– Oregon’s Alamo Bowl matchup against TCU appears to be the perfect consolation prize for the Ducks’ 2015 season. In addition, with the Ducks’ opponent being one who was predicted to be in the College Football Playoff, the Valero Alamo Bowl has all the ingredients to be an intriguing showdown Saturday. 
– Oregon has plenty to play for when it meets TCU on Saturday, according to CSN Northwest’s Aaaron Fentress. A win would extend the Ducks’ streak of winning 10 or more games in a season to eight and also extend the program’s streak of consecutive years winning a bowl game to five.
– The Alamo Bowl will be a rather large test for an Oregon secondary that has had its share of struggles in 2015. Ducks defensive backs coach John Neal said he wants the unit to show its growth against Trevone Boykin and TCU, according to the Register Guard.
“I’m challenging my guys,” Neal said. “We need to be good January 2, 2016, and not really good January 2, 2017. I think we’re talented enough to play really well, and this team is going to make us play well.
– Darren Carrington will be playing on Saturday with a new number and a heavy heart. The standout wide receiver is honoring his friend, Markel Byrd, who died in a car accident Dec. 22 by wearing the number Byrd wore at New Mexico, No. 20. Byrd was Carrington’s high school quarterback and New Mexico safety, someone who Carrington told reporters he was closer to than his own family members.
– Oregon’s defensive line appears to have the edge over TCU’s.
–It’s not just Oregon’s uniforms that are garnering attention for the Alamo Bowl. Thanks to Nike, both the Ducks and Horned Frogs will have two of the more unique end zone decorations we’ve seen this year. 

Oregon’s endzone is straight pic.twitter.com/kulUl1nN0Z
— Addicted To Quack (@AddictedToQuack) December 29, 2015

– TCU head coach Gary Patterson spent some time this week not answering questions about his team or Oregon’s, but rather a recruit he didn’t offer a scholarship: Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield. In Miami in preparation for the Orange Bowl, Mayfield told reporters that Patterson hung him out to dry. Patterson doesn’t see it like  that. 
– The Valero Alamo Bowl is producing some of the heaviest box-office interest in the history of the game, according to the San Antonio Express News. 
– How good is TCU quarterback Trevone Boykin? According to Oklahoma cornerback Zach Sanchez, he’s ” the best quarterback we’ve ever seen.” Sanchez was talking about Boykin when prompted to compare him to Deshaun Watson.

OU CB Zack Sanchez says Deshaun Watson is good, but not Trevone Boykin good. “Trevone is the best athlete we’ve seen, and will ever see.”
— Larry Williams (@LarryWilliamsTI) December 27, 2015

Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise