No. 14 Utah (8-1, 5-0) travels to Fort Worth for a Mountain West Conference showdown Saturday that probably will make or break the Horned Frogs' chances of earning a prime postseason destination.

TCU (9-0, 5-0) has received plenty of attention this season, but the Utes have the most recent MWC rings and are no strangers to the big stage. They beat the Horned Frogs 13-10 at home in a similar showdown late last year on a touchdown with 47 seconds left, then upset Alabama in the Allstate Sugar Bowl to complete a 13-0 season.

"We are the defending champs, and ... you've got to take it away," Utes coach Kyle Whittingham said this week when discussing his team's outlook on the game. "It's something our guys are proud of."

Whittingham also said some of his players have taken note of their status as an almost three-touchdown underdog, unusual for a team that's 21-1 the last two years.

"That was a topic of conversation. It may be a little out of line, but we'll see what happens," he said.

TCU coach Gary Patterson said last year's outcome helped his team mature.

"We understand the difference between winning and losing is a very tight fraction, a very fine line," he said. "Big ballgames (mean) a chance to prove what kind of player you are and what kind of team you have."