TCU Legends Picks Bring a House Divided and Plenty of Baylor Trash Talk

We've had some interesting Legends panels this season, but this week's group might be my favorite.

For starters, we've got a father and son who apparently don't agree on much when it comes to the current state of TCU football.

Tyler Luttrell thinks the Frogs are going into Waco and beating Baylor. His dad, Mike Luttrell, thinks Baylor is going to beat TCU by two touchdowns.

Thanksgiving at the Luttrell house ought to be interesting.

We've also got former Frogs from different generations, including Mike, who brings the perspective of an earlier era of TCU football. Then there's Paul Dawson, who apparently hasn't lost any of his enthusiasm for talking trash to Baylor.

Some things never change.

Five of our six panelists are picking TCU, but they're not exactly overflowing with confidence about where this season is headed.

TCU enters Saturday's rivalry game at 2-3 overall and 0-2 in Big 12 play. Baylor is 4-1 and 2-0 in the conference after putting 55 points on Arizona State.

The Frogs have had two weeks to figure out why an offense that has struggled against quality competition can't consistently finish drives.

Now they get to find out whether anything actually changed.

Let's see what the Legends think.

TCU at Baylor Predictions for the Revivalry

Saturday, October 17 | 6 p.m. CT | McLane Stadium | Waco, Texas

The Frogs desperately need a win, and there's no better opponent to get things turned around against than Baylor.

Five of our six panelists are taking TCU. The lone exception is Mike Luttrell, who apparently doesn't believe his son's confidence is backed up by what we've seen on the football field.

Tyler Luttrell Picks TCU 31, Baylor 27

Tyler isn't particularly worried about Baylor's home-field advantage.

He predicts the Bears will come out fired up, the crowd will be electric for approximately six minutes, and then Baylor will remember it's still Baylor.

His reasoning?

"Losing to Baylor is grounds for shutting down the university."

That's the kind of rivalry hatred I appreciate.

However, Tyler doesn't think a victory suddenly fixes everything. He believes a win might buy the coaching staff another week of breathing room without necessarily changing the program's direction.

Mike Luttrell Picks Baylor 34, TCU 20

Dad isn't buying what his son is selling.

Mike brings up something older TCU fans haven't forgotten: the 2014 loss to Baylor and the damage it did to the Frogs' national championship hopes.

His point is that nobody on the current roster played in that game. These players aren't going to be motivated by a locker-room speech about a loss from more than a decade ago.

Mike believes this game will come down to coaching, and he's taking Dave Aranda over Sonny Dykes.

Baylor by two touchdowns.

That's a pretty strong statement from a former Frog, especially against Baylor.

Mike remembers 2014. Tyler just wants Baylor to remember who they're playing Saturday.

Paul Dawson Picks TCU 24, Baylor 21

Paul remembers that 2014 season, too. He was part of the TCU team left out of the first College Football Playoff.

I've seen some great teams at TCU, but I believe that 2014 group could have won it all.

I've never shaken the feeling that the TCU name didn't carry enough weight with the playoff committee. Would a bigger brand with the same rsum have been left out? I still wonder.

That's my opinion. I can't tell you what went on behind those closed doors.

What I can tell you is that TCU beat the hell out of Ole Miss, 42-3, in the Peach Bowl. That didn't prove why the committee left the Frogs out, but it sure didn't make the decision any easier to swallow.

As for this week's opponent, Paul doesn't seem particularly impressed.

"Somebody needs to remind Baylor Teddy Bears that being loud and being good are two different things."

Paul expects TCU to handle its business and Baylor to handle the disappointment.

I don't know that there's a better way to describe what Frog fans are hoping to see Saturday.

Ty Summers Picks TCU 27, Baylor 21

I was back at TCU on staff in 2015 when Ty and Julius Lewis combined to stop Baylor on fourth-and-1 in double overtime, securing a 28-21 victory.

That's a pretty good way to leave your mark on this rivalry.

Ty didn't waste many words explaining this week's selection.

"Doesn't matter how bad we are doing. We show up against Baylor."

That's the rivalry mentality.

Records matter. Matchups matter. Execution matters. But when you've played in this game, you understand why it carries a little more personal meaning.

Kyle Dooley Picks TCU 24, Baylor 17

Kyle believes TCU's back is against the wall and expects the defense to create problems for Baylor up front.

He also makes an important distinction.

A victory might help salvage the season, but it doesn't automatically save it.

That's a fair assessment. One good Saturday doesn't erase the problems that showed up in the first five games, but it could be a start.

Jason Phillips Picks TCU 27, Baylor 24

I'm picking TCU, but I'm not doing it because I think the Frogs have suddenly become a different football team during the bye week.

I'm picking them because I believe the defense is capable of keeping them in this game, and at some point the offense has to start carrying its share of the responsibility.

Baylor scored 55 points in its last game against Arizona State. You can't go into Waco expecting the defense to do everything.

I want to see TCU establish something offensively early, avoid putting itself behind the chains and quit wasting opportunities when it gets into scoring position.

The defense doesn't need to be perfect. The offense needs to stop requiring it to be.

I think the Frogs find just enough offense to win a close one.

If they don't, we're going to be having some very different conversations next week.

Related:TCU's slow start and what the Baylor game means for the Frogs

Cincinnati at West Virginia Predictions and a Look at TCU's Next Opponent

This might be the most useful game on the schedule for TCU fans who want to do a little scouting.

West Virginia comes to Fort Worth on October 24, which means Saturday is one final opportunity to watch the Mountaineers against Big 12 competition before the Frogs face them.

Four of our six panelists are taking West Virginia. Two are picking Cincinnati.

Tyler Luttrell Picks West Virginia 34, Cincinnati 31

Tyler believes West Virginia wins, although his explanation involves moonshine and Cincinnati players suffering from secondhand fumes.

I'll leave the rest of that explanation to your imagination.

Mike Luttrell Picks West Virginia 23, Cincinnati 20

Mike admits these are the only two teams on this week's panel he hasn't watched play.

He's basing his selection on their records and statistical profiles, which he believes favor West Virginia.

He likes the Mountaineers' offensive production and thinks home-field advantage will be enough to make the difference.

West Virginia by three.

I appreciate a guy who will admit when he hasn't watched a team instead of pretending he's broken down every snap of film.

Of course, that won't stop him from picking a winner.

Paul Dawson Picks Cincinnati 28, West Virginia 21

Paul wants Cincinnati to force West Virginia to show everything.

His reasoning is simple. Whatever weaknesses Cincinnati exposes, TCU needs to identify them before next Saturday.

Ty Summers Picks West Virginia 35, Cincinnati 31

Ty likes the Mountaineers at home.

He's also expecting the crowd in Morgantown to be singing "Take Me Home, Country Roads" when it's over.

Kyle Dooley Picks West Virginia 47, Cincinnati 42

Kyle expects a shootout.

He's concerned about West Virginia's offensive production and believes TCU will have to score points to keep up next week.

He also points to the Mountaineers' defensive struggles as something the Frogs need to exploit.

Jason Phillips Picks Cincinnati 38, West Virginia 34

I'm taking Cincinnati in a game where I expect both offenses to have opportunities.

What interests me more than the final score is how West Virginia handles defensive pressure and whether Cincinnati can consistently force the Mountaineers into obvious passing situations.

After watching West Virginia run 104 offensive plays and produce 522 yards against Arizona, we know the Mountaineers can create problems with volume and their running game.

But Arizona also scored 52 points in that game.

TCU needs to study both sides of that equation.

If the Frogs can't find ways to attack West Virginia's defense, especially after having this much film available, that's going to be difficult to explain.

Notre Dame at BYU Predictions With College Football Playoff Stakes

This is the national game I wanted on the panel because it has real College Football Playoff implications.

BYU has already beaten TCU and followed that victory with a win over Iowa State. Notre Dame comes to Provo undefeated.

A BYU victory would strengthen the Big 12's case for having a legitimate national contender. A Notre Dame win would be another major statement for the Irish.

Five of our six panelists are taking Notre Dame. Paul Dawson is the lone holdout, and his reasoning involves a familiar jersey number.

Tyler Luttrell Picks Notre Dame 31, BYU 24

Tyler thinks Notre Dame has the talent to win, although he couldn't resist taking a shot at the Irish and their annual national championship expectations.

He also managed to work in a joke about Manti Te'o's infamous girlfriend hoax.

I'm beginning to think Tyler has spent more time preparing his insults than studying film.

Mike Luttrell Picks Notre Dame 41, BYU 20

Mike thinks this should be one of the easier games to pick.

He's taking Notre Dame by three touchdowns.

But he also offered a warning: You can't completely rule out a BYU team that keeps exceeding expectations.

He respects what the Cougars have accomplished. He just doesn't believe it'll be enough against Notre Dame.

Paul Dawson Picks BYU 34, Notre Dame 31

Paul is taking the Cougars in a shootout, and he's got a personal reason for pulling for BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier.

Bachmeier wears No. 47, the same number Paul wore at TCU.

Paul loves seeing a playmaker represent that number and wants the young quarterback to have a big game against Notre Dame.

Ty Summers Picks Notre Dame 35, BYU 28

Ty isn't completely sold on either team's rsum, but he believes Notre Dame has enough to get the job done.

Kyle Dooley Picks Notre Dame 31, BYU 17

Kyle expects Notre Dame to control the game up front.

He believes the Irish offensive line will create problems for BYU and give quarterback CJ Carr opportunities to attack through the air.

Jason Phillips Picks Notre Dame 27, BYU 20

I've seen BYU up close, and I respect the way that team plays football.

They're physical, disciplined and comfortable winning games that aren't particularly pretty.

But I'm taking Notre Dame.

I think the Irish have the offensive line and overall talent to challenge BYU in ways TCU couldn't.

The question is whether Notre Dame can handle the environment in Provo and avoid giving BYU the kind of game it wants.

If the Irish can establish the run and force BYU to play from behind, I like their chances.

Related:Big 12 football power rankings heading into Week 7

Beating Baylor Is Only the Beginning for TCU

What I find most interesting about this week's panel isn't that most of the guys picked TCU.

It's how they talked about those picks.

Nobody is pretending the Frogs have played well enough offensively. Nobody is suggesting a victory over Baylor magically fixes everything.

Even the guys picking TCU are talking about salvaging a season, building confidence and finding some kind of offensive production.

A rivalry victory should mean something. Beating Baylor should always matter to the players who wore that purple helmet.

But here's the standard I believe TCU should be held to.

Beating Baylor can't become the accomplishment that makes everybody forget why the season needed saving in the first place.

Win the game. Enjoy beating your rival. Then get back to work.

That's how you begin turning a season around.

As for the Luttrell family, Tyler is picking TCU, Mike is picking Baylor, and somebody is going to have bragging rights Saturday night.

I'm just hoping it's the son.

Mostly because I'd love to hear Tyler remind his dad about this pick at Thanksgiving.

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This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/tcu as TCU Legends Picks Bring a House Divided and Plenty of Baylor Trash Talk.