This town was a proving ground.
Every part of the TCU football team knew it days before arriving, and certainly in the hours before bussing into, Boone Pickens Stadium.
The defense was going to face the most feared offense in the Big 12.
The offense and special teams would be tested in an intimidating environment.
The head coach, with a team he really likes, had to find a way to win in a place he had never won.
And the quarterback? Well, he was only matched against a Heisman trophy contender in his own back yard.