Apart from a two-game stretch in the middle of the season that saw back-to-back conference losses, the Texas Longhorns have been as impressive as any team in the nation this year.
The Longhorns are on their second four-game winning streak of the year and look to continue that roll as they host the Texas Christian Horned Frogs on Thanksgiving night.
Although the team no longer has an in-state rivalry with Texas A&M after the Aggies moved to the SEC, the Longhorns will start a new one with TCU, who joined the Big 12 this season.
"I miss it a lot," senior free safety Kenny Vaccaro said to the Associated Press about losing the game with the Aggies. "I wish we could play them one more time."
Texas started off the season 4-0, but the dropped two straight home games to ranked opponents. The Longhorns lost the first against then-No. 8 West Virginia 48-45 and then fell to No. 13 Oklahoma 63-21.
The game against west Virginia was one of the most entertaining in college football all season and saw the Longhorns gain over 400 yards on offense, including 269 passing yards and one touchdown from quarterback David Ash.
The sophomore has thrown for 2,354 yards and 17 touchdowns this season with only five interceptions. Ash is completing nearly 70 percent of his passes this season, which is a drastic improvement from the 56 percent he completed last year.
The Longhorns have been one of the most impressive offensive teams in the Big 12 this season and are ranked 13th in the nation with nearly 40 points scored per game. The team averages over 400 yards of offense and is 4-1 at home on the season.
The defense has played much better for Texas more recently, including in last Saturday's 33-7 win against Iowa State. Wide receiver Mike Davis had a big game, catching seven balls for 113 yards and a touchdown, while running back Jonathan Gray rushed for two touchdowns.
"Offensively we've been pretty good overall," coach Mack Brown said. "... Our defense was what was really, really poor, and I think we're improving as a team because our defense is improving. And I think the reason they're improving is they're playing with more confidence."
TCU will provide plenty of talent for Texas to deal with and the matchup is a rehash of old rivalries, as the two teams used to play in the Southwest Conference before it was disbanded.
"Realignment has changed traditions, it's changed history, which I don't like," Brown said. "I'm really excited we're playing an old Southwest rival that has really done a great job in the BCS the last few years. The same people will watch this game that were going to watch A&M. Fans will be excited about it."
According to the Associated Press, Texas kept up some school traditions that are tied to the Aggies game, including the annual "Hex Rally" and the "Aggie Supper," which was changed to the "Senior Supper" for this season.
"We asked a lot of students and players and they were just about unanimous that they wanted to keep that tradition," Brown said. "It puts the hex on the opponent regardless of the opponent, no matter who it is. Our fans and the TCU fans will be excited."
According to the Associated Press, "Texas dominated the old series with the Horned Frogs 61-20-1. The last meeting in 2007 was a 34-13 Texas victory."
TCU started off the season strong with four straight wins, but lost 37-27 to Iowa State on Oct. 6. The team rebounded with a 49-21 win against Baylor, but then lost back-to-back games against then-No. 17 Texas Tech and Oklahoma State.
The Horned Frogs are only 3-4 in their first season in the Big 12, winning conference games against SMU, Baylor and West Virginia. The team lost two Saturday's ago 23-10 against Kansas State and will be looking to rebound against the Longhorns after a long layoff.
TCU has been one of the best offensive teams in the Big 12, scoring 31 points per game and gaining over 400 total yards per game. Defensive issues have crippled the team this year, especially in the 56-53 three overtime loss against Texas Tech.
The Horned Frogs gained over 500 yards of offense, including 322 passing yards from quarterback Trevone Boykin, but gave up seven passing touchdowns to Texas Tech's Seth Doege.
Junior wide receiver Josh Boyce has been one of the most consistent players for TCU, making 56 receptions for 756 yards and seven touchdowns. His best game came two weeks ago in the team's last win, a 39-38 victory in double overtime against West Virginia in which he had six catches for 180 yards and two touchdowns.
Last season Texas finished with an 8-5 record and went to the Holiday Bowl where they defeated California 21-10. The Horned Frogs finished last season with an 11-2 record and went 7-0 in their final season in the Mountain West conference. TCU went to the Poinsettia Bowl where they defeated WAC champion Louisiana Tech 31-24.
According to the Associated Press, "Texas has played on Thanksgiving 75 times dating to 1895, including 64 games against the Aggies. Texas wanted to keep its holiday game tradition and the Big 12 served up TCU this year."
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