No. 15 Oregon Ducks vs No. 11 TCU Horned Frogs
When the news broke that Trevone Boykin would be suspended for the 2016 Alamo Bowl for the TCU Horned Frogs, Gary Patterson was disappointed in his senior leader. Although it’s not exactly a playoff game or even a premier postseason contest with a ton on the line, the Horned Frogs are still playing another one of college football’s perennial powers, the Oregon Ducks.
Without Boykin, Bram Kohlhausen will likely start the game and it won’t quite be the same without the Horned Frogs’ star dual-threat under center. However, Kohlhausen has had a solid season in spots when Boykin was out with injury.
Oregon began the season with a few hiccups, such as a loss at Michigan State and a home beatdown by Utah, but the Ducks have rebounded nicely and finished the year as one of the hottest team in the country.
Royce Freeman could be the key player in this game, but Vernon Adams Jr. will also play a big role for the Ducks. If Oregon is going to end the season on a high note, beating the Horned Frogs in the Alamo Bowl would be a great conclusion.
Details for Saturday’s Oregon vs TCU game are below:
Date: Saturday, Jan. 2
Start Time: 6:45 p.m. ET
Location: San Antonio, TX
Stadium: Alamodome
TV Info: ESPN
Live Stream: WatchESPN
Radio: For Oregon radio affiliates, click here. For TCU radio affiliates, click here.
Keys to Victory
Oregon Ducks
Freeman is going to have to get the offense going on the ground, which he obviously has the talent to do, but the Ducks will need to get him revved up if the aerial attack is going to open up. Vernon Adams has the dual-threat ability to keep the Horned Frogs guessing, but turnovers need to be kept at a minimum.
Stopping Bram Kohlhausen and the passing offense of the Horned Frogs will also be a big key as the Ducks have been notorious for having one of the worst secondaries around. Even though Boykin and Josh Doctson are out, they’re still dangerous offensively.
TCU Horned Frogs
This is a tough one since the Horned Frogs’ two best players on offense will be out, but TCU can’t be afraid to pass the ball without Boykin. Heck, the Horned Frogs did so against Oklahoma and still came close to victory. Kohlhausen needs to take some shots deep in order to set up a balanced offense.
It won’t be easy, but stopping Royce Freeman will be the most important thing as well as putting some pressure on Adams in the pocket and force him to throw off-balance.
Betting Odds
Point Spread: Oregon
Moneyline: Oregon , TCU
O/U: 7
Prediction
Without Boykin and Josh Doctson, the Horned frogs will struggle on the offensive side of the ball even though they do have a number of other weapons. Defensively, TCU just won’t be able to keep up with the Ducks’ high-powered attack and Freeman will rush for nearly 200 yards and three touchdowns while Vernon Adams boosts his draft stock.
Final Score: Oregon 49, TCU 38