The Edge
Compiled by Carlos Alvarado

TCU PASSING GAME
Watch out for the tight ends. Cody McCarty and Stanley Moss have been lost in the brilliant play of the wide receivers in recent weeks. Look for them to have a big game as Cincy looks to shut down the wideouts. Which one will they shut down though? The wide receivers are a deep group with game breaking ability in more than one person. Brandon Hassell does an excellent job of distributing the ball to a variety of receivers. Cincinnati will have a hard time figuring out who to stop.

CINCINNATI PASS DEFENSE
Cincy has some talented players who can defend the pass. They held the University of Rhode Island to 58 passing yards last week and look to carry that into this week. Cornerback Zach Norton is regarded by some to be C-USA’s premier cover corner, and strong safety Doug Monaghan is a hard hitting cover man. Defensive end Trent Cole is Cincy’s premier pass rusher and will give the TCU tackles all they can handle. The offense must account for Linebacker Jason Russell who will be trying to disrupt the TCU attack.

TCU RUNNING GAME
TCU has faced some difficulty running in between the tackles in recent weeks. The team has been able to survive with tough outside running and near flawless option running by Brandon Hassell. Robert Merrill and Lonta Hobbs are each capable of big runs, and big games. The ability for the team to shuttle two running backs who could start for almost any team in the country is a huge plus.

CINCINNATI RUN DEFENSE
The Front four is tiny. How small? Defensive end Andre Frazier weighs a mere 213 pounds. To put that into perspective, TCU wide receiver Reggie Harrell weighs 209. Despite their size, this unit can make plays, and should not be taken as lightly as their stature. They have the quickness that troubled TCU against South Florida. The unit did give up 371 rushing yards to D-1AA foe University of Rhode Island, and this should be a number TCU certainly has the capability of exceeding.

TCU PASS DEFENSE
TCU’s defense lives and dies by the blitz. Pressure is an essential component to the pieces of the defense, so it is no shock that without it, TCU has died in recent weeks. Cincinnati quarterback Gino Guidugli is a three year starter with a fine arm, and good mobility, who has burned TCU in the past. He could be a problem if the TCU defense allows him to get out of the pocket, like they have allowed the last three quarterbacks to do. The Frogs pass defense ranks 104th in the country, and stopping Guidugli could be a problem.

CINCINNATI PASSING GAME
Quarterback Gino Guidugli has not had the year many of his fans have hoped for. Last week, against URI, was perhaps his finest game of the season, but URI is a D-1AA team. His young receiving corps has hampered his ability to put up big numbers. Wide receiver George Murray seems to be Guidugli’s favorite target, but the nature of the offense allows the quarterback to spread the ball to multiple receivers. The Bearcats will be at their best against the top ranked Frogs, and could put up big numbers against the Frogs porous pass defense.

TCU RUN DEFENSE
The strength of this unit has always been its ability to stop a team’s conventional running game. No single opponent has walked away from a game against TCU satisfied with their performance. The entire unit relishes the opportunity to put a licking on opposing players. While Cincy will be committed to the run and has the talent to do well, don’t look for the Frogs, who have yet to falter in this area all year, to lose the game via Cincy’s running game.

CINCINNATI RUNNING GAME
Running back Richard Hall was originally recruited by Ohio State and is now showing the nation why he was so coveted by the premier program in Ohio. He is ranked 35 nationally in yards per game (91.6). This unit can win the game for Cincy. The entire unit is not very big, but they are fast. Carl Jones and Derrick Eddington are more than capable of carrying the load. Jones has had 288 yards over the past three games.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Kicker Nick Browne has been consistent week in and week out, and his contributions are a key reason the Frogs are undefeated. The team can rely on him to make the big kicks. Penalties have chased the Frogs all season, hurting their ability to provide any kind of field position advantage in recent weeks. Cincinnati kicker Chet Ervin handles most of the kicking and punting duties. While he has been efficient, he has not experienced the success Browne has.

OVERALL
The Frogs face a Cincinnati team that has yet to play up to its potential. Don’t be surprised to see Cincinnati give the Frogs everything they have for their best game of the year. However, it will be tough for Cincinnati to come in and beat a Frogs team that has a chance to crash the BCS. The only question comes in the form of how TCU will perform. The team has showed flashes of offensive and defensive brilliance. Will this be a nail biter, an offensive slugfest, a defensive standoff, or a blow out? Put your money on a blow out. TCU is a team on a mission. Look for the defense to regain its swagger and for the offense to continue to roll.

PREDICTION: Carlos Alvarado Frogs 37-13 Brent Yarina Frogs 28-17