The Wiz of Odds

Poinsettia Bowl Barely Draws a Crowd

Texas Christian took care of business in the Poinsettia Bowl with a 31-24 victory over Louisiana Tech, but the Horned Frogs had to rally from a 24-17 deficit in the third quarter to overcome the Bulldogs. Perhaps there was a reason for TCU's struggles. Coach Gary Patterson said afterward that he suspected the Bulldogs knew the Horned Frogs' signals, so he changed them at halftime.

There are more photos after the jump, thanks to Image of Sport.

The announced crowd was only 24,607, the smallest turnout in the seven-year history of the bowl. Bowl officials took a pass on inviting the hometown San Diego State Aztecs because they wanted to fill hotels, which pump about $400,000 annually to the Poinsettia and Holiday bowls. Perhaps matching two teams that travel light maybe wasn't the best idea. San Diego Union-Tribune columnist Tim Sullivan thinks the bowl should rethink its relationship with the Mountain West Conference, which runs through 2013.

Texas Christian Is Too Much for Wyoming, 31-20

After attending Friday night's USC-Colorado game in Boulder, Wiz correspondent Greg Laughlin made the trip up the front range to Laramie, where Texas Christian and Wyoming squared off in a Mountain West Conference matchup on Saturday afternoon.

The Horned Frogs held off the Cowboys for a 31-20 victory before 17,673 at War Memorial Stadium, elevation 7,200 feet.

There are more photos after the jump, and you can view Greg's full gallery by clicking here.

Texas Christian

Thirteen up, 13 down. Texas Christian won them all in 2010 and has the nation's second-longest winning streak behind Auburn, which has ripped off 14 in a row. The Horned Frogs have their most challenging games on the road. They open at Baylor and then travel to Air Force. On Nov. 12, TCU plays at Boise State.

Thanks to Sam.

Any Questions? TCU States Its Case

Bart Johnson celebrates Texas Christian's first touchdown in Saturday's Rose Bowl at Pasadena. The Horned Frogs completed a 13-0 season with a thrilling 21-19 victory over Wisconsin. Because of something called the Bowl Championship Series, TCU will finish no higher than No. 2 in the polls. Fair? Hell no!

Image of Sport delivered once again with sensational photo coverage of the "Granddaddy of the Them All." To view Image of Sport's full gallery, click here.

'Blogger' Hijacks Conference Call With Riley, Patterson

Oregon State's Mike Riley, left, and Texas Christian's Gary Patterson were on a conference call Tuesday to promote the Sept. 4 game between their teams in Cowboys Stadium in Arlington. As one could expect, the conversation was somewhere south of dull.

About halfway through a female caller came on the line and identified herself as "Amy Cummings with Rawhide Nation Sports Blog."

"Amy" made the most of her 30 seconds, getting in several questions ranging from Pete Rose to Lindsay Lohan. Listen to the exchange:

Blogger

Jim Beseda of the Oregonian has it spelled out:

Fiesta Bowl Brings Out the Stars

Is Boise State the best team in college football? An argument could be made for the Broncos after their 17-10 victory over Texas Christian in the Fiesta Bowl in Glendale, Ariz.

Here's a look at some of Monday night's action through the lens of Image of Sport. To view the complete gallery, click here.