SAN ANTONIO – Oklahoma cornerback Zach Sanchez provided gaudy praise for TCU’s most dangerous threat on offense this week. In the run-up to Oklahoma’s matchup with Deshaun Watson and Clemson in the Orange Bowl, Sanchez was asked to compare TCU’s Tevone Boykin to the Heisman Trophy finalist.
But, Sanchez didn’t think the two much compared. As far as Sanchez was concerned, Boykin “was the best athlete we’ve ever seen,” and a completely “different animal.” TCU defensive end Josh Carraway gave a similar answer Wednesday when asked to compare Boykin to Oregon’s Vernon Adams Jr.
“I don’t think he’s as athletic as Boykin,” Carraway said.
Both comments appeared to be an additional testament to Boykin’s true capability. Sure the stat sheet has already been stuffed — Boykin totaled over 4,000 yards in 11 games this season — but Boykin being described as a “different animal” when compared to the most successful quarterback in the FBS was certainly telling.
But, none of it seems to matter anymore. Boykin, a senior, was suspended for TCU’s game against Oregon this week after he got into a bar fight and allegedly punched a police officer early Thursday morning. 
The suspension now leaves TCU without its top player for the second time this season. The first time he was absent TCU lost to Oklahoma 30-29.
In addition, Boykin’s top wide receiver, Josh Doctson, who caught 79 passes for 1,327 yards in 2015, has already been ruled out for the Alamo Bowl, leaving TCU without its most lethal combination on offense.
When Boykin has been sidelined this year, TCU’s looked like a shell of itself. Bram Kohlhausen first replaced him against winless Kansas in early November after Boykin left due to a right ankle injury. Foster Sawyer also got time behind center, and the two combined to go 14-of-26 for 154 yards. Sawyer threw a touchdown on his lone completion, helping TCU avoid complete disaster and beat the Jayhawks, 23-17.
The next week Kohlhausen received the start, but was eventually replaced by Sawyer again. The two combined for 219 yards a touchdown, but this time four interceptions in a 30-29 loss to Oklahoma. Kohlhausen did lead a last ditch effort to win the game after the Horned Frogs trailed by 17 in the fourth quarter. A failed two-point conversion attempt proved to be the difference in the game.
“We’ve played without him before… We went up to Norman and we should’ve won,” TCU running back Aaron Green said.
The threat of a quarterback running with the football was virtually nonexistent when Kohlhausen and Sawyer were behind center, though. In addition, TCU averaged just 26 points in those games, versus a 44 points per game average when Boykin was healthy. TCU offensive co-coordinators Doug Meacham and Sonny Cumbie did not say who would be the starter during a press conference Thursday.
Boykin’s absence for the game Saturday squashes what would’ve been a entertaining quarterback duel between him and Adams. Expected to be fully healthy, Boykin would have been arguably the best quarterback the Ducks have faced all season.
Which didn’t sound great for Oregon’s secondary, a unit that has been exposed by a laundry list of quarterbacks throughout the year. The Ducks rank 126th out of 128 teams in passing defense and feature a group of players that had little to no experiences as a collegiate defensive back before the year began.
Now, Oregon defensive coordinator Don Pellum will prepare for obviously a much different opponent.
An example of how much Boykin’s presence means: TCU opened as a 1.5-point favorite but is now a 7-point underdog according to many Vegas sports books.
Follow Justin Wise on Twitter @JustinFWise