TCU Football 2011: Is There Too Much Pressure on Casey Pachall

So the heat is on at Texas Christian University. The attention of the Horned Frogs fans, the Mountain West Football Conference, and much of college football in general, is focused squarely on Casey Pachall. 

The question is, can he handle it?

Pollsters are never good at reading stats on the inside of someones heart. I was able to speak briefly with Jordan Wynn, about the pressure of playing at the University of Utah. He was able to laugh at it. "No pressure...right," was what the California native said with a quick smile, and a demeanor that said, "its the weight of the world but I can handle it...because I want to do this." 

And that is the bottom line. It is heart, desire, motivation and discipline that gets you there.

I haven't looked into Pachall's eyes like I did Wynn's, but I do know football, and if he didn't have the heart and desire, would TCU put him in that spot?

No way.

Patterson gave the confident answer that "guys will have to be the best they can be." And there it is. It is impossible to know what will happen until kickoff. TCU is set to face Baylor in what is certain to be a hard hitting, heart of Texas, dogfight style football game.

Pachall has some huge shoes to fill, and the hopes of the Horned Frogs Nation riding on his shoulders. But it all comes down to desire and confidence. I think Pachall has it. I think he knows he has guys like Ed Wesley, Matthew Tucker, Josh Boyce and Waymon James.

And have you heard of Tanner Brock and Tank Carder? They have a team. As Patterson likes to remind us, they ARE a team. It is not just the Casey Pachall show. Oh and by the way, they have a guy named Gary Patterson.

It will be tough, it may or may not be like last year. But this is still TCU football. Casey Pachall will be fine, because he knows he is not alone.