Last week provided a handful of highly anticipated matchups between top 25 college football programs, with five games featuring a pair of ranked teams going head-to-head. This Saturday seems to be lacking in that category. Among the best games slated for the weekend: No. 13 Penn State at Michigan, Oklahoma at No. 25 Kansas, No. 3 Texas at Missouri, and Oregon State at No. 7 USC. Not exactly a power lineup.

But, for college football fiends, all eyes should be on the small town of Provo, Utah on Saturday night. Frankly, if the game was happening in a conference with BCS Bowl affiliations, you’d probably have heard all about it by now. The matchup?

No. 8 TCU at No. 16 BYU.

Maybe not the long-standing rivalry or storied programs most college football slugfests boast, but these two are serious. And for Gary Patterson’s undefeated TCU team, it’s a chance to make a statement.

It’s been nearly a year since TCU lost their last game, a heart-breaking 13-10 defeat at Utah last November that wasn’t decided until a Utes touchdown with 48 seconds to go. For those who’ve forgotten, that Utah team was the only one in the FBS to finish undefeated last year after clobbering Alabama in the Sugar Bowl.

The Horned Frogs’ only other loss of 2008 also came on the road. The Oklahoma Sooners, who went on to play in the BCS National Championship game, handled TCU 35-10 last September, but the Frogs tallied 11 wins in 2008, including a pair of games against top ten opponents. One of those opponents was BYU.

Since joining the Mountain West Conference in 2005, TCU is 2-2 against the Cougars, with both games in Provo being decided by 5 points or less. Last year, a then-unranked Horned Frogs team destroyed no. 9 BYU 32-7 in Fort Worth’s Amon Carter Stadium. This year, the tables are turned, with BYU carrying a loss into the matchup and TCU hoping to keep their BCS hopes alive.

Gary Patterson’s teams are known for their defense, and despite losing seven starters from last year’s unit, 2009 has been no exception. The Frogs defense is 3rd in the nation in yards per game, and can defend through the air or on the ground with equal effectiveness, ranking 8th against the run and 9th against the pass. They’ve also got one of the highest sack totals in the country, tying Penn State and Ohio State for 6th with 21 sacks, which could come in handy against Max Hall and the BYU passing attack.

But the offense has taken major strides for TCU over the last two years, and the Horned Frogs have managed to maintain their success after seeing a jump of nearly a touchdown per game from 2007 to 2008. Gary Patterson’s run-heavy offense is normally focused on limiting mistakes and letting the defense wins games. And while nearly 70 percent of TCU’s plays in 2009 have been runs, junior quarterback Andy Dalton is having by far the most efficient season of his three-year career. He’s completing 65.5 percent of his passes, blowing away his career average of 59.6 percent, and he’s also on pace for career-highs in touchdown passes, QB efficiency rating, and yards per attempt.

On the ground, they’ve got four players with at least 200 rushing yards for the season, including Dalton. Senior Joseph Turner is the feature back, rushing for 399 yards and seven touchdowns on 77 carries, but freshmen Matthew Tucker and Ed Wesley have combined for 496 yards as well.

As a whole, the TCU offense ranks 16th in scoring (33.8 points per game), 22nd in total offense (431.0 yards per game), and 11th in rushing (225.0 yards per game). It’s still a team known for its defense, but the offense can carry its weight.

The Horned Frogs are hoping to earn their first ever BCS Bowl bid, which could be difficult with another potential buster, no. 4 Boise State, already ahead of them in the rankings and facing an easy schedule the rest of the way. But there are those that think that, should TCU go undefeated, they would jump ahead of the Broncos based on strength of schedule. Their most impressive win thus far came on the road against 3 and 3 Clemson, but the schedule is about to pick up for the Frogs with two games in four weeks against top 25 opponents.

And though the Horned Frogs might be new to the limelight, they’re not new to success. TCU went 22-3 from 2005-06, and after an 8-5 season in 2007, they rebounded with 11 wins last year. So far, they’re 6-0 in 2009. They’ll go for seven on Saturday.

Now, I know most of Dallas never attended either school, but considering it’s the biggest sporting even in town tomorrow, we have to say something about it. Does the fact that I’m a UT fan have anything to do with my unabashed interest in this game? Maybe. Does that mean that this post is a little biased? Possibly. But to the average fan of college football in Dallas, it’s a big game that’s happening right in your backyard, and with apologies to SMU, that’s something that doesn’t happen around here all too often. For the rest of you, this can just serve as yet another reminder to stay away from Fair Park tomorrow morning. Here we go…

The Offenses

Through the season’s first five games, Texas has the edge offensively. The Longhorns rank 7th in total offense (479.6 yards per game) while leading the nation in points per contest with a 47.2 average. Oklahoma, on the other hand, ranks 14th in total offense (457.0 yards per game) and 16th in points per game (35.0). It’s worth noting that the Sooners have faced stiffer competition early in the season, including two match ups with ranked teams. But Oklahoma’s worst offensive output of the year, a 13-point, 265-yard effort in their season opener, came against a BYU defense that surrendered 54 points to Florida State two weeks later. The Sooners were without the services of reigning Heisman winner Sam Bradford for much of the BYU game, but considering teams like Colorado State, Utah State, and UNLV have all mustered more points against the Cougars this season, 13 points doesn’t look good even without Bradford.

Quarterback

Last year, the Red River Rivalry was all about the quarterbacks. And why not? Sam Bradford and Colt McCoy finished one and two in the Heisman voting, and Bradford led the nation in QB efficiency while McCoy smashed the NCAA record for completion percentage. But this year has a different feel to it. Bradford’s missed most of the early season with a sprained AC joint in his shoulder, and McCoy hasn’t looked as sharp as many thought he would.

Still, McCoy’s been effective while again leading the country in completion percentage, while Bradford has mostly watched from the sidelines. Bradford returned to action last week against Baylor, and though he nearly threw for 400 yards against Baylor, he looked rusty at times and completed just over half of his passes. If all things were equal, the edge would probably go to the guy with the Heisman, but since Bradford is still working his way back from the injury, I’ll give it to the one that’s been playing since September 5.

Edge: Texas

Running back

This is where OU takes the lead, at least for now. The Sooners are known for producing great backs, most recently with NFL superstar Adrian Peterson. And though Oklahoma doesn’t really have a feature back that can carry the load quite like Peterson did, the backfield tandem of senior Chris Brown and junior DeMarco Murray have already combined for 744 yards on the ground through five games. Supposedly, the Sooners might stick Murray in as a slot receiver at times on Saturday, as he already has over 600 receiving yards in his three year career at OU, but no matter where the pair line up, they’ll be a handful for the Texas defense.

The Longhorns have struggled to find a feature back since the departure of Jamal Charles in 2007. It seems that the offense misses Chris Ogbonnaya more than his 373 rushing yards from a year ago would let on, as his 540 receiving yards made him a big threat out of the backfield and helped him serve as a tight end of sorts in the spread offense. Junior Vondrell McGee and freshman Tre Newton have gotten the bulk of the carries for UT this year, but both are questionable for Saturday’s contest, leaving the oft injured Fozzy Whittaker at the top of the depth chart. Don’t expect the Horns to run all too often tomorrow afternoon.

Edge: Oklahoma

Wide Receiver

At the end of 2008, the Longhorns looked to be in trouble at the receiver position as Quan Cosby and Jordan Shipley, who combined for 181 receptions, 2,183 yards, and 21 touchdowns last season, were both preparing to graduate. But UT caught a break when Shipley was granted an extra year of eligibility and decided to return to the Forty Acres for a sixth year. So far, he hasn’t disappointed. Shipley is on pace for 113 receptions and 1399 yards, not considering a possible Big XII title game or bowl appearance. Sophomore Dan Buckner leads the team with four touchdown receptions and has been remarkably consistent, catching six balls in four straight contests. The biggest weakness in the receiving corps seems to be the lack of a deep threat. While Shipley can stretch the field, he prefers to play the Wes Welker role of finding holes in zone coverage and moving the chains. Even still, he leads all Texas receivers  at just 12.4 yards-per-catch.

A strength of the offense a year ago, a new batch of Oklahoma receivers have caused some problems early on. Joaquin Iglesias and Manny Johnson, who were nearly as prolific a year ago as the Cosby/Shipley tandem, moved on to the NFL, and All-American tight end Jermaine Gresham won’t play a down this season due to a knee injury. But the Sooners’ biggest problem come Saturday may be the health of sophomore receiver Ryan Broyles. Broyles, who leads the nation with seven touchdown receptions despite missing two of OU’s five games, was diagnosed two weeks ago with a fractured shoulder blade that would keep him out until November. But apparently the injury isn’t as bad as originally thought, and Broyles is now “questionable” for the game. Broyles, who hauled in 46 passes for 687 yards as a freshman last year, is easily Oklahoma’s most experienced and talented receiver. Still, even if he is able to play, he’s likely to not be close to 100 percent.

Edge: Texas

Offensive Line

The Sooners might’ve had the best line in college football in last season. But that was then. Now, Oklahoma has had to deal with the departure of four of their five starting lineman from a year ago: guards Duke Robinson and Brandon Walker, tackle Phil Loadholt, and center Jon Cooper. In truth, the best of the bunch from 2008 was tackle Trent Williams, who returned for his senior season and is currently anchoring the left side of OU’s O-line. But while Williams looks like a lock to be a top-ten draft pick next April, losing his linemates has left Oklahoma in a state of transition.

The Longhorn’s line has been solid for most of the season, led by Southlake’s Adam Ulatoski at left tackle. Chris Hall, another senior, started at least one game at every position on the line last year for UT, but he’s currently settled in at center. Though there is a bit of youth on the right side, where the Longhorns have sophomore David Snow and junior Kyle Hix, Colt McCoy’s quick release and craftiness in the pocket can make life pretty easy in the trenches.

Edge: Texas

The Defenses

This is where the Sooners can make up some ground. While Texas ranks 4th in the nation in total yards allowed (235.0 per game) and are best against the run (48.2 per game), Oklahoma is right behind them in both categories (9th and 3rd respectively), and they’re way ahead in the most important category: points per game. Thanks in part to two shutouts, the Sooners are allowing only 8.4 points per contest, while Texas has given up 15.0 points a game on average. OU has also averaged nearly a sack per game more.

Defensive line

Don’t get me wrong, any defensive line that features Sergio Kindle, Sam Acho, and Lamarr Houston isn’t bad, but, much like the Sooners’ offensive line, Texas’ D-line lost a lot from last year. Brian Orakpo, Roy Miller, and Henry Melton all departed after 2008, forcing Will Muschamp to move linebacker Sergio Kindle up into a defensive end spot to help with the pass rush. A defensive line that was ferocious last year has been merely good so far this season.

Oklahoma, on the other, might have the best front four in the nation. Gerald McCoy is one of the top tackles in the country and projects as a 1st round pick should he decide to enter the draft in 2010. Defensive ends Auston English and Jeremy Beal are both experienced, high-motor pass rusher, and sophomore Frank Alexander is a great option to. Nose guard Adrian Taylor might be the least known name on the OU defensive line, but he’s got good size, solid skills, and the enviable position of playing with guys that consistently command double teams.

Edge: Oklahoma

Linebackers

OU has plenty of experience here in the form of starters Keenan Clayton and Ryan Reynolds, both seniors. But the best of the bunch is sophomore Travis Lewis, who made the All-Big XII team in 2008 as a redshirt freshman and already projects as an upper-echelon NFL prospect. After racking up 135 tackles, three sacks, and four interceptions in his inaugural campaign, Lewis could end up as one of the best linebackers in OU history if he continues to improve. Austin Box, another sophomore, can provide solid depth on the outside.

Texas’ linebacking corp is led by Roddrick Muckelroy, who is one of four seniors on the defense.  Muckelroy has supplemented his leadership skills with big plays on the field and has caught the eye of NFL scouts in 2009. But other than him, there’s not much meat to the middle of the UT defense. Outside linebackers Keenan Robinson and Emmanuel Acho, both sophomores, are talented but still coming into their own. After senior Jared Norton went down for the season with a shoulder injury in September, the Longhorns have only one non-freshman linebacker left on their roster.

Edge: Oklahoma
Secondary

This is another area where Oklahoma had to endure a major overhaul. Cornerback Reggie Smith and safeties Nic Harris and Lendy Holmes are all gone from 2008, leaving the Sooners with only one senior in the secondary.

Earl Thomas headlines the UT secondary and, as a sophomore, he’s already established himself as one of the better safeties in the country. The Horns lost only Ryan Palmer from last year, returning sophomore Blake Gideon at strong safety, and using a rotation of juniors Curtis and Chykie Brown and sophomore Aaron Williams at corner.

Edge: Texas

Special Teams

It probably doesn’t garner it’s own category, but there’s nowhere else to put it. Oklahoma has average an excellent 15.6 yards per punt return, but Texas is just a shade ahead of them at 16.8. The biggest difference, however, comes in the kick return game, where the Longhorns lead the nation at a ridiculous clip of 34.6 yards per return, while Oklahoma ranks 90th at 19.8. And then, of course, there’s the fact that the Longhorns have two kick returns for touchdowns, both courtesy of D.J. Monroe. The Sooners have zero. The Longhorns also have two punt returns for touchdowns, both courtesy of Jordan Shipley. The Sooners have zero. Add the fact that Texas has a pair of senior kickers — Hunter Lawrence and Ryan Bailey — with plenty of big game experience, while Sooners’ sophomore Jimmy Stevens is a career one for four on anything beyond 39 yards, and the advantage is pretty clear.

Edge: Texas

Tech at Houston (loss). Kansas State at Louisiana-Lafayette (loss). Colorado at Toledo (loss). Texas at Wyoming (more difficult for a half than it should have been).

The Big 12 will play more games at non-BCS schools this season than any other BCS league. More than the Pac-10 and Big Ten will play combined. You tell me whether the Big 12 is to be congratulated or criticized in its non-conference scheduling.

The Big 12 will play seven road games against non-BCS schools this season. The Big East will play six, the ACC five, the SEC four, the Pac-10 and Big Ten two each. (I’m not counting trips to Notre Dame, and it could be argued trips to Army and Navy are a different animal, too. Nor do I count traveling to major cities, like Ohio State “at” Toledo in Cleveland or Kentucky “at” Miami, Ohio in Cincinnati. One of the Big Ten’s two games is Wisconsin at Hawaii, which could also be considered for exemption.)

There often are extenuating circumstances in such arrangements, at the very least 2-for-1 contracts. For Texas, the trip to Wyoming was a last-minute deal after UT allowed Arkansas out of its game this season to play Texas A&M in Arlington this Saturday. Wyoming will make two trips to Austin, but that didn’t make things look any better for UT a few weeks ago in Laramie when it led only 13-10 en route to winning 41-10.

Colorado was also looking for a late replacement last spring, but that was for another non-BCS trip – to Miami, Ohio. Kansas played at UTEP in a home-and-home contract. K-State at ULaLa was a 2-for-1. (Credit the Wildcats for also traveling to UCLA.)

Similar to that Seinfeld scene about making the rental car reservation but not holding the reservation – if you’re going to make one of these non-BCS trips, remember to return home with a win. Colorado didn’t. K-State didn’t. Tech didn’t. The other five BCS leagues have lost three such games combined.

Not all non-BCS trips can be judged equally. Florida State at BYU, Oregon at Boise State (lost), Louisville at Utah (lost) hold higher value than Missouri at Nevada or Pitt at Buffalo. Tech’s visit to Houston was the latest in a series of games in which the four former SWC schools now in the Big 12 have visited those left behind. And a trip to Houston should be a recruiting boon for the Red Raiders, like playing at SMU has been in Dallas.

Likewise for Ole Miss’ longtime home-and-home with nearby Memphis of Conference USA. Ole Miss is ending that series that after this season. Unspoken is the desire to play as many non-conference home games as possible. That’s usually the norm for the top SEC teams even if it means scheduling home games against Division I-AA programs.

In the SEC, it’s usually the programs at or near the bottom that will agree to travel to a non-BCS campus. Other than Ole Miss-Memphis this season, Mississippi State will go to Middle Tennessee State. Vanderbilt played at Rice and will travel to Army. That’s it.

Texas has previously played at UTEP, maybe a noble gesture toward an in-state neighbor. Can you see Florida or Florida State playing at Central Florida? Alabama or Auburn at Troy? Missouri had a Top 25 team in 2004 and was touting a Heisman contender in Brad Smith when it traveled to Troy, then only in its fourth year as a I-A program. Missouri came home from the Thursday night ESPN game with a loss.

Texas’ trip to Wyoming, while a special case, dues continue a trend. The Longhorns have played at a non-BCS school each of the last four years (Rice, UCF, UTEP and Wyoming). Starting in 2000, Texas has played seven of its 11 non-conference road games against non-BCS schools.

Let’s compare Texas in this area to other elite national programs, historically or otherwise:

Oklahoma’s non-conference trips starting in 2000: Air Force in ’01, Tulsa in ’02, Alabama in ’03, UCLA in ’05, Oregon in ’06, Tulsa again in ’07, Washington in ’08, Miami this year.

For Michigan, it’s either travel to Notre Dame or to the Pac-10: UCLA in ’00, Washington in ’01, Notre Dame in ’02, Oregon in ’03, ND in ’04, ’06 and ’08. (Remember the Big Ten and Pac-10 are very chummy as part of their longtime Rose Bowl tie.)

Ohio State is also heavy on Pac-10 travel: Arizona in ’00, UCLA in ’01, a trip to Cincinnati in ’02 but playing at Paul Brown Stadium, NC State in ’04, Texas in ’06, Washington in ’07, USC in ’08, playing Toledo in Cleveland this year.

USC also plays home-and-home with Notre Dame: Penn State at the Meadowlands in ’00, ND in ’01, Colorado in ’02, Auburn and Notre Dame in ’03, Virginia Tech (in D.C.) and BYU in ’04, Hawaii and Notre Dame in ’05, Arkansas in ’06, Nebraska and ND in ’07, Virginia in ’08, Ohio State this year.

Florida will travel to Florida State every other year. The Gators haven’t made any other non-conference trips this decade (except for going to Miami in ’03, a year when they didn’t go to Tallahassee).

Texas has already announced intentions of playing at BCS schools more frequently in the future. After playing at Rice next season, the Longhorns are scheduled to play at UCLA in 2011, at Ole Miss in 2012, at Minnesota in ’16 and at Cal in ’16.