FORT WORTH, Texas (Ticker) -- Oklahoma is not the only undefeated school in the country. No. 12 Texas Christian remains without a blemish and will try to keep it that way when it hosts No. 25 Louisville on Wednesday night in the first-ever Conference USA matchup between ranked teams.
Thanks to Virginia Tech's rout of Miami, top-ranked Oklahoma and TCU are the only unbeaten teams remaining. But the Horned Frogs are just ninth in this week's Bowl Championship Series standings and will find it difficult to land a lucrative BCS berth even if they remain undefeated.
For TCU, Wednesday night's nationally televised game is a chance to gain some recognition and respect.
"The only thing we are worried about is Louisville," TCU coach Gary Patterson said. "The only way any of this rankings talk matters is if we are able to win this game and the next three games."
TCU must finish in the top six of the BCS standings to be assured of a BCS berth and in the top two to land in the national title game.
The Horned Frogs (8-0, 5-0) seek their 11th straight win, which would tie Oklahoma for the longest current run in the country, and many of those wins have not come easy.
Four of TCU's eight wins this season have been by exactly three points. TCU's last game was not as close, although the Horned Frogs did have to scramble for a wild 62-55 victory over Houston.
Quarterback Tye Gunn is doubtful with a groin injury, leaving Brandon Hassell as the likely starter on Wednesday. Hassell, who would be making his fifth start of the season, threw for 375 yards and four scores in the victory over Houston.
The Horned Frogs' running game centers on freshman Robert Merrill, who has three straight games of over 100 yards.
The main question will be with a defense that showed plenty of holes against Houston and has surrendered 79 points in the last two games.
Under first-year coach Bobby Petroni, Louisville (7-1, 3-1) is averaging 34.8 points and 470.2 yards per game.
The Cardinals' last outing was a 36-20 win over East Carolina in which Eric Shelton ran for 118 yards. The Florida State transfer has rushed for 740 yards and 10 touchdowns this season.
Quarterback Stefan LeFors has completed 60.2 percent of his passes and has been picked off just five times in 196 attempts.
TCU has won both meetings with Louisville, including a 45-31 decision last season in which the Horned Frogs jumped out to a 31-0 lead. Louisville has been held to a combined negative-73 rushing yards in the two games, but that was due primarily to a defensive line that sacked Dave Ragone 15 times.
TCU has won 11 straight home games since a 37-30 loss to East Carolina in 2001. The school record of 12 was set in 1933-34.
Wednesday will be a bittersweet day for Conference USA. One day before the marquee matchup, Louisville and four other schools announced they will leave the league and join the Big East Conference beginning in 2005-06.
