By Bennett Parker | Sports Writer
The Revivalry is an unsung classic in college football. It has all the ingredients, yet it isn’t featured in rankings of rivalries in the country.
The teams have a century of bitter history, proximity, a plethora of classic games and are a far cry from being a one-sided rivalry.
Baylor (4-1, 2-0 Big 12) and TCU (2-3, 0-2 Big 12) meet on the gridiron for the 122nd time on Saturday. The staggering number ranks ahead of the likes of “The Game” between Michigan and Ohio State as well as the Red River Rivalry between Texas and Oklahoma.
Baylor versus TCU is the most played matchup in the state of Texas and dates back to 1899. The series has remained even throughout the years as the record stands at 60-54-7 in favor of the Horned Frogs, while the Bears lead with a 35-34-5 margin in Waco.
The game has also seen its fair share of nail-biting finishes. Nine of the last 13 games have come down to one score, with TCU largely dominating the current decade. The rivalry drew less attention as both teams have regressed into the middle of the Big 12, but the schools were conference powerhouses for a large chunk of the 2010s and are again emerging as talented programs.
The teams traded serious blows in do-or-die games throughout that era. The highlight came on an October afternoon in 2014. The fifth-ranked Bears took on the ninth-ranked Horned Frogs for the first time in McLane Stadium. Baylor mounted a 21-point comeback in the fourth quarter to win 61-58 in what is considered one of the greatest college football games ever.
Baylor snapped a 25-game TCU win streak in 2011. The Horned Frogs beat a No. 7-ranked Baylor squad in a double-overtime thriller in pouring rain and temperatures in the mid-30s in 2015. The Bears were ranked No. 7 again but finished the job in triple-overtime in 2019. TCU defeated Baylor two years later, keeping the Big 12-winning Aranda squad outside the College Football Playoff.
Baylor and TCU also have a pedigree of talent. There have been 251 Bears and 220 Frogs drafted to the NFL. The rivalry isn’t two average teams playing each other. Many of the players have had professional aspirations.
There have been shaky seasons since 2010, but there is plenty of success between the two programs: a Heisman Trophy, an undefeated season, a CFP title game, four Big 12 titles and a dozen 10-win seasons.
The teams have the history, the talent and success to be recognized as a marquee rivalry in the Big 12 and across the country. For the Revivalry to garner its respect, it will need some more feathers in its cap. If the teams can reemerge as top talents in the country, it will only be a matter of time.
Baylor is looking to add a feather to its own cap as it hosts TCU at 6 p.m. Saturday at McLane Stadium.
