has scored at least 27 points in every game this year, and there\u2019s no doubt the Longhorns will put up some points. However, the defense has continually struggled, and that is the major concern for the Longhorns on Saturday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Herman may be forced to let go of defensive coordinator Todd Orlando at the end of the season. Orlando came to Austin from Houston alongside Herman, but this defense has not been sharp the last two seasons. Texas has the 77th best defense in the country per SP+, and the Longhorns have allowed at least 30 points to every Power Five team they have played in 2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TCU\u2019s offense isn\u2019t great, but it has some dangerous pieces. Max Duggan has completed 56.3 percent of his passes for 874 yards and nine touchdowns, and the freshman has given this unit a spark since he replaced Alex Delton. Duggan is still learning the offense, and he is largely dinking and dunking underneath, but he is an excellent runner and gives the Horned Frogs something it doesn\u2019t have with Delton under center.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Duggan is averaging 5.5 YPC if you exclude sack yardage. That has helped this offense move the chains on the ground and win the time of possession battle that Gary Patterson wants to do in every game. Darius Anderson is averaging 7.1 YPC, and he is on pace to finish the year with over 1,000 yards rushing. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The Horned Frogs don\u2019t have a receiver that they focus on in the passing game, and only one player (Jalen Reagor) has more than 13 receptions. If Texas can force TCU to throw, the Longhorns stand a good chance to cover per the college football betting odds<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n TCU\u2019s offense is a little too one-dimensional for me to believe that the Horned Frogs will pull off the upset here. Texas has far more talent and will put up 35 points on this defense in a win.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Get the latest college football odds and information–follow BetOnline.ag on Twitter<\/a>!<\/p>\n\n\n\nRECENT HISTORY<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
WHEN TEXAS HAS THE BALL<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
WHEN TCU HAS THE BALL<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n
PREDICTION<\/strong><\/h4>\n\n\n\n