College football media and fans expected TCU vs. Texas to feature high-flying offense. A three-point first half had everyone shocked.
Texas and TCU were supposed to light up the scoreboard on Saturday night with their offenses. It was supposed to be Quinn Ewers vs. Max Duggan. Steve Sarkisian vs. Sonny Dykes. An easy over.
Instead, the first half was a defensive stalemate featuring exactly three points and 140 yards between the two teams. The two sides punted five times each.
TCU averaged 0.3 yards per rush. Texas was 0-for-6 on third downs.
College football Twitter could not believe what they were watching.
College football media can’t believe TCU-Texas first half
There have been 46 total plays in the Texas/TCU game.
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) November 13, 2022
They've combined for 64 yards pic.twitter.com/P8U5igSx9A
Wake/UNC
— Bud Elliott (@BudElliott3) November 13, 2022
471 combined yards with 4 minutes left
Texas/TCU
101 combined yards with 4 minutes left.
Actually this is before & after 1st half vs. TCU https://t.co/ycCJCXBgg7
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 13, 2022
Buddy: “TCU/Texas going to be a shootout! So many points”
— DraftKings Sportsbook (@DKSportsbook) November 13, 2022
Reality: pic.twitter.com/TZcFeFQUGK
No. 4 TCU leads No. 18 Texas 3-0 at halftime. The two teams combined for 140 yards, the fewest in any half of a Big 12 game since Colorado-Texas in 2009.
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) November 13, 2022
39 of those yards came in the 1st quarter, the fewest combined total yards in a 1st quarter in any FBS game this season.
96% of the money at @BetMGM was on the OVER of 65 points for the Texas-TCU game.
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) November 13, 2022
At the half, it’s TCU 3, Texas 0.
It’s like someone took the essence of Thursday Night Football in the NFL and injected it into what should have been one of the most exciting matchups on the college football slate.
Of course, bettors shouldn’t give up on that over too soon. TCU is a second-half team while Ewers and the Longhorns can turn it on.
Sometimes sports just delivers the last thing you expect. Games you expect to be all about defense turn into shootouts. And games you expect to be high-scoring affairs look like a slog on offense.
Credit the defenses on both sides of this one for staying on top of things and flipping the narrative around.
This one is critical for both teams. TCU has a chance to make the College Football Playoff if they can remain undefeated for the remainder of the Big 12 schedule. Texas doesn’t have CFP aspirations this year but they can still contend for the Big 12 Championship if they play spoiler for the Horned Frogs.
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