One of the hottest topics during this week's Mountain West Conference media days in Las Vegas was the impact of Utah's upcoming jump to the Pac-10 Conference.
TCU senior quarterback Andy Dalton is looking at the Utes' departure as an opportunity to forge an even stronger rivalry with BYU.
"We were sad to see Utah leave. We wish Utah would have stayed, especially with the addition of Boise State," said Dalton, a three-year starter and first-team All-MWC selection. "It would have made the conference even better. But they did what was best for them.
"There's been a little rivalry between us and BYU. Those games have been fun to play in, whether it's in Fort Worth or Provo. I guess with Utah leaving, that could be one of the new rivalries built up in the conference."
Since joining the MWC in 2005, the Cougars and Horned Frogs have staged some memorable battles, including TCU's controversial 51-50 overtime victory in Provo and BYU's 31-17 win in Fort Worth the following season.
The past two years, however, the Frogs have dominated the Cougars, winning by a combined score of 70-14.
Why has TCU had its way with BYU of late?
"We know BYU is such a good team. We know we have to play our best game to win," Dalton said. "The last couple of years, we've focused really hard and prepared really well that week. A lot of guys spend a lot of time in the film room that week making sure we know we what we're doing."
Dalton is glad the BYU game is at home this year, but he'll miss playing in Provo.
"LaVell Edwards Stadium is a pretty cool place to play. It's a great atmosphere," he said. "The BYU fans are great. It's cool to play in that stadium in front of the mountains."
BYU opened last season against Oklahoma at palatial Dallas Cowboys Stadium on ESPN. TCU, which is expected to open the 2010 season ranked in the top 10, has a similar arrangement this year, facing Oregon State at Cowboys Stadium on Sept. 4.
"I'm very excited," Dalton said. "It's close to home and it's going to be a great atmosphere. We're looking forward to playing in that stadium, with the huge (TV) screen. We're excited for the opportunity to play there."
A year ago, Dalton led the Frogs to an undefeated regular season and their first-ever BCS bowl appearance. TCU fell to Boise State, 17-10, in the Fiesta Bowl.
"Boise had a great game plan. They executed really well," Dalton said. "We didn't play up to our potential. We struggled a little bit. We came out tight and we were pressing on some things. We had some miscommunications.
"Even though we didn't play well, we still had opportunities to win the game. We've got to give credit to Boise, because they played a great game."
That night may have marked the birth of another new MWC rivalry — TCU vs. Boise State.
e-mail: jeffc@desnews.com