Home opener

College fans are concentrating on tonight's Texas-Ohio State matchup, the earliest time in a season for the nation's top two teams to play. Who could blame the pundits. The winner will be expected to roll through the rest of the season an onto the national championship. OK, maybe the winner will simply be the favorite. Yeah, that's more like it. If the Longhorns win, they will stretch the nation's longest winning streak to 22 games.

A win by the Buckeyes will give the distinction to another team. If TCU beats UC Davis, a solid Division I-AA team, in its home opener, the Frogs could have the longest winning streak in the nation. And although the season is just under way, and TCU is near the bottom of the top 25, the longest winning streak would generate more attention. And a team such as TCU needs exposure, especially playing in the Mountain West, which lacks an automatic invitation to the Bowl Championship Series.

Another win last week over a BCS conference (the Big 12) looks good. But if the Frogs stumble tonight, as thy did in 2001 against Northwestern State, the dream will come to an end. Not even another 8-0 run in the MWC would be enough to save them. Sure, they could still make a prestigious bowl, but they would find themselves having cheer for Utah or BYU down the stretch (assuming the two other conference favorites survive their non-conference challenges.

TCU fought for better access to the BCS. A conference switch last year and an effort to play a more challenging schedule have opened eyes. To exceed expectations, a team must first meet them. Tonight, that means beating UC Davis.