November 14, 2009

Tom Dienhart
Rivals.com College Football Senior Writer

FORT WORTH, Texas - This one was a debate-ender, a no-doubt-about-it outcome: TCU is the nation's top non-Big Six team.

No. 4 TCU whipped No. 14 Utah 55-28 on Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium. It wasn't even that close, as the Horned Frogs raced to a 35-7 lead early in the second quarter.

"They were who we thought they were," said Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, whose team dropped to 8-2. "That was a good football team. I have been a head coach for five years, and that is the best team I've faced."

Before its largest home crowd (50,307) since 1984, TCU dominated from the start, finishing with 546 yards of offense. The defense was its usual dominant self, allowing 284 yards, with only 66 coming on the ground.

Routs have become routine for TCU, which has outscored foes 233-53 in the past five games.

It's enough to make you wonder: Does TCU deserve a spot in the national title game if it wins out and Texas loses? The Horned Frogs were No. 4 in this week's BCS rankings. Can this team play with anyone?

"They don't care what I think, but I know that we are pretty good," TCU coach Gary Patterson said.

Led by Urban Meyer, Utah was the original "BCS buster," in 2004. The Utes capped an unbeaten season with a victory over Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl. Whittingham was the defensive coordinator on that team. Since then, Boise State (2006), Hawaii (2007) and Utah again (2008) have played in BCS games, with Boise State (over Oklahoma) and Utah (Alabama) scoring wins. This Horned Frogs team may be the best "buster" of them all if it wins out.

But Patterson won't go there yet.

"We have two games left, one on the road [next week at Wyoming]," he said.

But he also said, "I understand how big of a win this is."

Last season, these teams met in a similar showdown at Utah, with the 9-0 Utes taking a 13-10 victory over 9-1 TCU, thanks to a late TD drive -- and two missed short field goals by the Horned Frogs. It was yet another heartbreaker for Patterson and TCU.

In 2003, the Frogs were 10-0 and poised for the BCS before losing at Southern Miss. In 2005, TCU shocked the world by opening with a win at Oklahoma before losing the next week at SMU ; TCU went on to win the rest of its games.

This day had been long overdue for TCU, which is the best non-Big Six program never to have played in a BCS bowl. That dubious tag is about to be passed along to BYU.

Since taking over for Dennis Franchione in 2001, Patterson has built his program around defense. TCU was No. 3 in the nation in total defense (240.6 ypg) going into the game.

While the defense has been as dominant as usual, the offense has stepped up this season. TCU's attack ranked No. 8 in the country (458.6 ypg) entering the game. An NFL scout who wished to remain anonymous said TCU's defense has three draftable players -- end Jerry Hughes, linebacker Daryl Washington and cornerback Rafael Priest -- while the offense has two -- both of whom are linemen. That means Patterson is getting great production from less-than-blue-chip talent.

Last season's offensive coordinator, Mike Schultz, left for Illinois after last season. Jarrett Anderson and Justin Fuente were promoted to serve as co-coordinators, and they've injected a few new wrinkles into a multiple attack. It has added up to a special season in Fort Worth. And it could get better.

"I think we need to keep it in perspective," said Patterson, whose team finishes the regular season with winless New Mexico. "In the nation, if this wasn't enough style points, I don't know what is. We just have to go about our business because that was a good football team."

Tom Dienhart is the national senior writer for Rivals.com. He can be reached at dienhart@yahoo-inc.com.