The No. 3 TCU football team is navigating uncharted territory entering the final five contests of the 2015 season. The Horned Frogs are in the midst of a 15-game winning streak, a school record and the country’s second-longest. After years of climbing mountains to earn respect, the program fully controls its postseason destiny.

Whenever TCU lines up against this week’s opponent West Virginia, an epic battle tends to ensue. The Mountaineers will arrive for Thursday’s face-off in Fort Worth hungry to prove they are stronger than their 3-3 record suggests. The three losses were to Baylor, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State, powerhouses who combined have only lost once.

All three previous Big 12 contests between TCU and West Virginia, both in their fourth year in the conference, resolved on the final play, with two of those games going to overtime.

“This’ll be an interesting four quarters,” TCU coach Gary Patterson said at his Tuesday press conference.

After steering a tumultuous path to 7-0, the Frogs earned a chance to rest and recover during last week’s open date. TCU has reason to feel encouraged about Thursday’s game, as the program has won 11 of its previous 12 contests following a bye week.

“It’s big,” receiver Desmon White said of the extra hours to catch up on schoolwork and soothe sore muscles.

Admitting his banged-up squad would not regain optimal health until the offseason, Patterson said the team’s energy surge after a weekend off feels promising. “You can tell their minds are a little bit more clear. There’s a lot more jumping around.”

He said injured freshmen phenomenon KaVontae Turpin will return to action against West Virginia. Another true freshman, defensive tackle Joe Broadnax, has dominated in practice and will start seeing game action, which is “kind of like getting a free agent.”

The extra days are especially valuable for TCU’s beleaguered defenders, who have improved steadily in each consecutive win and can now implement the entire playbook. Ten days ago at Iowa State, the Frogs allowed 21 first quarter points before shutting out the Cyclones for the remainder of the game.

“We might have been the worst first quarter defense in the nation,” Patterson said. “Then they were one of the better defenses in the league the last three quarters.”

Asked how freshmen Montrel Wilson and Travin Howard are adjusting to playing linebacker in the Big 12, the coach said, “Good. We’re 7-0.”

He added that their performance is the key factor in defensive fluctuations in recent contests, where opponents found either feast or famine. “Once they’ve come under control, they’ve been a lot better.”

Patterson has faith in the duo’s potential, and he would know, having mentored several linebackers who progressed to NFL rosters. Good midfield defenders “strike at darkness,” he said. “They just have the ability to understand where [the ball is] going.”

TCU linebacker Montrel Wilson sacks Kansas State quarterback Joe Hubener, causing a game-sealing fumble. Photo courtesy of Hoss McBain.

While the Frogs embarrassed most of their Big 12 brethren at least once in the last three years, West Virginia battled to the final seconds each time. “I think the talent level is very similar,” Patterson said of the two programs. “I like the way their kids play. They’re always physical. They always play tough.”

On offense, West Virginia has gained more than 350 yards for 27 straight games. They are sizzling again with quarterback Skyler Howard, a Fort Worth native, logging in at No. 21 nationally in total offense. Receiver Shelton Gibson is third in yards per reception.

On defense, “they are really good at pursuing the ball,” said offensive lineman Halapoulivaati Vaitai.

“They play a lot of man … that’s all you need to know as a receiver,” added Desmon White. The Mountaineers will be without the services of All-Big 12 safety Karl Joseph, lost for the season to a knee injury.

West Virginia’s game plan for TCU worked well in Morgantown last season, when Trevone Boykin passed for only 166 yards, less than half of his season average of 355.

Boykin, the darling of the football world last week for showing kindness to young Iowa State fan Abby Faber, gets one more shot at unraveling West Virginia’s defensive efforts. Going into the game, the quarterback is second in the country in total offense. Teammate Josh Doctson is second nationally in receiving.

In the photo shared ’round the world, Trevone Boykin asks Abby Faber, “What’s your name?” (Photo by Paul Moseley/Star-Telegram)

Thursday night games can be dramatic even outside of an evenly matched series. TCU’s last Thursday home game was in 2008 against BYU, when the Frogs snapped the Cougars’ then-nation-leading 16-game streak of victories.

Thursday could be another war, Vaitai said. “It goes down to who wants it the most.”

If the Frogs win, they will find out where they stand next Tuesday when the College Football Playoff committee unveils its first season rankings. The guys can’t pay too much attention to opinions, though, as three of their final four opponents – Oklahoma State, Oklahoma and Baylor – together hold a 20-1 record.

High stakes college football can be consuming, but the homecoming parade tragedy at Oklahoma State last Saturday “puts things in perspective,” Patterson said. About Baylor quarterback Seth Russell, who will undergo surgery for a broken neck bone and miss the rest of the year, “You don’t ever want to see things like that happen.”

Rivalries and rankings aside, football “still comes down to people,” the unusually contemplative coach said.

As for his people, the TCU fans, Desmon White said he is happy to return to home field support after a two-game road stretch. “We know there’s going to be a lot of energy. I think that’s going to help us.”