A pair of Top 25 teams clash in the Lone Star State this weekend, as the 24th-ranked Oregon State Beavers battle the sixth-ranked TCU Horned Frogs at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington.
The Beavers made a serious run at the Pac-10 title in 2009, but came up just short when they were edged, 37-33, by rival Oregon in their regular-season finale. The loss denied the program its first Rose Bowl appearance since 1964, and the Beavers instead went on to suffer a 44-20 loss to BYU in the Las Vegas Bowl. It was certainly a disappointing ending for Mike Riley’s squad, which finished a promising campaign with a respectable 8-5 ledger. Plenty of talent returns on both sides of the ball in 2010, so expect the Beavers to take another crack at reaching the Rose Bowl.

TCU meanwhile, enters the 2010 season with lofty expectations and its highest ranking ever following a remarkable ’09 showing. Under the guidance of head coach Gary Patterson, the Frogs captured the Mountain West Conference title in ’09 and completed a perfect (12-0) regular-season for the first time since the 1938 national championship team. TCU did end up losing to Boise State, 17-10, in the Fiesta Bowl, but regardless, it was a season to remember for the program. A plethora of starters from last year’s club are welcomed back, giving TCU another opportunity to compete for a BCS Bowl game in ’10.

TCU simply plays tough and even tougher at home and Oregon State is looking to make another run in the PAC-10 as they have plenty of talent on both sides of the ball. Look for both teams to put the ball in the end zone with quite frequency as this one goes over the total.