The TCU Horned Frogs have been the definition of resilience in the 2022 CFB season. The Horned Frogs currently sit in the No. 4 spot in the College Football Playoff rankings, and they’re well deserving of the position. TCU last made a splash in the CFB landscape in 2014 where they were co-Big 12 Conference champions with Baylor after going 12-1, with their only loss going to their rival, the Baylor Bears. The Horned Frogs went on to defeat Ole Miss in the Peach Bowl winning 42-3, only solidifying their dominance in the Big 12 and the FBS as a whole. The College Football Playoff was in its early years back in 2014, and the CFP committee was still in formation. Under head coach Gary Patterson the Horned Frogs were truly a force to be reckoned with, and they were likely cheated out of a CFP bid in 2014.
In 2022 the TCU Horned Frogs under HC Sonny Dykes experienced much of the same emotions as they did under Gary Patterson over half a decade ago. QB Max Duggan has nearly 3,000 passing yards, with a completion percentage of 66.2%, 26 TDs, and a QBR of 78.6. All of these statistics place Duggan at a slightly above average position amongst QBs in the entire FBS. Somehow TCU has been able to figure it out every single game this season, proving their chemistry to be second to none. TCU won against the Texas Longhorns after being 7-point underdogs in Week 11 with a final score of 17-10, and most recently the Horned Frogs defeated the Baylor Bears by a last second field goal by Griffin Kell to retain their unblemished record. After defeating rivals Baylor, Sonny Dykes had some words for his team and his kicker. “That looked like chaos, but we practice it every Thursday exactly like that”. The Horned Frogs face off against the Iowa State Cyclones this Saturday, November 26th at home for their final game before the Big 12 Conference finals on December 3rd at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX. TCU has claimed their berth into the conference championship, but their opponent is still yet to be determined. Draftkings.com has provided some scenarios that could determine the Horned Frogs’ opponent following the games on November 26th.
If Kansas State defeats Kansas on Saturday, November 26, they will play in the Championship Game
If Kansas State loses to Kansas, Texas defeats Baylor, and Oklahoma State loses to either Oklahoma or West Virginia, Texas will play in the Championship Game
If Kansas State loses to Kansas, Texas defeats Baylor, and Oklahoma State defeats Oklahoma and West Virginia, Kansas State should advance. K-State and Oklahoma State will have both beaten the next-highest ranked team where records differ (Texas Tech), whereas Texas did not. Then K-State’s head-to-head win over Oklahoma State sends them to the title game.
No matter where the chips fall, there’s no doubt TCU has had a historically successful season. I think it’s fair to say though that if nothing else, this TCU team has proven itself to be the real deal in 2022.