Texas is a 5.5-point favorite over TCU

The Texas Longhorns are 5.5-points favorites over the TCU Horned Frogs on Monday afternoon, according to Fanduel Sportsbook.

The Longhorns enter Saturday’s game at 11 a.m. Central on ABC at 3-1 and with some definite momentum following two bounce-back blowouts over the Owls and Red Raiders.

Longtime head coach Gary Patterson’s team is currently 2-1 with a blowout victory over Duquesne and a close win over California before losing a rivalry game against SMU, 42-34, after allowing 595 yards of offense to the Mustangs, including 350 rushing yards on 6.7 yards per carry.

The former Southwest Conference rivals first played in 1897 with the Longhorns largely dominating the all-time series with a record of 63-27-1. Since joining the Big 12, however, Patterson’s Horned Frogs have controlled the series, winning seven of nine games. Last season, TCU used a late touchdown run by quarterback Max Duggan to pull out a 33-31 victory that included a goal-line fumble by Texas running Keoantay Ingram.

More remarkably, the Horns have been the cue for whatever previously ailed the Horned Frogs.

Now the task for new Texas head coach Steve Sarkisian is to break that trend of TCU bouncing back from a loss the previous week.