Texas Tech will not see TCU until the final week of the regular season, but the Horned Frogs could have already given the Red Raiders a boost to their repeat title hopes.
LUBBOCK - While Texas Tech has to wait another week to begin its season, the Red Raiders might have already gotten a boost after one of its Big 12 challengers stumbled.
TCU kicked off the football slate for the entirety of the conference with a date against North Carolina from the ACC in Dublin, Ireland.
With a chance to represent the Big 12 on an international stage, the Horned Frogs fell flat on their faces in a stunning 15-10 defeat just one year removed from a 48-14 thrashing of the Tar Heels.
It was undoubtedly a disappointment for the program hailing from Fort Worth, but it was also a let down for the rest of the teams in the conference looking to get a boost from one of its own before the season officially gets underway.
Although the matchup did not go the way it hoped, it could hold a silver lining for the Big 12.
TCU was not thought to be in the upper-tier of contenders in the league and Saturday's performance could move the Horned Frogs even further down the list of probable champions.
But following back-to-back nine win seasons, TCU was seen as a potential dark horse and a thorn in the side of those leading the early race.
One of those teams believed to be a favorite, and the outright favorite for many, is Texas Tech, which does have a season finale set for Thanksgiving against the rival Horned Frogs.
Based on the early output from Sonny Dykes' squad, the holiday showdown in Lubbock could turn ugly quickly if the Red Raiders live up to the expectations placed upon them and TCU does not improve down the stretch.
Outside of getting even more of an edge in that matchup weeks away from happening, the failures from TCU may point to an earlier advantage for Texas Tech.
The Red Raiders went on an absolute tear through the league last season, as only Arizona State defeated them and were the only team to even get within a single score of the eventual champions.
Texas Tech begins the year ranked at No. 12 in both the Associated Press and Coaches Polls, enforcing its projected place above all other Big 12 members.
The lackluster showing from what was thought to be an above average squad in TCU could signal just how far ahead Texas Tech truly is from the rest of its counterparts.
Granted, there are still foes such as Houston, Arizona State and possibly BYU, with no regular season meeting set for the pair, left for the Red Raiders to deal with on their path back to the top.
However, these programs make up an ever-dwindling group of programs that are primed to compete at the top of the conference and possibly with the best the nation has to offer, with Texas Tech still looking to cement its status in the latter category.
No one knows exactly how these teams will fare this season, even Texas Tech, which is evidenced by the underwhelming showing from TCU, but the Red Raiders seem to have the path laid out for them to put a stranglehold on the Big 12 this year.
