TCU vs. Stanford live stream, where to watch, TV channel, odds, spread, prediction, pick
TCU and Stanford open the 2024 college football season with a Friday night matchup at Stanford Stadium, the fourth all-time meeting between the two programs. The Cardinal will play their first game as an official member of the ACC after being tied to conference ties on the West Coast for nearly the past century.
TCU is coming off a disappointing 5-7 campaign, less than a season after losing to Georgia in the 2022 College Football Playoff National Championship. The Horned Frogs opened last season with a home loss to Colorado and will open the season against an ACC team away from the Lone Star State for the first time since 2009.
Stanford was picked to finish last in the ACC preseason poll and will enter the second year of the Troy Taylor era looking to improve after a 3-9 campaign last season. Stanford is the leader in total returning production, and that group is headlined by star wide receiver Alek Ayomanor, who led his team in catches (62), yards (1,013) and touchdowns (six).
The Horned Frogs are trying to return to a bowl game after finishing with a losing record in three of the past five seasons. TCU was picked 10th in the Big 12 preseason media poll, behind conference newcomers Utah and Arizona.
Here’s what you need to know before Stanford and TCU face off.
How to watch the TCU vs Stanford match live
date: Friday, August 30 | Time: 10:30 a.m. ET
Place: Stanford Stadium – Stanford, California
TV: ESPN | Live Stream: fubo (try it free)
TCU vs. Stanford: Things to know
Stanford will be improved in year two under Troy Taylor: After putting the West Coast on notice under Jim Harbaugh and during the early years of David Shaw’s tenure, the Stanford program is falling on tough times. The Cardinal have won fewer than four games in each of the past five seasons (Stanford went 4-2 during the COVID-shortened season in 2020). Taylor was hired from his position at FCS Sacramento State to revive the once-proud program, and his footprint is already on the rebuild. Stanford’s 2024 recruiting class finished 31st in the 247Sports team rankings, and 12 members of that recruiting class are on a two-deep depth chart to start the season. Another reason for optimism: Stanford returned 85% of its returning production from last season — a strong indicator that success is on the horizon despite finishing last in the ACC preseason poll.
TCU’s defense will have a new look in 2024: After finishing near the bottom in total defense last season, TCU fired DC Joe Gillespie and replaced him with former Boise State coach Andy Avalos. The former Mountain West Coach of the Year runs a 4-2-5 defense, which could open up more opportunities for TCU’s pass rush to get home and make more sacks. Under Gillespie, TCU ran a 3-3-5 defense that forced defensive linemen into regular double-teams and a sack rate of 5.7% – which ranked near the middle of the pack among all FBS teams. A name to watch on the defensive line is Notre Dame transfer Nana Osaki-Mensah, who recorded three sacks last year. TCU also hired former Nevada coach Ken Wilson last offseason to coach the linebackers.
The quarterback battle is worth watching: Taylor has regularly used two quarterbacks since his time at Sacramento State, and that should be the case this season. While Ashton Daniels is expected to get the majority of the reps, Justin Lamson will be brought in as a change-of-pace quarterback. Stanford’s depth chart also includes four-star freshman Elijah Brown — the crown jewel of the 2024 recruiting class — as a potential option. TCU, on the other hand, will move forward with Josh Hoover, who started the final six games of last season and finished with 2,206 passing yards and 15 touchdowns.
TCU vs. Stanford prediction, picks
The early games are the hardest to predict due to uncertainty on both sides, but Stanford seems to be the safest bet with points. The Cardinal are bringing back most of their production from last season and should be much improved in the second year of Taylor’s tenure. Stanford should be able to make explosive plays in the passing game with Aymanor, and that could be the difference. It wouldn’t be a surprise if Stanford pulled off an upset and won outright. Pick: Stanford +9.5
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