As the cliche line goes, “You never know what’s going to happen” and in college football, the weekly rankings are a constant reminder of that.
Of course, the rankings have been very favorable to BCS conferences, which is to be expected. The Horned Frogs still stand at a respectable No. 5, but after seeing what some teams have done in recent times, the Frogs need to step it up if they want to make a case for a high-level BCS game.
A 27-0 win normally sounds pretty good, but when it’s against a very weak Colorado State team, a few more style points are to be expected, especially compared to performances from other top teams last week.
Top-ranked Alabama proved that they are the dominant force in the SEC and Division I football this year after a 31-6 crushing of the then-No. 7 Florida Gators. Third-ranked Oregon smashed then-No. 9 Stanford by three touchdowns in a 52-31 romp. Oregon continues to have the highest points-per-game average, along with the top offensive yardage in the NCAA.
Even though Boise State dropped down to No. 4 in the rankings, they showed absolutely no mercy against New Mexico State, winning 59-0. Boise State, like TCU, knows that the BCS is against them, but they continue to show that they are willing to annihilate anyone who stands in their way.
The University of Texas team tried to bounce back from an embarrassment of a homefront loss against UCLA, but now-No. 6 Oklahoma still showed that they are the team to beat in the Big 12 this year.
In all of this, the only top team currently in the hot seat right now is Ohio State. Honestly, after their scare with Illinois, I’m surprised that the Buckeyes are still holding the No. 2 spot. At the rate they’re playing, something might just work out in TCU’s favor.
With all of this, where does TCU stand? For right now, they need to put up some solid performances at home against Wyoming, a disappointing BYU and a “Thank-God-they-made-the-rankings-to-help-our-schedule” No. 25 Air Force. For these games, a win will not be enough. A blowout win will not be enough. The Frogs need to definitively prove to the BCS pollsters that they can do better than a 6-0 lead at halftime. Andy Dalton needs to remind everyone why he’s one of the best quarterbacks in college football by doing more than 109 yards of passing. TCU simply needs to start showcasing its talent.
The Horned Frogs are an excellent team that has proved itself before. However, in the cutthroat world of NCAA football, TCU needs to prove itself every week. With only two more games this season against ranked opponents, TCU can’t afford to have just a win every week. When they start putting on a show, TCU will be rightfully recognized as a legitimate force for postseason play.
J.D. Moore is a freshman journalism major from Honolulu, Hawaii.
