Thursday in Fort Worth, Texas, TCU and West Virginia will enter their fourth matchup as Big 12 foes on different planes. As two-touchdown underdogs, the Mountaineers are in serious danger of starting 0-4 in Big 12 play for the first time.
The undefeated Horned Frogs, meanwhile, are in the thick of the playoff conversation again coming off a season in which they finished 12-1.
Why has one Big 12 newcomer thrived while the other, so far at least, has scuffled?
Below are four explanations:
Recruiting proximity
TCU coach Gary Patterson has said before that the Horned Frogs observed an immediate spike in recruiting after joining the Big 12.