TCU Makes Statement in Peach Bowl Win over Ole Miss, Will Be 2015 Favorites

TCU looked like one of the four best teams in the country in a 42-3 rout of Ole Miss—and that is putting it lightly.

The Horned Frogs out-gained the Rebels by 294 yards to claim the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl title, proving in the process that they (a) were a College Football Playoff-worthy team this season, and (b) will be favored to make the playoff in 2015-16.

Trevone Boykin completed 22 of 31 passes for 188 yards and three touchdowns for an offense that entered Wednesday ranked No. 2 in the country in points per game and No. 4 in yards per game and lived up to its billing against the vaunted "Landsharks" defense.

And he did it with his signature flair.

As good as the Horned Frogs offense was in 2014, however, there is reason to believe it will improve next season.

The only senior in Wednesday's starting lineup was left tackle Tayo Fabuluje. Every other meaningful contributor is set to return.

Boykin is the leader, but TCU's supporting cast is just as impressive.

Running back Aaron Green came on late in the season and is a threat to score from anywhere. Ditto for Week 1 starter B.J. Catalon.

Receivers Josh Doctson and Kolby Listenbee can rival any pass-catching duo in the country, and center Joey Hunt and right tackle Halapoulivaati Vaitai both made the All-Big 12 second team.

TCU scored 42 points in 32 minutes against the No. 1 scoring defense in the country (13.8 points per game). One of its six touchdowns came on defense, and field position played a role in setting up a few of the other five, but that doesn't change the pace this team was on before taking its foot off the pedal with a 42-0 lead.

	Season Average/Game	First 32 Min. vs. TCU
Points Allowed	13.8	42
Yards Allowed	321.1	287
Yards Per Play	4.61	5.86
Plays of 10+ Yards	11.3	12

Co-offensive coordinators Sonnie Cumbie and Doug Meacham have reinvented the TCU offense, giving it an uptempo flourish.

The Horned Frogs had the No. 8 adjusted pace in the country, per Football Outsiders, and never scored fewer than 30 points in a game.

Last season, before hiring Cumbie and Meacham, TCU scored fewer than 30 points in eight of 12 games—the same amount of games it lost outright. The defense was strong, but the offense couldn't keep up, so the Frogs missed a bowl game for the first time since 2004.

Now this might be the most complete team in America.

But it's not just the TCU offense that is stocked for next season.

The defense is set to lose some meaningful contributors—chief among them linebacker Paul Dawson, defensive tackle Chucky Hunter, cornerback Kevin White and safety Sam Carter—but a huge showing from its younger players inspired hope for 2015.

James McFarland, for example, intercepted a Bo Wallace pass in the end zone for a touchdown in the second quarter. Derrick Kindred had a pick and a third-down tackle for loss. Ranthony Texada made a pair of great coverage plays on the Rebels' first drive.

Ole Miss averaged 2.01 yards per play.

	TKL	TFL	SCK	INT	PBU
DT Chris Bradley (Fr.)	2	0.5	0.5	0	0
DE Josh Carraway (So.)	4	0.0	0.0	0	0
S Derrick Kindred (Jr.)	5	1.0	0.0	1	0
S Chris Hackett (Jr.)	2	0.0	0.0	1	0
DT Terrell Lathan (Jr.)	3	1.0	1.0	0	0
DT Tevin Lawson (So.)	3	1.0	1.0	0	0
DE James McFarland (Jr.)	4	2.0	1.0	1	1
DT Davoin Pierson (Sr.)	3	1.5	0.0	0	0

Chris Hackett was the No. 1 safety on Bleacher Report's CFB 250 and has a big NFL draft decision ahead of him. His return would be a massive lift, but as long as defensive coordinator Dick Bumpas comes back for his 11th season, this defense will be fine regardless.

Remember, after all, that preseason Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year Devonte Fields was dismissed from the team in August. TCU entered Wednesday with No. 6 defense in the country, per the F/+ ratings at Football Outsiders, despite losing its projected best player in fall camp and last year's best player (cornerback Jason Verrett) to the first round of the 2014 NFL draft.

Bumpas has laughed in the face of attrition for more than a decade.

Why should he stop laughing now?

Streeter Lecka/Getty Images

TCU rose as high as No. 3 in the CFP standings but dropped to No. 6 after the final week of the season.

The Horned Frogs did their own job, pasting Iowa State 55-3, but were passed by outright ACC champion Florida State, outright Big Ten champion Ohio State and co-Big 12 champion Baylor, which handed TCU its only loss of the season in October.

There was outcry after the Horned Frogs dropped three spots, seemingly for reasons that were out of their control, but head coach Gary Patterson doesn't feel the need to rub their success in the face of the selection committee—or anyone else, for that matter.

Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images

"I don't think I have to say anything," he told Shannon Spake on the ESPN broadcast. "I think for next year, and what happened this year, I think everyone can see what kind of football team [this is]."

We can. And considering how much talent comes back, it's scary to think what kind of football team this might become.

"I think as a university, as a program, I don't think we've touched the iceberg," Patterson told reporters before the game.

After Saturday, though, that iceberg is dead ahead.

Follow Brian Leigh on Twitter @BLeigh35.