DMN: TCU's five biggest rivalries - #2 SMU

[LA_Mustang]

A look at the TCU Horned Frogs’ five biggest rivalries

Ryan Gerbosi Follow @RyanGerbosi Email rgerbosi@dallasnews.com
Published: March 30, 2015 9:54 am

TCU spent decades playing the same teams year in and year out in the Southwest Conference, but a few rivalries cooled down when the Frogs were left out of the Big 12.

Here’s a look at some of TCU’s biggest rivalries.

5. Utah

This rivalry is now just a relic of the Horned Frogs’ days in the Mountain West Conference, but the battles between TCU and Utah helped establish both as big-time programs on the national landscape. When TCU entered the MWC in 2005, Utah had established itself as a force by becoming the first real BCS buster, winning the Fiesta Bowl the year before. The Frogs were unfazed, winning their first MWC game over two-time defending champion Utah in overtime en route to a conference title. In 2009, No. 4 TCU beat No. 16 Utah in front of 50,307 fans, still an Amon G. Carter Stadium record. The teams met six consecutive seasons from ’05-10 with conference titles and BCS bowl bids often on the line, splitting the series 3-3 and bringing the all-time series to 5-3, Utah. The Frogs have a few other Pac-12 teams lined up in the future, but a matchup with Utah doesn’t seem to be in the works just yet.

4. Texas

Every university in Texas, no matter the size or location, wants to beat up on the state school. TCU is no different. This wasn’t much of a rivalry in the old Southwest Conference. Texas led the series 61-20-1 prior to the Frogs joining the Big 12, including a 24-year winning streak from 1968-91, but TCU has been the aggressor since. In 2012, TCU upset No. 18 Texas in the first Thanksgiving night game in Austin following the demise of the Lone Star Showdown with the Aggies. Texas returned the favor in Fort Worth for spoiling the party with a 23-point win, but TCU got the best of the Longhorns in Austin again on Thanksgiving in Charlie Strong’s first holiday game. While they might not follow the Cowboys on Turkey Day in the future, this matchup should only heat up as Texas gets back to form.

3. Texas Tech

These teams didn’t like each other in the Southwest Conference. They didn’t like each other when Texas Tech put up 70 points against the Frogs in 2004. And since TCU joined the Big 12, things haven’t changed. The rivalry restarted in 2012 with a triple-overtime Red Raider victory in Fort Worth. It continued in 2013 when Tech won on what some may call questionable officiating in Lubbock. It was stirred a bit when Gary Patterson hired former Tech QB Sonny Cumbie away from his alma mater to help run the TCU offense. It boiled over when the Horned Frogs dropped 82 points on the Red Raiders during a game in which Amon G. Carter Stadium ran out of celebratory fireworks. Don’t expect things to lighten up in this series, formerly known as the West Texas Championship.

2. SMU

There’s a trophy on the line each year when TCU and SMU play, but it’s not the hardware that makes these teams dislike each other. Since first meeting on the football field in 1915, the two schools didn’t play in just six seasons, most recently 2006. The Battle for the Iron Skillet was very competitive through 1998 with SMU holding a 38-34-7 advantage. Since, it’s been virtually all Frogs. TCU has won 13-of-16 times out against the Ponies, including a 56-0 drubbing on The Hilltop in 2014. The teams meet in Fort Worth this year. The last time SMU won there, it ended TCU’s 22-game home winning streak.

1. Baylor

With the rise of Baylor athletics conveniently coinciding with TCU’s arrival in the Big 12, The Revivalry has taken a life of its own in recent years and is quickly becoming one of the nation’s most intriguing matchups, especially after last season’s close finish. But “61-58″ isn’t anywhere near the beginning of this story. TCU was founded in 1873, but relocated to Waco in 1895, already home of Baylor for 10 years. The schools began playing football in 1899 and continued when TCU moved to Fort Worth in 1910. The margin here is razor thin with Baylor ahead 52-51-7, and the stakes have never been higher. Last season was the first time both teams were ranked when they met with No. 5 Baylor topping No. 9 TCU. Add in the personalities of Gary Patterson and Art Briles and we have something to keep an eye on for years to come.

[ojaipony]

[deleted] Tcu. Oh, and [deleted] Baylor, too.

[smusic 00]

That game in 2011 was so sweet. I could stand another one after all the mess we have gone through since. They can't stand it, but we have knocked them out of the race twice out of the three times they had a chance (and maybe last year due to our complete suckiness and record).

[Planter's Punch]

According to Denton we are UNT's #1 (despite a 28-5-1 record)

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/ ... ries.html/

They were really scraping for their list. Does any school count UNT as a real rival?

DMN aslo has UNT: http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com ... ries.html/

Can't wait for the HCCM era to begin and UNT going back to being a warm up game, and not presented by the media as a "rival". They are currently scheduled through 2025.

[SMU89]

According to Denton we are UNT's #1 (despite a 28-5-1 record)

http://meangreenblog.dentonrc.com/2015/ ... ries.html/

They were really scraping for their list. Does any school count UNT as a real rival?

DMN aslo has UNT: http://collegesportsblog.dallasnews.com ... ries.html/

Can't wait for the HCCM era to begin and UNT going back to being a warm up game, and not presented by the media as a "rival". They are currently scheduled through 2025.

Surprised they don't have the guy in the red car who drove slow in front of their bus while they were going to a game 9 years ago.

[Pony Boss]

Don't feel like any of the ones mentioned are a rivalry except TCU and UConn.

[StallionsModelT]

Scheduling 10 years of UNT was stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. I will never understand it. Instead of playing a potential lower tier P5 program or taking a money game we are in the no win situation of playing a local bottom feeder that plays us like its their Super Bowl. Idiotic.

[LA_Mustang]

I would consider Houston and Tulsa rivals. My list would be:

1. TCU
2. Houston
3. Tulsa
4. UConn
5. Baylor

[Pony Boss]

What about Memphis and UCF?

[SMU Section F]

Scheduling 10 years of UNT was stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. I will never understand it. Instead of playing a potential lower tier P5 program or taking a money game we are in the no win situation of playing a local bottom feeder that plays us like its their Super Bowl. Idiotic.

Hmmm... sounds a lot like:

Scheduling 10 years of SMU was stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. I will never understand it. Instead of playing a potential lower tier P5 program or taking a money game we are in the no win situation of playing a local bottom feeder that plays us like its their Super Bowl. Idiotic.

Not exactly the same, but not completely different either.

Rivalries often turn one-sided when one team's success eclipses the other. That has certainly been the case for SMU/TCU. I doubt most TCU fans even remember the 2005 or 2011 games, but those are two of the top 10 moments for SMU football since the year 2000.

[Pony Boss]

Yes the rivalry has been lopsided against us recently but if we put in the work we could at least even it out. As far as UNT, the deal is there so we should focus on making it a warm up game. You know your football program has sucked a lot lately when you struggle to find who your rivals are.

[StallionsModelT]

Scheduling 10 years of UNT was stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. I will never understand it. Instead of playing a potential lower tier P5 program or taking a money game we are in the no win situation of playing a local bottom feeder that plays us like its their Super Bowl. Idiotic.

Hmmm... sounds a lot like:

Scheduling 10 years of SMU was stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. I will never understand it. Instead of playing a potential lower tier P5 program or taking a money game we are in the no win situation of playing a local bottom feeder that plays us like its their Super Bowl. Idiotic.

Not exactly the same, but not completely different either.

Rivalries often turn one-sided when one team's success eclipses the other. That has certainly been the case for SMU/TCU. I doubt most TCU fans even remember the 2005 or 2011 games, but those are two of the top 10 moments for SMU football since the year 2000.

We have played TCU just about every year for nearly 100 years. We are a traditional and regional rival who have shared conferences. UNT is in no way other than proximity, a rival of SMU. The series is stupid and if we were smart we'd figure out a way to buy them out.

[Donnell88]

Scheduling 10 years of UNT was stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. I will never understand it. Instead of playing a potential lower tier P5 program or taking a money game we are in the no win situation of playing a local bottom feeder that plays us like its their Super Bowl. Idiotic.

Hmmm... sounds a lot like:

Scheduling 10 years of SMU was stupid, stupid, stupid, stupid. I will never understand it. Instead of playing a potential lower tier P5 program or taking a money game we are in the no win situation of playing a local bottom feeder that plays us like its their Super Bowl. Idiotic.

Not exactly the same, but not completely different either.

Rivalries often turn one-sided when one team's success eclipses the other. That has certainly been the case for SMU/TCU. I doubt most TCU fans even remember the 2005 or 2011 games, but those are two of the top 10 moments for SMU football since the year 2000.

We have played TCU just about every year for nearly 100 years. We are a traditional and regional rival who have shared conferences. UNT is in no way other than proximity, a rival of SMU. The series is stupid and if we were smart we'd figure out a way to buy them out.

I have no problem playing North Texas. I'm tired of playing out-of-conference opponents, such as Baylor and Texas A&M, who pummel us on national tv.

[LA_Mustang]

I have no problem playing North Texas. I'm tired of playing out-of-conference opponents, such as Baylor and Texas A&M, who pummel us on national tv.

I get what you're saying but the ultimate goal of this program is to join a P5 conference. To do that we are going to have to prove we can compete with and ultimately beat Baylor, A&M and TT. Now that we have a coach who realizes that requires recruiting, it is a possibility. We have to keep TCU and either Baylor/A&M or Tech on the schedule every year.

[StallionsModelT]

Plenty of lower tier P5 or MWC conference schools I'd much rather play than a no-win scenario with UNT. The only marginal positive for us is that is virtually zero travel cost. If the vision for this program is P5 then we shouldn't be playing schools like UNT that offer no advantages to that goal.