The Horned Frogs will most certainly be underdogs in the Vegas sense of the word this Saturday, as they travel to play undefeated Boise State at Boise, but the storyline uniting these unlikely rivals the last decade has been their shared struggled to upend the BCS system of automatic qualifiers. All that's about to change when both teams - TCU to the Big 12, and Boise to a TBD amalgamation of the Big East - become part of the "big boys."
ESPN Dallas' Jeff Caplan comments on the end of the upstart era for program like TCU and Boise:
One by one, the rebels are joining the establishment. Again, those are wise business decisions, but as long as the BCS is here, these defections will dull college football, if even just a bit. The underdogs will be gone and so, too, will the incessant flashpoints of debate they stirred.
"Boise changed the landscape of college football back in 2005 when they beat Oklahoma in the Fiesta Bowl," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "I don't think there's any doubt about that. I know Chris probably doesn't, in his way, he doesn't say anything, but it changed."
The Idaho Statesman's Brian Murphy views today's game as a funeral for what might've been a classic Mountain West rivalry. Despite their shared history in two bowl games and frequent grouping as the "BCS busters," today will mark the first and last time the teams meet as conference rivals.
A career-defining game for the Boise State seniors, who have avenged each of their two career defeats (TCU and Nevada).
Finish 2-1 against TCU and the Broncos likely head to another BCS game. Finish 1-2 and the great careers of the Bronco seniors will likely end in a second straight MAACO Bowl Las Vegas.
It has everything a rivalry game could ask for. Except a future.
For more on Boise State, visit One Nation Under Bronco God. For all your TCU info, check out Frogs Of War.