Hey Guys,

I want to do a full recap of my trip to Boise (similar to my Rose Bowl Chronicles) when I get the time but for now I just wanted to pop in here and share a few nuggets from my trip. 

First of all I was blown away by how nice and welcoming everyone in Boise was.  All we heard before the game was "welcome to Boise" and all we heard after the game was "Good game" "Thanks for coming" and various compliments on the TCU program as orange-clad fans shook our hands and offered up food and drink.  Not a bad egg in the bunch.  It's going to be near impossible to ever root against BSU again after the way we were all treated.  Very classy, especially after a heartbreaking defeat with so much on the line.  I'd like to think TCU fans would react the same way, but I'm not so sure.

As far as cfb fans yours are top notch.  The stadium was packed to the brim, color coordinated, and ear-poppingly loud or pin-drop silent depending on the situation, very impressive.  Tailgating was quite a sight as well with the sea of orange and blue tents.

Also thanks to everyone who gave me advice on where to eat and what do do in Boise.  All the advice was spot on and we enjoyed everything.  In case anyone from that thread is wondering here's what we did:

Food (In Order):  Elmer's (2 hour wait at Goldy's), Big Jud's (my cousin did the 1 lb burger and 1 lb tots challenge), Bittercreek, Bardenay, Boise Fry Company. 

Nightlife: Pengilly's, The Reef

Activities: Bronco Stadium skybox tour, greenbelt, Farmers Market, shopping downtown

All in all Boise is an amazing town filled with great people.  You have a fantastic football team and support them as passionately as any SEC or Big 12 fanbase that I've seen.  Hats off to you and good luck in the future.  Hopefully the TCU-BSU "rivalry" can continue on in the future though my heart might need a break for a few years. ;)

Thanks Boise!

Hey Nuggies,

I'm coming up for our game this weekend with my gf & some family and wanted to see if anyone could give me some advice on what to do/ where to go while in Boise.  We are coming in on Thursday night and leaving Sunday night so we'll have plenty of time on our hands so things to do during the day would be nice too.  Looking for all the usual info- places to eat/drink, things to do, places to shop, etc etc.  The more unique and Boise-ish the better.  Also advice on where to go before the game would be appreciated.  FYI our group is a mix of males and females in our 20's, 30's, and 50's, no kids.  We're all pretty laid back so definitely not looking for any "pinky-out" type of places, just looking to eat some good grub, drink some beers, and have a good time in Boise. 

Thanks in advance!

Last Week: 3-3
Overall: 19-8-1

I've been having Big 12 daydreams all day and I fly out for the Red River Rivalry in the morning and haven't packet yet so I am just going straight picks this week with no commentary, sorry.

Air Force Falcons +14 @  Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Arizona Wildcats -2 @ Oregon State Beavers
San Diego State Aztecs +4.5 vs. TCU Horned Frogs 

This Saturday afternoon the former SWC rivals and current cross-town rivals, SMU & TCU, lace 'em up to battle it our for the 91st time and claim right to the Iron Skillet.  Both teams opened up the season with a road loss to a Big 12 team (TCU @ Baylor, SMU @ Texas A&M) but have each rebounded nicely reeling of 3 consecutive wins a piece.  The Battle for the Iron Skillet in most years is about the TCU defense matching up against the SMU offense but this year we seem to have entered smeo sort of a bizarro-world where SMU's offense is ranked outside the top 25 in total offense at 31 and the TCU defense is all the way down the list at 85.  Conversely the SMU defense comes in ranked at #10 in the nation.

On offense TCU didn't have to wait long for QB Casey Pachall to fill the shoes of the departed Dalton and he should be able to match scores with JJ McDermott and the Ponies if he has to in the event of another TCU defensive meltdown.  This matchup marks the first true test for the TCU defensive backfield since being embarrassed on national television by Robert Griffin III and his Baylor Bears.  Even if the coverage steps up this week the Mustangs proved to be a well-balanced team last season when RB Zach Line ran all over the Frogs through delayed draws.  The loss of TCU's 2010's leading tackler, LB Tanner Brock, could prove to be costly Saturday against a bruiser like Line.

I look for this game to be a high scoring affair with multiple lead-changes that will come down to a one-score game.  Normally homefield advantage would be the trump card in a game like this but with a limited capacity of 32,000 due to construction and it being a day-game also due to said construction the crowd could be less influential than in a typical Iron Skillet game at ACS.

TCU vs SMU Hate Week 2011 (SpitBloodTCU.com) (via soccershagman)

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Last Week: 3-1
Overall: 16-5-1 (.762)

South Florida Bulls -2.5 @ Pitt Panthers
USF beat Notre Dame 23-20 in South Bend and Notre Dame beat Pitt 15-12 on the banks of the Three Rivers so USF beats Pitt by at least a field goal at Heinz Field.  Sound logic right?  Right, moving on...  USF 24 Pitt 13

SMU Mustangs +13 @ TCU Horned Frogs
As a TCU fan I am deathly afraid of this game.  The defensive backfield still hasn't shown they can cover anyone deep and Zach Line tore the Frogs apart on delayed draws last year and SMU's defense is vastly improved.  You also have to factor in that TCU will have a diminished homefield advantage with the reduced capacity due to construction and it being a day game in the sweltering Texas heat.  31-28 TCU

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Last Week: 5-1 (how 'bout a rec?)
Overall: 13-4-1 (.764)

BYU Cougars -2.5 vs. UCF Golden Knights
UCF is coming off a 17-10 road loss to FIU, who played the majority of the game without the electrifying T.Y. Hilton.  If playing 230 miles south in front of 20,000 fans was a challenge for the Knights just imagine what is going to happen Friday night when they find themselves 2,300 miles from home, at an elevation of 4,500 feet, in front of 60,000 Cougar fans that are all hopped-up on caffeine free Diet Coke.  Many are quick to scoff at BYU after the 54-10 drubbing the suffered at home at the hands of the hated Utes(a game I picked correctly btw).  It is important to note that BYU had 7 turnovers in this game, 6 of which were lost fumbles.  In my opinion when something like that happens you just have to write it off as a fluke and treat the game as an outlier because Bronco won't let that happen again. 24-13 BYU.


See the rest of my picks after the jump

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Fort Worth, Texas -- Amon G. Carter Stadium (32,000)

Saturday, Sept. 17 -- 1 p.m. (CDT)

Television: The Mtn. -- Todd Harris (PBP), Todd Christensen (color), Amanda Mazey (sideline)

Radio: TCU/IMG Sports Network -- WBAP 820 AM and 96.7 FM, KTCU 88.7 FM, KKHT 100.7 FM (Houston), GoFrogs.com [Brian Estridge (PBP), John Denton (color), Jeff Williams (sideline)]

Spanish - AM 1270 Univision Radio - Miguel Cruz (PBP), Elvis Gallegos (color)

ABOUT THE GAME

*No. 23 TCU makes its 2011 home debut Saturday when it hosts the University of Louisiana at Monroe at 1 p.m. in the first-ever meeting between the teams.

*Saturday's game will also mark TCU's first contest in Amon G. Carter Stadium amidst its $143 million renovation. Capacity for the 2011 season is 32,000. After full completion of the renovation in time for the 2012 campaign, Amon G. Carter Stadium will seat 43,000 with the ability to expand to 50,000. Following this season, the east stands, opposite the press box, will be redone and have a double-deck appearance similar to the new north end zone.

*TCU head coach Gary Patterson has 99 victories and is one shy of reaching the 100-win mark.

*Patterson is also closing in on Dutch Meyer's all-time record for victories by a TCU head coach. Meyer was 109-79-13 from 1934-52, including leading the Frogs to national championships in 1935 and 1938.

*TCU has a school record 20-game home winning streak.

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 Last Week: 4-1-1
Overall: 8-3-1 (.727)

LSU Tigers -3.5 @ Mississippi State Bulldogs
Dan Mullen has clearly turned MSU into a dangerous team but they still can't hang "athlete-wise" with the SEC's elite whether they bring "more cowbell" or not.  24-20 LSU.

Texas Longhorns -3.5 @ UCLA Bruins
No Gilbert? No problem.  Also gotta think about the "revenge-factor" and that Mack Brown and his Longhorns are no strangers to the Rose Bowl.  28-17 Texas.

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In order to help gauge public perception of the MWC matchups each week I am going to start doing an early (and hopefully late) look at the offshore MWC line movements each week as posted by covers.com.  Opening line in parenthesis.

Boise State -19 (17.5) over Toledoin the familiar position being the ESPN Friday night special.  Last two Friday games on ESPN have been barn-burners with the ASU-Mizzou OT thriller and another game that I can't seem to remember on opening week.

CSU +8.5 (9.5) point dogs to CU in the 2011 Rocky Mountain Showdown.

TCU - 28.5 (27.5) over ULM in the home opener that fans would be smart to bring a hard hat to as Amon Carter Stadium is currently a construction zone.

New Mexico is getting far too much credit as only a 20 (19.5) point dog to Texas Techat home.  I bet that gets covered by halftime.

SDSU opened as a touchdown fave over Washington State at home but have since dropped to -6.

Wyoming is +8.5 at Bowling Green and UNLV is a 20 point dog at home to Hawaii.

Last Week: 4-2
Overall: 4-2

Oklahoma State -14 vs. Arizona
The Wildcats are looking to avenge the 36-10 drubbing the received at the hands of the Cowboys in the Alamo Bowl last season but it will be a tall task without offensive star Juron Criner(late scratch due to appendectomy) and in Stillwater.  41-20 Oklahoma State.

South Carolina -3 @ Georgia
As much as I want the Bulldogs to win this one to validate the Boise State victory I just don't see it.  USC's fearsome threesome of Steve Garcia, Marcus Lattimore, and Alshon Jeffery are going to do some serious damage to the scoreboard and I don't think the Dawgs can keep up.  Is it getting hot in here or is it just Mark Richt's coaching seat?  38-21 USC.

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After a "fun-filled" Labor Day Weekend my brain is still in a bit of a fog of one-part hangover and one-part mourning over the TCU-Baylor game.  I am currently still in the process of piecing together my thoughts on the loss and what it all means for the Frogs, but college football waits for no man and I'm sure many of you are ready to look at the de-facto "MWC Game of the Week," TCU at Air Force.  Luckily for me I got an email this morning from a friend of mine who is a former All-MWC linebacker for the Falcons and an "X's and O's" savant who wanted to share his thoughts on the game with me.  I have decided to run his email unedited without his consent as a kind of "letter to the editor."  I hope you enjoy it and it brings you, the reader, some extra insight on the matchup.

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I did a weekly pick 'em column last season and not only really enjoyed myself but by some miracle of humanity I was actually above .500 for most of the year.  That is until week 10 when I went 0-5 and then followed it up with an impressive 1-4 performance causing me to hang my head in shame and retire the column for the rest of the season.  With the new season upon us I have decided to face my demons and get back up on the bull in an attempt to get my 8 seconds, or in this case to try and stay above .500 for the season. 

Disclaimer: I am just doing this for fun and under no circumstances would I recommend you put any of your hard earned pennies on any of these games on my account.  I am just as likely to pick a trap game or sucker bet as I am to pick a winner.  Much like last year to make up for said sucker bets and trap games I will include a co-ed picture of the week, you're welcome.  Now on to the picks...

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This is my lucky TCU-Baylor gameday shirt that I will be wearing Friday night.  Unfortunately for me I will be wearing it under a tuxedo as I will be standing as a groomsmen in a friend's wedding during kickoff.  Scheduling a wedding during football season should be illegal.

TCU at Baylor is ESPN's Friday night matchup to kick off the season this year for a reason.  TCU is the Rose Bowl Champs.  Baylor has an electrifying dual-threat QB who is the closest thing to Michael Vick since, well... Michael Vick.  The two universities sit only 85 miles apart from eachother and were former Southwest Conference rivals.  Both fanbases have the type of passionate hatred for one another that can only be cultivated through playing 106 times, making this one of the most-played rivalry games in college football.  TCU is 50-49-7 all time against Baylor though in the past three meeting TCU has dismantled the Bears winning each of the three matchups by a combined scored of 89-17.   But if there was ever a perfect storm for Baylor to beat the Frogs this Friday's game in Waco is it.

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With so many unknowns on this Horned Frog squad going into the season it has hard to predict the outcome of the season before we've even seen most of these guys play.  But that won't stop us form trying now will it.  First let's take a look at the schedule and then we'll break it down after the jump:
 
h/t yurintroubl

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The TCU defense has some big shoes to fill.  For the past 3 seasons Gary Patterson's patented 4-2-5 defense has finished ranked #1 in the nation in total defense.  Can Patterson and the Frogs do it again in 2011? With only 5 returning starters the odds are certainly stacked against them, but that is nothing new to Patterson.  In 2010 they said it would be impossible to replace defensive standouts DE Jerry Hughes and LB Daryl Washington who had both departed for the NFL being drafted in the 1st and 2nd rounds respectively.  Enter Stansly Maponga and Tanner Brock.  Patterson and the Horned Frogs no longer rebuild on defense, they reload.

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Editor's note:  The video in question has been removed from vimeo.  The web address now gives the following message:

Sorry, "Freemont Highlight" was deleted at 3:51:00 Mon Aug 22, 2011. We have no more information about it on our mainframe or elsewhere.

We will try to track it down elsewhere if possible. 
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Check out this impressive Boise State promo video that was posted by "taylor little" to vimeo this past week.  It was edited, produced and directed by Boise State graduate and former Bronco "Sports Video" employee, Christopher Mitchell.  Mr. Mitchell's efforts earned him "Highlight of the Year Award" for the 2010 football season which was displayed in Las Vegas at the Fremont Street Experience.  But were they actually the efforts of Mr. Mitchell?

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