Fort Worth, TX (My Sportsbook) - The 22nd-ranked TCU Horned Frogs' campaign to throw a wrench into the mighty BCS machine begins this Saturday at home against the Baylor Bears.

Baylor is coming off a 4-8 season in the Big 12 after struggling on both sides of the ball. Offensively, the team will try to improve a running game that ranked dead-last in the nation with an average of 40 ypg last season. Defensively, the Bears must find a way to hold their opponents to an average less than last year's 32.6 ppg. Most of the front seven returns, and that unity could go a long way toward the defense's return to respectability.

Few defensive units across the country are more imposing than TCU's, which is a major reason the Horned Frogs are a trendy pick to make some serious noise in the BCS this year. TCU is a perfect 4-0 versus the Big 12 over the last two seasons, allowing just 11 ppg in that span. On top of that, the Horned Frogs are riding an eight-game win streak, currently the fourth-longest streak in the nation. They've been able to score early and often during the streak, outscoring opponents by a 192-13 margin in the first half.

The head-to-head series between these former Southwest Conference foes is almost too close to call, with Baylor holding a 49-48-7 advantage.

The Baylor coaching staff has yet to name a starting quarterback, likely meaning sophomore Blake Szymanski and redshirt freshman Tyler Beatty will share time. Beatty entered camp fifth on the depth chart while Szymanski was third behind a couple of transfers. Whoever lines up under center, they will be crossing their fingers that the ground game somehow picks up the pace. Brandon Whitaker will line up in the backfield behind an experienced offensive line, albeit an ineffective one. Two of the school's all-time leading receivers have moved on, though its offensive system emphasizes a more balanced attack.

Teams were simply scoring at will against the Bears last season. Seven starters return from that unit, which is now under the guidance of coordinator Larry Hoefer. Like with the offensive line, head coach Guy Morriss is hoping that a year of playing together will lead to more cohesion on the defense. Three defensive linemen and two linebackers return to the starting lineup. However, three starting defensive backs from last year must now be replaced. The defense will be anchored by linebacker Joe Pawelek, a freshman All-American who led the team in tackles last season.

The TCU bandwagon cannot truly be fired up until after week two, if the Horned Frogs are able to knock off Texas in Austin. In week one against Baylor, however, the first order of business is finding out whether the Horned Frogs' offense is in capable hands under redshirt freshman quarterback Andy Dalton. Dalton represents the first quarterback in coach Gary Patterson's seven-year tenure to start his first collegiate game. Dalton can take comfort in having dynamic running back Aaron Brown lining up behind him. Brown was named the Mountain West Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, coming off a season in which he eclipsed 1,200 total yards. In the receiving corps, Donald Massey steps into a more prominent role after serving as the team's No. 3 receiver in '06. All-conference guard Matty Lindner anchors an offensive line that returns three starters.

While there are questions in need of answers on offense, there are no such issues on the defensive side of the ball. TCU returns nine starters from a unit that ranked second in the nation in total defense (235 yards per game) and third in scoring defense (12.3 ppg). Other than a 31-17 loss to BYU, the Horned Frogs never allowed more than 21 points in a game, and they held five opponents to a touchdown or less. Two-time All-MWC First Team defensive end Tommy Blake (16.5 TFL last season) may well be the best player in the conference, offensively or defensively. He spearheaded a pass rush that generated 36 sacks on the season, or roughly three per game. Blake will be flanked on the opposite end by Chase Ortiz, another two-time All-MWC selection who has amassed 25 TFLs in two seasons. All four members of the secondary, led by senior safety Brian Bonner, return to round out TCU's vaunted 4-2-5 defense.