College Confidential: TCU latest Texas team in line to beat up on hapless SMU

Jimmy Burch and Carlos Mendez break down the biggest stories in college football in their weekly video, College Confidential at star-telegram.com.

For the first month of the season, SMU opponents from rival Texas schools have played “Pin the loss on the Ponies” with relative ease. This week, TCU gets its chance. How will the Horned Frogs fare in Saturday’s battle for the “Iron Skillet?”

Jimmy: The Frogs will keep the skillet. The bigger question is whether an SMU offense averaging 4.0 points per game can find the end zone.

Carlos: The Horned Frogs will fare just fine. Coaching change and adversity aside, this is a talent issue. There is way, way more of it on the TCU side. The suspense is whether TCU gives up more than six points — North Texas and Texas A&M did not.

  In a season marked by several high-profile games at AT&T Stadium, this week’s Arkansas-Texas A&M matchup offers a significant contrast in styles that will impact the SEC West standings. What happens Saturday in Arlington?

Jimmy: A&M should win. But the bigger issue is learning how the Aggies’ defense matches up against an elite rushing attack, a prevalent commodity among other SEC West teams. South Carolina abandoned the run when it fell behind A&M on Aug. 28. Arkansas will not do that.

Carlos: Texas A&M escapes, but not by much. Arkansas is full of confidence in its running game, and that is the one and only way to slow down the A&M offense. The Aggies won’t hit 50, but they win and stay at the head of the line in the SEC.

We’re a month into the Heisman Trophy race and Texas A&M quarterback Kenny Hill, a sophomore from Southlake Carroll, is in the thick of the Heisman Trophy discussion. Earlier this week, one oddsmaker offered 10-1 odds on Hill to win the Heisman, placing him behind only Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, at 2-1. What needs to happen for Hill to hoist the Heisman?

Jimmy: In today’s game, the Heisman winds up in the hands of a high-profile offensive player from an elite team that wows voters in November on national TV. I’d suggest Kenny stay healthy and light it up against Auburn (Nov. 8), Missouri (Nov. 15) and LSU (Nov. 27).

Carlos: Three more things: 1. Win at Alabama. 2. Win at Auburn. 3. Put up numbers. He already has his star moment — destroying South Carolina in the debut of the SEC’s own network.

Most conference races begin in earnest this week. Based on what we’ve seen to date, which under-the-radar team from August is the biggest threat to win a Power Five conference title?

Jimmy: The best sleeper team is No. 14 Mississippi State (4-0), but it will be hard for the Bulldogs to win the SEC. It would not be shocking for any of three teams from the Big Ten’s West Division (Nebraska, Wisconsin, Iowa) to stun No. 9 Michigan State in the league championship game.

Carlos: Gotta be Mississippi State. Textbook takedown of LSU last weekend for the Bulldogs, aside from the last five minutes. Now they’ve got a week off, and they get A&M off a road trip next weekend in a morning kickoff. Might be where it starts.

This story was originally published September 25, 2014 at 10:20 AM with the headline "College Confidential: TCU latest Texas team in line to beat up on hapless SMU."