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The TCU Horned Frogs can exhale, for now.

In the latest BCS rankings released Sunday night, TCU remained at No. 3, but No. 4 Boise State made up significant ground and could be poised to pass the Frogs before all is said and done.

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Todd McShay explains why TCU will likely fall behind Boise State in the polls before the end of the season. Listen

TCU's lead shrunk to a minuscule .034. The Frogs' 40-35 win Saturday over the San Diego State Aztecs, a game in which TCU trailed 14-0 early and then couldn't make a 37-14 lead stand, combined with Utah's embarrassing loss at Notre Dame, clearly hurt the Frogs' ranking in the cold, calculating world that is the BCS.

Just a week ago, it seemed a foregone conclusion that the Frogs had cemented a finish in at least the top three after their celebrated 47-7 win over the then-No. 5 Utes. But, Saturday's five-point win has seemingly changed the game.

It is now debatable whether the Frogs or the Broncos control their own destiny for either a chance to play in the national title game if either No. 1 Oregon or No. 2 Auburn slip, or to earn the automatic bid into the Rose Bowl that will be awarded to the highest-ranking team from one of the non-automatic qualifier conferences.

TCU is now in a precarious situation. Boise State still has three games remaining (vs. Fresno State, at No. 18 Nevada, vs. Utah State), while the Frogs play just one more time. After a bye this week, TCU finishes after Thanksgiving at woeful New Mexico, a game that will do little to enhance the Frogs' profile.

A Boise win over Nevada could vault it past TCU in the BCS rankings -- if it doesn't happen next week with a Broncos win over Fresno State.

Even if Boise ultimately passes TCU, the Frogs can take solace in knowing that this is a mediocre season within the major conferences across the country. Ten teams make it to the BCS, starting with the six champions of the BCS conferences (Big 12, Big Ten, SEC, Big East, ACC and Pac-10). The next four are at-large selections. The highest-ranked non-AQ team (TCU or Boise) will take one. Typically the SEC, Big 12 and Big Ten grab the remaining spots to fill out the BCS slate.

But, this season, the Big 12 could be a one-team conference, which would open the door for a second non-AQ school. But, that's no guarantee. A major conference dark horse could be No. 6 Stanford (9-1) from the Pac-10.

All the Frogs can do now is wait it out. Boise is in action at home Friday night against Fresno State while the Frogs are idle.

If Boise wins it, and especially handily, then a week from tonight TCU will hold its breath again.

TCU coach Gary Patterson preaches winning by one. In theory, that's great. But this is the unapologetic BCS, and now the third-ranked Frogs must wait anxiously to see if a five-point win over the unranked San Diego State Aztecs -- 40-35 after leading 34-14 at halftime -- will be enough to stay ahead of No. 4 Boise State when the BCS rankings are released Sunday.

The stakes are incredibly high as TCU (11-0, 7-0 Mountain West Conference) heads into a bye week with one regular-season game remaining at woeful New Mexico after Thanksgiving. Boise State on Friday throttled Idaho, 52-14, and if the Broncos only close the gap on TCU, they still have three games remaining (vs. Fresno State, at No. 21 Nevada, vs. Utah State) to thrust their high-powered offense and stingy defense upon the voters.

The question now is if the polls will punish the Frogs -- who fell behind the juiced Aztecs (7-3, 4-2) 14-0 in the opening six minutes only to score 34 unanswered points -- for winning at home by a slim margin when the line was set at four touchdowns. TCU mostly dominated the stats and had possession twice as long. But, if the polls follow similar logic, TCU could be in trouble.

Remember back when TCU beat SMU by 17, but didn't show great and fell a spot in the AP Top 25 poll (which is not part of the BCS formula). Two weeks ago, riding a wave of impressive conference blowouts, the Frogs jumped Boise despite the Broncos routing their WAC opponents.

TCU widened the gap on Boise and were widely hailed as title-game worthy after their 47-7 road demolition of then-No. 5 Utah.

But, the Utes did the Frogs no favors Saturday, getting blasted at hapless Notre Dame and perhaps cementing the belief that Utah was overrated, as well as denting the MWC's credibility as a menacing conference.

What does it mean if TCU drops behind Boise? Everything. The highest-ranked non-automatic qualifier is first in line for an automatic BCS berth -- this year into the Rose Bowl -- and remains on the doorstep of a possible national championship game appearance if, seemingly, No. 1 Oregon, slim winners over California Saturday night, or controvery-ridden No. 2 Auburn, big winners earlier in the day over Georgia, lose in their final games.

If TCU were to fall behind Boise, there is little time now to make another move.

The second-highest ranked non-AQ might find itself out of the BCS mix entirely, needing an at-large bid to get in, but knowing that the major conference's non-champions could fill the three precious spots remaining.

Yes, it will be a nervous 24 hours for the Frogs, who will find out if they were truly victorious on Saturday.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- TCU coach Gary Patterson ticked off the reasons why his team should not suffer an emotional letdown one week after trouncing Utah in the most anticipated game of the season. With the San Diego State Aztecs, hungry for a share of the Mountain West Conference title, at Amon G. Carter Stadium on Saturday, Patterson has harped that there's just way too much in front of his Frogs for a letdown.

"They have a lot to prove," Patterson said of the upstart Aztecs, "and we have a lot to hang on to."

That starts with remaining unbeaten, moving to 11-0 and one step closer to securing a second consecutive berth in the BCS, which would be a Rose Bowl appearance. Of course, the third-ranked Frogs still believe they're in play for the national championship game if either No. 1 Oregon or controversy-riddled No. 2 Auburn slip.

Here's what else this team has going for it entering Saturday's 3 p.m. kickoff:

*To commemorate the final game at the 80-year-old stadium before it undergoes a $105 million renovation, several hundred letterman who played at the old yard over the decades are expected to be on the field.

"It's probably going to be crazy, probably going to be folks crying -- not necessarily the team -- fans and family," senior nose tackle Cory Grant said. "For the guys that were here way before us and played in that stadium when it was first built and for people to come back it is going to be emotional for them...To come here and not really knowing much about TCU and to be part of a program that has gone above and beyond what people expected that makes it all the more emotional and something to remember. And so, palying in that stadium will be something special for one last time."

*The nation's No. 1-ranked defense can become the first in college football history to lead the nation in three consecutive seasons. Allowing just 8.5 points a game, the Frogs are on pace to for the NCAA's lowest-scoring defense since Auburn in 1988.

*The senior class (26 players) is 41-8 and needs two wins to become the school's all-time winningest class, a mark Patterson continually brings up.

*The Frogs expect to play in front of the fourth home crowd in excess of 40,000, an unfathomable mark not long ago. Including the crowd of 46,138 at Cowboys Stadium for the season-opener against Oregon State, three crowds have eclipsed the 46,000 mark. TCU is averaging more than 41,000 through five home dates at Amon Carter.

"Going from 17,000 people in the stands to where we have a chance to maybe average around 42,000 people this year for our six home games," Patterson said, "all of it coming together is what really has been cool for me because I've been part of the process the whole way."

Patterson, who prepared his team to play at Utah's noisy venue last week, has a message for Saturday's big home crowd in the rickety old stadium's final stand.

"What I want to do is I want somebody else this Saturday to have to worry about going silent count. That's how I want the crowd to be," Patterson said. "I want it to be so loud that they have to go silent count for the whole four quarters at Amon Carter Stadium, the last game that we'll ever play [there as currently constructed]. That would be a goal of mine, how the crowd can be involved, [that] they [San Diego State] have to take a timeout because they can't hear their signals."

The stories continue to trickle out about Cam Newton and his recruiting process last year. And unless the NCAA acts quickly, this may not be resolved until well after the rest of the 2010 season.

But that doesn't mean this can't still impact TCU's national title hopes (and Auburn's) in 2010. What if Auburn loses a close game to Alabama in Tuscaloosa and wins the SEC championship game in relatively impressive fashion. They'd have one loss and would be the SEC champions. In many years, that would be good enough to play for a national championship.

But with all of the controversy surrounding this, will voters actually put Auburn past an undefeated TCU team (assuming the Frogs take care of business against an underrated San Diego State team and in the season finale versus New Mexico) and into the national title game? My bet is no. I don't think Auburn will get any benefit of the doubt on that cause. And I'm not sure they should either way. But before all of this came down, I could see voters going with a one-loss SEC team. I can't see that now. Can you?

What do you think?

TCU's Ed Wesley has been named one of 10 semifinalists for the 2010 Doak Walker Award, presented to the nation's top running back.

Wesley is one of just two sophomores on the list, joining Oregon's LaMichael James.

Wesley tops TCU with 988 yards rushing. He needs 12 yards to become the third-ranked Horned Frogs’ first 1,000-yard rusher since Robert Merrill (1,107) in 2003. Wesley is averaging 6.6 yards per carry with a team-high 11 touchdowns, finding the end zone in eight of third-ranked TCU's 10 games.

An Irving, Texas, native, Wesley is on pace for 1,284 yards. It would mark TCU's highest single-season rushing total since LaDainian Tomlinson won the 2000 Doak Walker Award with a nation’s best 2,158 yards.

Here are the other nine semifinalists:

John Clay, Wisconsin
Kendall Hunter, Oklahoma State
Mark Ingram, Alabama
LaMichael James, Oregon
DeMarco Murray, Oklahoma
Bilal Powell, Louisville
Jacquizz Rodgers, Oregon State
Vai Taua, Nevada
Daniel Thomas, Kansas State

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Gary Patterson spent a good portion of his Tuesday media conference answering questions about the fairness of the BCS and whether his third-ranked TCU Horned Frogs would really be permitted by the powers-that-be into the sacred national championship game.

Patterson continaully said he'll do his talking in another two weeks when and if the Frogs (10-0, 6-0 Mountain West) end the season at 12-0 for a second consecutive year. He talked up Saturday's opponent in the home finale, the San Diego State Aztecs (7-2, 4-1), as though the Knute Rockne-era Fighting Irish were invading Amon G. Carter Stadium.

But, Patterson made his point. Coming off last week's pasting of then-No. 5 Utah, this is no time for a letdown.

"You better get ready to play," he said. "You’re judged only on Saturdays. In about three hours you’re judged and you’ve got to score one more point. If you don’t do that then none of you [the media] will be sitting here. If I get beat Saturday, you won’t be asking me any of these questions [about playing for a national championship[ and you won’t care that I’m playing New Mexico [on Nov. 27]."

Patterson is speaking from a position of wisdom.

"I've been here before. TCU in the last 10 years, I was here at 9-0 [actually 10-0] playing Southern Miss at Southern Miss," said Patterson of that 40-28 loss in 2003. "I was here in 2005 and we got beat by SMU. Gary Patterson has been here, so I’m not going to put my team at risk of going out there on the limb [talking about playing for a national championship] so that I can make myself sound good at the risk of my team losing a football game."

The Frogs' victory at Utah crossed their last major hurdle, not that Patterson will think that. The Utah game bit them in 2008 when, ranked No. 11 with only a September setback at Oklahoma blemishing their record, TCU lost to the Utes, 13-10, to end hopes of a first BCS berth.

"They [TCU players] understand that I think they can play," Patterson said. "But, they also understand that -- what, we were at Colorado State when we didn’t play very well, we were ahead 6-0 at halftime? So, we better come to play with our ‘A’ game this Saturday."

FORT WORTH, Texas -- For the first time in 48 years, since former quarterback Sonny Gibbs tossed the pigskin, the TCU Horned Frogs, represented by senior quarterback Andy Dalton, grace the cover of this week's Sports Illustrated.

Uh-oh, at 10-0 that's bad timing for a cover jinx.

"Well," TCU coach Gary Patterson said, "you'd have to say that for all of them."

Very true. Dalton shares the cover with the Auburn quarterback Cam Newton and Oregon running back LaMichael James (of Texarkana). In order, that would be your No. 3-ranked team in the BCS standings, No. 2 and No. 1. One of those players and their team -- if all finish the regular season undefeated -- will be left out of the national championship game when the big BCS computer spits out its final rankings on Dec. 5.

The magazine's featured article deals with college football's lack of a playoff system.

After all, without a playoff, how does anyone truly know which one of these top teams -- and include Boise State among them -- is actually the best?

"You don't," said Patterson, who has never come out in favor of a playoff system and won't until he sees a clear-cut and fair plan for all. "But, for the Boise States and TCUs of the world, when you talk about a playoff, you also have to talk [about if there] is a formula that we'd get an easier chance to get into that playoff than we have now getting into a BCS game.

"When somebody shows me an easier path because of the kind of team you have to get into, whether it's a playoff or BCS system, whatever it is, until then, I have to support the system that we have."

As long as TCU wins its final two games, that system could leave an undefeated Boise State team out of the BCS all together. However, because the major conferences all seem to be experiencing down seasons and conferences like the Big 12 will likely send just one and not two teams to the BCS, the Broncos will likely get in if unbeaten. Still, there's no guarantee.

The system that we have also often forces coaches to publicly plead their cases in hopes of swaying voters that they're more deserving of a national title game appearance than the other guy. As of today, TCU would seemingly need either Oregon or Auburn to lose. Even if one does, a great debate will ensue whether a once-beaten major-conference team is more deserving than an undefeated TCU or Boise.

Patterson said he will stump for his Frogs, but only if they complete the regular season on Nov. 27 with a 12-0 record for the second consecutive season.

"Like I've told people, I'll evaluate, I'll look at however many unbeaten teams are left and if I think that we belong -- and I'd be a little bit biased probably like every head coach would be -- but, I've always been pretty honest about how we do things," Patterson said. "And I'll say that I think we can [compete for the national championship] or I'll say we can't and we'll go from there.

"I can tell you this much, I've told people you never want to get to a national championship game if you don't have a team that doesn't belong in there. I don't think there's any coach in America that wants to play in that ballgame that when they get there, they can't compete."

Bet the house that Patterson believes right now that his Frogs most surely can compete.

TCU's Amon G; Carter Stadium has stood tall in one form or another in Fort Worth for 80 years. It will take minutes for it to come tumbling down to set the stage for a $105 million renovation that project that will bring the old yard up to start-of-the-art standards.

Austin Commercial, the general contractor in charge of the stadium renovation, will implode the high-rising West grandstand of the stadium at 8 a.m. on Dec. 5.

TCU will announce viewing locations for the implosion in the near future.

Work on the stadium is set to begin shortly after the nation's third-ranked Horned Frogs complete their home schedule on Saturday. TCU plays San Diego State at 3 p.m. The renovation is scheduled to be
complete by the beginning of the 2012 season.

TCU quarterback Andy Dalton was named the Walter Camp Football Foundation National Offensive Player of the Week after an historic performance in which he passed for a career-high 355 yards to lead the No. 3 Horned Frogs to a 47-7 wipeout of No. 5 Utah.

The nation's winningest active quarterback with 39 victories, Dalton completed 21-of-26 passes with three touchdowns and no interceptions. The 355 yards surpassed Dalton's previous career-best of 344 yards at Stanford as a freshman in 2007.

Dalton, a Davey O'Brien Award semifinalist, helped TCU reach the 10-win mark for the seventh time in the last nine seasons. Dalton's 80.8 completion percentage at Utah tied for the sixth-best single-game mark in TCU history. In the last eight games, Dalton has three of the top-seven all-time single-game completion percentages at TCU.

Dalton also extended his Mountain West Conference record to 18 consecutive games with a touchdown pass when he hit Josh Boyce with a 26-yard strike to cap a nine-play, 80-yard drive on the game's opening series.

Later in the first quarter, Dalton and Boyce connected on a 93-yard touchdown pass for the third-longest play in TCU history.

Dalton's 369 yards of total offense moved him into second place in Mountain West Conference history with 11,320 yards. Dalton is already TCU's career leader in that category.

For the season, Dalton has completed a TCU single-season record 67.5 percent of his passes with 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He's also third on the Horned Frogs with 418 yards rushing on a 6.0 per carry mark.

What a day for the No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs. Not only did they end a three-game losing streak at No. 5 Utah by dismantling and demoralizing the Utes from the start, but they also got some help in their quest to become the first non-automatic qualifier to play for the BCS national championship.

Soon after TCU (10-0, 6-0 Mountain West) walked off with its 47-7 trouncing of the Utes (8-1, 5-1), the No. 10 LSU Tigers upset the No. 6 Alabama Crimson Tide 24-21, hanging a second loss on the defending champions and virtually eliminating them from this season's title race.

So who's left? The No. 1 Oregon Ducks and No. 2 Auburn Tigers both romped Saturday, and one of those two will have to lose to open the door for TCU and their non-AQ brother, the No. 4 Boise State Broncos, impressive winners over Hawaii. One-loss teams the No. 7 Nebraska Cornhuskers, slim winners over Iowa State, and the No. 8 Oklahoma Sooners, who have a tough gig Saturday night in College Station, seemingly remain in the hunt. But those two could meet in the Big 12 title game and eliminate one. (UPDATE: Scratch Oklahoma, which lost to Texas A&M.)

But that's in the future. Here's a closer look at TCU's huge win in Salt Lake City courtesy of the TCU media relations department:

" Quarterback Andy Dalton has a career-high 350 yards passing. He compeleted 21 of 26 passes. His previous career best was 344 yards at Stanford in 2007.

" Jimmy Young's 11-yard third-quarter touchdown catch was the 12th of his career, tying him with Phillip Epps (1978 to '81) for seventh all time at TCU. Young's five receptions for 84 yards have moved him into fifth place all time at TCU for both receptions (136) and yards (2,161).

" On his 26-yard touchdown reception from receiver Jeremy Kerley, Bart Johnson extended his team-best and career-high streak to 32 consecutive games with a reception. The catch also pushed Johnson over 1,000 career receiving yards.

" In six Mountain West Conference games this season, TCU has outscored its opponents 236-23. The Horned Frogs have allowed just three touchdowns.

" TCU limited Utah to only 199 yards of total offense. Only one opponent in six MWC games has reached 200 yards in offense against TCU. Meanwhile, the Frogs had 558 yards of offense to surpass the 500-yard mark for the third straight game and the fifth time this season.

" The Horned Frogs held their opponent to single digits in scoring for the seventh time in 10 games this season.

" TCU allowed 148 yards passing and remains the only team in the nation not to allow an opponent to reach 200 yards in the air in a game this season.

" TCU snapped Utah’s Mountain West Conference record home winning streak at 21 games. It was also the third-longest active streak in the nation. TCU’s 19-game home winning streak is now the longest current MWC mark and third-longest in the NCAA.

" Tanner Brock’s interception and 57-yard return in the third quarter marked his first career pick. Brock set a career high with 12 tackles, topping his previous high of 11 set earlier this season against BYU.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- It's not Auburn-Alabama, Michigan-Ohio State or Texas-Oklahoma. But, TCU-Utah has grown into quite a little rivalry and this season there might not be a more important game in college football.

The Frogs (9-0, 5-0 Mountain West) are ranked No. 3 in the BCS standings and the Utes (8-0, 5-0) are No. 5. The winner of Saturday afternoon's game in Salt Lake City will be in prime position not only to play in a BCS game, but to actually have a shot at the once unthinkable for non-automatic qualifiers -- the national championship game.

"That’s what we’ve been working towards, is for people to think that this is a big ballgame,"TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "Us beating Utah in overtime [in 2005] or them beating us in 2006, nobody said much about it. Now you’re in 2010 and you’re playing the same ballgame, and now one’s [No. 3] and one’s [No. 5]. We’ve come a long way as a league. We’ve come a long way as programs and what we’re trying to get accomplished. It says a lot about where we’ve been and what we’re trying to do and where we’re still trying to go."

The Frogs have their work cut out at sold-out Rice-Eccles Stadium. TCU has never won there. Two years ago, TCU doubled Utah's offensive production, yet still lost, 13-10 to ruin a shot at a BCS game. Last year in Fort Worth, the Frogs jumped out to a big lead, cruised to victory and cleared the way to a first-ever BCS appearance.

The Frogs are 0-3 in Salt Lake and quarterback Andy Dalton has played in two of those games. He knows how difficult it is to play there. Patterson began pumping loud music in at practice during offensive drills and prepping with hand signs and visuals to offset the crowd noise, aspects not often needed in most MWC venues. Close to 47,000 are expected to be at the game.

"They’re loud, noisy, obnoxious. They do a great job, especially when you’re on offense with the crowd noise and just all the stuff that goies into it," Dalton said. "I think they’re going to black out the game again. Last time we there it was at nighttime, it was all black, black uniforms, so I think they’re fans really bought into everything, which makes it a tough place to play."

Since the Frogs beat SMU 41-24 back on Sept. 24, the defense has allowed 16 points in the last five games and TCU has won by an average of 34.6 points. The Utes are coming off a 28-23 win over Air Force. The 28 points were the fewest Utah as scored since the season-opening 27-24 overtime win over then-No. 15 Pittsburgh. Since, Utah has scored at least 56 points four times.

Something's got to give. The Frogs know the Utes will use redemption for last season's blowout as a motivator, just as TCU used the 13-10 loss at Utah in 2008 heading into last year's game.

"Biggest thing is I remember the locker room after the game," Dalton said of that 2008 loss. "To see that we played pretty well and got so close and we didn’t end up winning the game; to see the guys, guys that had worked so hard, in tears, that’s a feeling that you never want to feel."

As the No. 3 TCU Horned Frogs prepare for their biggest game of the season at the No. 5 Utah Uteson Saturday afternoon, a game that could ultimately vault the winner into the BCS national championship game, TCU's future in the Mountain West Conference became a bit more sketchy Tuesday as the Big East formerly approved plans to explore adding two football programs.

TCU is reportedly high on the Big East's expansion wish list. The Frogs, who played in their first BCS game last season, would have interest in joining the Big East because the conference currently holds the golden key to BCS inclusion as an automatic qualifier.

The MWC is a non-automatic qualifer, meaning the conference's champion does not automatically receive a bid to the far more lucrative BCS bowl games. Non-AQ conference teams must meet guidelines just to make them eligible for inclusion and do not reap the same financial windfall as AQs.

TCU athletic director Chris Del Conte on Tuesday acknowledged that Big East school presidents were meeting and setting the parameters for expansion, although he had little to say to advance the subject. There appears to be some trepidation at TCU that the Big East can keep its current eight football-playing schools -- Syracuse, Pittsburgh, West Virginia, South Florida, Rutgers, Louisville, Cincinnati and Connecticut-- together, and that subsequent replacement expansion would further water-down the league, eventually causing it to lose its AQ status.

One such school is Rutgers. Some believe the New Jersey school remains a high-priority target of the Big Ten, which will consist of 12 teams beginning in 2011-12. There are also fears that the ACC could again invade the Big East as it did earlier in the decade when Boston College, Virginia Tech and Miami switched allegiances.

TCU coach Gary Patterson is solely focused on Saturday's showdown in Salt Lake City. The Frogs (9-0, 5-0 MWC) moved up to No. 3 in the lastest BCS poll with the Utes at No. 5 (8-0, 5-0 MWC). No. 4 Boise State (7-0) in the WAC gives the non-AQs three teams in the top five of the BCS rankings.

For all three, the dream of playing for a national championship is alive heading into the final month of the regular season.

If TCU beats Utah and then closes out its remaining two games unblemised, and either No. 1 Oregon (8-0) or No. 2 Auburn (9-0) lose one of their remaining games, the Frogs could move into the top two. A top-two ranking in the final BCS poll in early December would land TCU in the national championship game at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale, Ariz.

"[Two years ago], basically Utah was playing TCU for a BCS spot, not playing for a national championship," Patterson said. "Then last year, both Boise and us end up getting to that place [BCS game], but we didn't get a chance to [play for the national championship]. Now we're talking about, because we all started higher [in the poll], now we're all sitting in a situation where that's [the national championship game] a conversation."

TCU is now No. 3 in the BCS behind Oregon and Auburn (the Ducks jumped ahead of the Tigers this week).

The Horned Frogs are barely in front of Boise State thanks to the computer rankings. But they could extend that margin if they beat Utah on the road. The Utes are No. 5 in the BCS and the two face each other Saturday in Salt Lake City.

It seems odd that TCU would pass Boise after beating UNLV. But I wonder if Baylor's win over Texas didn't really give TCU a boost. Baylor is now No. 21 in the BCS and beat the Longhorns on the road. The Horned Frogs' 45-10 win over the Bears looks better and better with each week.

I wonder, though, what happens if Auburn were to lose and there's a one-loss SEC team out there (like Alabama, for instance). Would TCU play for a national title over a one-loss SEC team? Seems doubtful. But that's a discussion for later down the road as long as TCU takes care of business against Utah in a tough game Saturday.

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Teams from BCS conferences keep leapfrogging TCU in polls, and the Horned Frogs don't seem to care.

One of last year's BCS busters, TCU held steady at No. 4 in The Associated Press poll on Sunday. The Horned Frogs were passed this time when Auburn jumped from a spot behind to TCU to a spot ahead after knocking off LSU in a battle of Southeastern Conference unbeatens.

"We just go out and try to play the best game we can," safety Colin Jones said after the Horned Frogs dispatched Air Force 38-7 for their school-record 21st consecutive regular-season win Saturday night. "If we keep doing that, everything will work out."

TCU (8-0, 4-0 Mountain West) keeps winning, but isn't moving even though a top 5 team has lost each of the past three weeks. The AP ranking matches where TCU stood after the first weekend of the regular season. The Frogs later dropped a spot after trailing SMU briefly in the third quarter of a 41-24 win, one of only three times they've trailed this season.

The Frogs regained the No. 4 spot after a 45-0 win over Wyoming, and they stayed there last week when Oklahoma jumped from No. 6 to No. 3 after blowing out Iowa State while TCU fiddled around with BYU for a half in a 31-3 win.

TCU, which did improve a spot in the BCS standings to No. 4 on Sunday night, figured to be the only ranked team in the Lone Star State again after Texas lost at home to Iowa State and dropped out for the second time this season. But Baylor moved in at No. 25 after becoming bowl eligible for the first time since 1994 with a win over Kansas State.

Those are the same Bears who never had a chance in a September visit to Fort Worth, falling behind 35-3 by halftime in a 45-10 loss to TCU.

So, are the Frogs the best in Texas, home to four teams from the Big 12, a BCS darling?

"I don't know," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "Right now we're trying to be the best team in the Mountain West Conference."

The Frogs figure to be heavy favorites at UNLV on Saturday night, then visit No. 8 Utah in a game that will eliminate one BCS-busting hopeful.

"If it was easy, anybody could do it," Patterson said.

TCU made it look easy in the second half against Air Force, which was ranked before a loss to San Diego State the week before coming to Texas and lost by just three at Oklahoma early in the season. TCU running back Ed Wesley outgained the nation's leading rushing offense, 209-184, and scored twice while quarterback Andy Dalton compiled 278 total yards and two touchdowns.

The Frogs controlled the first half with big plays -- six that were longer than 20 yards -- then wore down the Falcons with scoring drives of 80 and 78 yards on their only two possessions of the third quarter, which ended with TCU in front 31-7.

"Air Force is a great team, and hopefully people see that," said Dalton, who had a career-long, 47-yard run on the drive that made it 31-7. "But the whole style points thing, it doesn't matter as long as we're winning the ball game."

TCU kept the top spot nationally in scoring defense (nine points per game) despite allowing a touchdown for the first time in October. Air Force was the first Mountain West team to get in the end zone against TCU after an 89-yard drive on its opening possession.

Still, the Frogs held the Falcons 163 yards below their nation-leading rushing average to win a school-record 19th straight game at Amon Carter Stadium, where Air Force is now 0-5 against TCU and 1-7 when you include three Armed Forces Bowl appearances.

"That was one of our more complete efforts," Patterson said. "It's about being disciplined, getting physical, doing the things we need to do and we've gotten to 8-0. Now we need to move on."

Even if they're not moving up in the polls.

TCU coach Gary Patterson appeared Friday on Mike Tirico's Weekend Blitz on ESPN Radio and addressed the report that he berated a team physician on the sideline during the Horned Frogs' Sept. 24 game at SMU.

PODCAST
TCU coach Gary Patterson joins Mike Tirico's Weekend Blitz to addressed the report that he berated a team physician for holding a player out after being diagnosed with concussion-like symptoms. Listen

"My discussion was because of information," Patterson said. "You're in the heat of the battle … and I had talked to the young man. You know, because of privacy laws, you can't really talk about those kind of things, but … um, you know, I didn't get any information and I was trying to find out cause I had talked to the young man and even out on the field and, and so uh… finally I got and then I was OK.

"I was just trying to find out. It wasn't so much about whether he played or not, because he was told he had a concussion, so he was out. But you know, I was just trying to find out information about what was going on."

More by Patterson:

"You know, it's well documented: I'm awfully intense on the sidelines, so uh … you know, everything else is fine. Our doc's a great guy and did everything appropriately on the sidelines to make sure the young man was taken care of, which we've always done here at TCU."