If it’s a repeat of 2015, TCU will welcome the 11 a.m. kick against Texas | Opinion
TCU has patiently waited four years for an absurd kickoff time for a home game, and TV has come through with a plate of “Why Would You Do That?”
If all things go according to the point spread in this week’s upcoming college football games, TCU will be soon be 3-0 and Texas 3-1.
Texas is a 7.5-point favorite against Texas Tech; TCU is a 9.5-point favorite against SMU.
If TCU does not defeat SMU after what receiver Mustangs Rashee Rice told a small group of reporters on Tuesday, all Frogs’ future kickoffs should be 8 a.m.
“After we won that [Iron] Skillet they were scared to play us,” Rice said of SMU’s win over TCU in Fort Worth in 2019. “It’s always Dallas versus Fort Worth, but no one comes to Texas for Fort Worth.”
As much as coaches hate this, this sort of candor is wonderful for this game. TCU and SMU always need a little help.
Texas needs nothing.
By the time Texas and TCU play in Fort Worth on Oct. 2, both may be ranked in the Top 25. Texas at TCU would make sense for the mid-afternoon slot, or even prime time.
Of course, TV has decided that Texas at TCU will start at 11 a.m.
The year 2020 refuses to end.
The 11 a.m. kick is the college football equivalent of white socks for Christmas.
Texas at TCU at 11 a.m. is on ABC, but this start time is likely more as a result of FOX Sports.
The Big 12 said in a statement, “Weekly TV selections are determined by a selection-order draft for each week of the season. The ‘draft’ takes place among the Conference’s TV partners prior to the season. Based on the pre-determined draft order, which varies from week-to-week, each partner selects its game(s) for the week.
“As an example, based on a full slate of five Conference games, one week ESPN may have the first, third and fourth picks, and perhaps the second and fifth the next, and the third and fourth the week after that. With FOX having the remaining picks. Media rights agreements provide the TV partners the autonomy to determine weekly selection order, along with the windows and networks (FOX, FS1, ABC, ESPN, ESPN2, etc.) on which games are carried.”
We are not sure who picked first, but it’s likely FOX.
FOX will air No. 4 Oklahoma at No. 25 Kansas State at 2:30 p.m.
The baffling element isn’t Texas at TCU as much as the Big 12’s night game: Kansas at Iowa State on FOX Sports 1. FS1 is essentially giving up on the night game.
This is not the first time TCU has been involved in curious kickoff times.
On Oct. 21, 2017, TCU was undefeated and ranked No. 4 in the nation, and hosting a Kansas squad that was 1-5.
FOX Sports went with that snore as its prime time matchup. One of the reasons was the network was also carrying the MLB playoffs, and it didn’t want to put anything too attractive against a postseason game.
TCU defeated Kansas 43-0, and few noticed.
When TCU plays Texas over the last decade, people notice. They notice because TCU routinely embarrasses Texas.
Since joining the Big 12 in 2012, TCU is 7-2 against UT; that success is a contributing factor why UT has run off Mack Brown, Charlie Strong and Tom Herman.
The last time TCU played Texas in Fort Worth and the game started at 11 a.m., it was not worthy of that slot because it was NC-17.
That was Oct. 3, 2015 when No. 4 TCU popped Charlie Strong’s UT team, 50-7.
TCU led 30-0 after the first quarter, and running back/receiver KaVontae Turpin scored four touchdowns in the game.
This was the infamous game where then TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte said, “It was a nice Homecoming win.”
This was the game where the Texas Rangers’ Tweeted: “Fire Charlie. #bye”
This was the game where Texas defensive back Kris Boyd retweeted a Tweet that he should transfer to Texas A&M during halftime.
Doubtful that the TCU/Texas game in 2021 will play out like that wreck in 2015.
TCU may not be thrilled with another 11 a.m. kickoff for Texas, but if the end result is anything close to their game in 2015 it won’t be socks for Christmas.
