Gary Patterson and Texas Christian University are coming to town
If you watched the second half of the football contest Saturday it might surprise you that Iowa State and Baylor should have and probably will never be classified as rivals on the football field by any stretch of the imagination.
The events to end the game suggesting otherwise ranged from players being pulled into the bench, choked, pulled out of the pile with intentions to start a boxing match, and a starting quarterback questioning an official's spot that ultimately led to the third ejection of the game.
Without knowing the details, if someone told you that the brawl and circumstances surrounding it actually occurred against TCU, you shouldn't be surprised at all. Even in a 2017 season where the Bears didn't have enough time to think about anything but the next play, the two teams figured out how to get into a bench clearing altercation.
That type of fire is exactly why a matchup between a five-win Baylor team and a four-win TCU team in Waco is highly and anxiously anticipated this Saturday. The fact that a bowl game is on the line for both programs will add fuel to the fire, but the hatred between the two teams and fan bases stands on its own.
If you don't know the recent history, here's a condensed version:
- "Good job Big 12" (2010)
- RG3 torches TCU for his first Heisman moment (2011)
- TCU blows out Baylor with freshman QB (2012)
- Ahmad Dixon's hit against Trevon Boykin (2013)
- Gary Patterson calls Baylor classless (2013)
- Gary Patterson gives his home address to Art Briles (2013)
- Ahmad Dixon responds to Patterson (2014)
- 61-58 (2014)
- Gary Patterson claims he was threatened by Orion Stewart (2014)
- Former Bear Orion Stewart's actual "threat" to Gary Patterson (2014)
- Patterson says he gets "plenty of DMs on Twitter from Baylor people" (2015)
As the old saying goes, there is plenty more where that came from. For the sake of space, I will refer you to the YouTube search engine and recommend using any combination of the following terms: TCU, Baylor or Gary Patterson.
The direction of the two teams this season are trending opposite, but don't believe for a moment that Gary Patterson's hate for Baylor doesn't translate to better preparation this week. Patterson will have his squad ready to play their best game of the season on Saturday.
To be frank, there should be disappointment from both fan bases if Patterson doesn't have his team ready to compete for 60 minutes at McLane Stadium. Yes, the Frogs lost to Kansas, but for a game against the team from "down south of here," precedents are irrelevant.
For Baylor, this is a home game against the rival with bowl eligibility on the line and an opportunity to keep their opponent from reaching the postseason. That's a lot of emotion tied to one game.
Truly, it might be the perfect setup for the annual clash outside of the 2014 season.
A game where the motto of "what's next" that has been preached from August inside Baylor's meeting rooms and offices will come in handy, serving as a reminder to keep the emotions in check.
Favored by 4.5 points to open, the Bears will need every ounce of focus to maintain composure from start to finish and to secure a victory on the field. Play to play, series to series, quarter to quarter. This game cannot be played in any other fashion by the home team.
As for Baylor fans and students, set your occasional timid mindset to the side. This game, just like Texas vs. Texas A&M, Alabama vs. LSU, Michigan vs. Michigan State, and Oklahoma vs. Oklahoma State, shouldn't be for the meek.
It's time to treat this game as what it is: a heated rivalry. It's time to create a home-field advantage that spurs the team when needed, something that McLane Stadium hasn't seen in multiple years.
You've done it before. Now it's time to do it again.