Will the TCU Horned Frogs be forced to try to win their first College Football Playoff championship without Kendre Miller? The dynamic running back suffered a knee injury during their semifinal win against the Michigan Wolverines. On Tuesday, TCU coach Sonny Dykes offered an update on Miller, saying he is probably questionable for the championship game on Monday.
“I think he’s feeling pretty good,” Dykes said, per ESPN. “He was pretty sore. Woke up yesterday, felt a little better. I just saw him a little bit ago. He’s feeling better today. … We’ll see how he progresses through the week, see how he feels, and we’ll try to make a determination as we get closer to game time whether we think he’s going to be ready to play or not.”
Kendre Miller Injury Update: TCU-Georgia
Not having Kendre Miller against Georgia would be a huge blow for TCU, which is already a double-digit underdog. Miller rushed for 1,399 yards on 224 carries this season, adding 116 yards receiving yards. His 17 touchdowns were eighth in the nation.
In the thrilling 51-45 win over Michigan, Miller rushed eight times for 57 yards. In his absence, backup Emari Demercado impressed, running 17 times for 150 yards and two touchdowns.
Demercado attended Downey High School, which is just 17 miles away from SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles, where the CFP National Championship will be played.
“For me, that’s something special,” Demercado told WFAA. “I’ve been walking around telling people like it’s something scripted … my last college game, I get to go right down the road from my house. It’s just a surreal feeling, and I’m excited for it.”
TCU began the season 12-0 before losing the Big 12 Championship Game to the Kansas State Wildcats. The Horned Frogs opened the season 200-1 to win the championship, making them the biggest underdog to ever make the CFP. They believe they can finish the ultimate Cinderella story and keep Georgia from becoming the first repeat CFP champion.
“We’re good enough to compete,” Dykes said. “We have all the pieces here. We just have to put them all together and we’ve got to do things the right way. We have to be willing to pay the prices. And those guys believe that. They really have. They believed it from Day One.”
TCU will certainly hope Kendre Miller’s injury will not keep him out of the championship game, but expect Demercado to play a role regardless of the starter’s status.
Per DraftKings, TCU is a 12.5-point underdog. Use our Oddsshopper tools to get the best odds on moneyline, spread or player props for the CFP National Championship.
