Around the Horned With Brian Estridge
Nov. 7, 2003
Tonight might just be the biggest game in the modern history of TCU. Sure you could go back to the 1930s when the Frogs were competing for and winning National Championships, or you could talk about some of the teams and games in the 1950s or the Sun Bowl win in 1998. Heck, you could bring up games in the 2000 season that protected the unbeaten streak. But none of the games, at least over the last half-century, has come at a more important time.
The current unbeaten season record is big enough, but you throw in the overall winning streak of 10 and the home winning streak of 11, and the pressure is that much more intense. Then comes all of the talk of the Bowl Championship Series (BCS) and the burden of trying to become the first non-BCS school to crash that post-season party. The subject even came up on Capitol Hill this week, with Utah Senator Orrin Hatch leading the investigation into the fairness of the BCS.
How will this team and these coaches react to having to carry the torch for all of the non-BCS schools who are trying to shed light on inequities in college football? How will they handle the hype? We'll know soon enough for sure, but up until kickoff they have handled it pretty well.
Over the weekend, all of the college football shows on both radio and television were quick to point out that the Frogs were one of three teams that are still undefeated. All of the talk around town and campus has centered on "Can the Frogs keep the streak alive?" In addition, all of the national media knows that if the BCS is going to change, it all hinges on TCU's ability to remain undefeated in the end. However, all of the focus for this team and these coaches has been on this game -- a showdown between two top-25 teams in Amon Carter Stadium. It's something that hasn't happened here for a long time.
With a loss, the Frogs' BCS chances are washed down the drain. With a win, they keep hope alive for one more week. And don't think for a minute that the men in red from Louisville aren't fully aware of this. They are aware to the point that this has been the game circled on the Cardinals' schedule all season. The Frogs have embarrassed Louisville each of the last two seasons, but that was under an old, undisciplined regime. This match-up tonight will be different. Louisville will be physical, they will be fired up and they will play under control. But will it be enough to overcome the magic that the Frogs have experienced at home?
The real fight is for more than the game. It's the fight for equity. It's the fight for the chance to prove that you belong. Gary Patterson has fought like that his entire life. One of his friends told me early in the week, "I could still call Gary today and if I needed him to help me dig a ditch, he'd be right over. He's not afraid to get his hands dirty."
And as we have echoed in this column on many occasions, his team has the same attitude. Now his players have more to get dirty over than just a game. This team will get its hands dirty tonight in an effort to prove to everyone around the country who knows deep down that the BCS isn't fair, that the fight is still worth fighting. Here's hoping that the fight continues tomorrow morning.
From the streets and avenues of North Texas to the information superhighway, I'm Brian Estridge. We'll see you on the radio.
