Bleacher Report - TCU Football

Why the TCU Horned Frogs Deserve a Shot at the National Championship

College Football Fanatic — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 11:18:27 -0500

According to some "experts" out there, there should never be a non-BCS team in contention for the national championship. Apparently, these teams from non-BCS conferences such as the Mountain West, the Western Athletic Conference, and Conference USA are undeserving of any accolades presented to them.

Experts, I present to you the 2009 Texas Christian University Horned Frogs.

This team has defeated three current Top-25 teams and two BCS conference teams (30-14 over Virginia and 14-10 over No. 15 Clemson, both of the ACC) with wins over No. 15 Clemson and No. 18 BYU coming on the road, the BYU win coming by a score of 38-7, and a defeat of No. 22 Utah at home, 55-28.

The Horned Frogs don't make the same, ahem, "mistake" that Boise State makes, either. Some members of the media say that Boise State doesn't win convincingly enough. Since the 20-17 defeat of Air Force on Oct. 10, which made them 5-0, they've won their last six by a combined score of 278-54, or an average score of 46-9. By the way, that includes the two defeats of No. 18 BYU and No. 22 Utah.

After that Air Force game, TCU was crucified by a few people out there, as the Horned Frogs were "overrated" and "undeserving of a Top-10 spot." How do you think those people feel now?

The defense boasts one of the best defensive linemen in college football, Jerry Hughes, predicted by many to be a Top-20 pick in next year's NFL Draft. The defense as an entire unit is ranked fourth in the country in total yardage allowed per game (238.8 yards) and is sixth overall in points per game (12.6 points).

You can't sell the offense short, either. Led by stud junior quarterback Andy Dalton and fleet-footed running back Joseph Turner, the offense averages 39.7 points per game (fifth in the nation) and 471.2 yards per game (also fifth in the nation).

Plus, with every win 8-3 Clemson earns, that 14-10 victory back on Sept. 26 has become one of the banner victories for the Mountain West Conference in 2009, along with BYU's 14-13 defeat of then No. 3 Oklahoma.

If you want to use the transitive property of college football, think about this.

The Texas Longhorns, currently ranked No. 3, went on the road to Laramie and defeated the Wyoming Cowboys, 41-10, way back on Sept. 12.

No. 4 TCU defeated them 45-10 this past week.

In the polls I vote on, that was part of the reason why I put TCU No. 3 this week, ahead of Texas and behind the SEC Championship tandem of Florida and Alabama. The other part of why I did it? As a whole, TCU has by far been the more impressive team. Texas has defeated one team currently ranked in the Top 25 poll, which was a 41-7 victory over No. 11 Oklahoma State. They defeated Oklahoma, but the Sooners are 6-5.

TCU has defeated three ranked teams: No.15 Clemson, No. 18 BYU, and No. 22 Utah.

Need some more convincing? Alright, let's look at their non-conference schedule.

TCU went on the road and played two ACC teams, Virginia and Clemson. They defeated both. They also played SMU, winning 39-14. Yeah, they played Texas State-San Marcos, a FCS school, but guess who else has played FCS schools this season?

No. 1 Florida, No. 2 Alabama, No. 5 Cincinnati, No. 6 Boise State, No. 7 Georgia Tech, and No. 8 Pittsburgh.

That's six of the Top Eight schools in the country, not counting TCU.

Plus, let's take a look at the out-of-conference schedules of the top three teams ahead of TCU.

No. 1 Florida: At home vs. Charleston Southern (FCS), home vs. Troy, home vs. Florida International, home vs. Florida State

No. 2 Alabama: Neutral vs. No. 14 Virginia Tech, home vs. Florida International, home vs. North Texas, home vs. Chattanooga (FCS)

No. 3 Texas: Home vs. Louisiana-Monroe, at Wyoming, home vs. UTEP, home vs. Central Florida

Out of those three schedules, the best matchup was Alabama's game against Virginia Tech, which they won. But after that, who's second? Florida State, which is an annual rival of Florida and therefore not a game that is a one and done? Troy, who is the best team in the Sun Belt at 8-3? Central Florida?

Especially take a look at Texas' schedule. They won all four games convincingly, but according to the 2009 Sagarin Ratings, the best team out of all of those is Central Florida, ranked 62nd in the country at 7-4 with an all-time record of 1-32 against Top-25 teams. Boy, they really went out and challenged a national power, didn't they?

Meanwhile, TCU went out and challenged Virginia and Clemson, with Virginia being ranked 67th and Clemson being ranked 12th in the Sagarin Ratings. Granted, Virginia is 3-8, but it's still an all-important BCS conference team.

The point I'm trying to make here is that TCU deserves, if anything, a chance to be in the national championship. To be realistic here, this is what they need to happen:

Loser of Florida/Alabama to fall below them
Texas to lose in the Big 12 Championship to Nebraska
Stay in front of Cincinnati/Pittsburgh winner, if those teams come into their game at 11-0 and 10-1, No. 5 and No. 7 in the country

It can happen, but the Horned Frogs will need the voters' help. Coaches, media, and others, I'm calling on you to do the right thing and give this great team a look at the BCS National Championship game.

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Dear NCAA, Add a Mid-Major Football Championship!

J. Andrew Lockwood — Mon, 23 Nov 2009 12:08:11 -0500

Plenty of debate will swirl when it comes to crowning a national champion in college football. Some love the current BCS system, while others despise it in preference of a playoff instead.

The current bowl structure gives us college football almost every day from mid-December through mid-January that "sorts out" a BCS national champion, but I propose a slightly different structure that would crown two different college football champions.

Simply put, it involves creating a middle tier in college football. The current system splits college teams into the Division I Championship Subdivision (i.e. Georgia Southern, Delaware, Appalachian State) and Football Bowl Subdivision (i.e. Florida, Michigan, Southern Cal), it only makes sense to create the Mid-Major Subdivision.

This tier would help fill the gap between the two divisions and would include all non-BCS conferences in the current Bowl Championship Division. Under the current alignment the division would include teams from Conference USA, IA Independents (minus Notre Dame of course), the Mid-American Conference, the Mountain West, Sun Belt, and Western Athletic conferences.

Taking a page out of the European soccer handbook, a system could even be implemented that would move teams/conferences up or down a tier based on performance measures.

Using these, if the Mountain West were dominant for several years, the teams would be rewarded with a move up to the Football Bowl Subdivision. Additionally, if they struggled to beat the patsies, they’d move down to the Division I Championship Subdivision or the third tier.

The system would be a win-win situation for teams, conferences, sponsors, television networks, the NCAA, and college football fans. It would mean that Boise State actually has a championship to play in if they go undefeated. It would mean that sports talk radio stations would be abuzz with yet another hot topic—who would win the Mid-Major Championship and why.

Another championship game would mean more revenue to college football with a larger bowl game (think Mid-Major National Championship vs. the Humanitarian Bowl) and a televised championship game during the holidays. Anyone want to watch TCU take on Utah in the MMC (Mid-Major Championship) after unwrapping presents and drinking eggnog with Grandma?

It only makes sense that there is something to fill the middle of a large void in college football. Almost 120 teams battle for one championship every year in the Football Bowl Subdivision, yet teams like Boise State, Utah, and TCU must rely on the floundering of other ‘better" schools such as Florida, Texas, and Alabama.

Boise State could go undefeated and still not reach the title game, while two one-loss schools would. While Boise’s schedule may be a little lighter, shouldn’t they be tested in a championship title game, too?

The Division I Championship Subdivision has been a great success over the past few decades, with a playoff format of 16 teams concluding with a national championship game. In fact, the national championship game (as well as semifinals in years past) has been more exciting than a few of the early season FBS bowl games.

With more on the line in a playoff game, it somewhat resembles those do-or-die ones in the NFL. Teams seem to play a little harder when there’s something on the line in a playoff game in comparison to the Emerald Peanut Bowl featuring two 6-6 teams.

It’s an easy fix, just like instant oatmeal. Simply add another championship, and the sport will be rejuvenated. It gives the little guys something to play for and fans another game to TiVo. And it gives me something else to argue about. A Mid-Major Championship just makes sense.

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Dear BCS System: You Suck

Will Holt — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 23:02:59 -0500

In two weeks Boise State and TCU will likely end their regular seasons exactly the same: Undefeated and left with no chance to win the national championship.

There are those who say neither team deserves the opportunity.

It is safe to assume those people are scared, illogical and fans of figure skating.

Clearly the best way to determine a champion is through a panel of judges, voters and computer-generated polls.

Well if that is the case then I would love to know why Division I football is the only NCAA sport not determined by a playoff.

Every sport run by the NCAA ends with various teams from around the country competing against one another to determine a champion. And the best part about the process is no one sits back and says, "We got robbed. A computer should have picked the winner."

The nation's best bowling team is determined at the lanes. The best swimming team settles the score in the pool. The best rifle team is crowned at the range.

Yes people. Rifle has a national championship. It does not sound scary that students are shooting guns. It is scary college football is that far behind the eight-ball.

At least the other 32 sports acknowledged by the NCAA earn a championship.

Back on June 24 LSU defeated Texas 11-4 in Game Three of the College World Series. When the game ended everyone who follows college baseball tipped their hat and acknowledged the Bayou Bengals were the best in the nation.

Too bad the same can't be said following the completion of the fabricated event known as the National Championship Game on January 7.

Regardless of which teams play in the game or who wins most fans will debate who the National Champion really is. Instead of celebrating the success of a team we are likely to remember how certain teams were denied the opportunity to prove their worth.

It's a shame that greed got the best of individuals that call themselves presidents at America's highest institutions of education.

Instead of whining and complaining it is time to establish a system that will produce a true national champion.

Those who despise the current BCS system want to see a playoff. The problem lies in how many teams do you include. Some will suggest the "Plus One System," while others think emulating college basketball's "Field of 64" is the way to go.

The "Plus One" System could go up in flames this year because there could be as many as five undefeated teams (Florida/Alabama, Texas, Cincinnati, TCU and Boise State).

A "Field of 64" would completely destroy the athlete's bodies.

The best solution possible is setting a field of 16 teams.

There are those who will quickly point out that the two teams who play in the National Championship will be playing four extra games.

To compensate for that I would propose that teams are forbidden to play non-conference games.

Calm down. Deep breath.

I know Florida State and Florida fans are going to be bent out of shape.

And those who love current installments of Ohio State and USC will be in an uproar.

But remember this is for the good of the game. Do you want great non-conference games in the regular season or do you want epic non-conference battles during the inaugural college football playoff?

Conference games will take on even more meaning because the 11 conference champions will earn an automatic bid to the post season.

This means Army, Navy and Notre Dame must join a conference. Sorry Irish fans, but no one is bigger than the NCAA. Well maybe Charlie Weiss literally is, but he won't be there much longer.

To take it one step further each conference will play a conference championship game between the top two teams. All ties will be broken by the respective conferences.

The regular season champion will host the conference championship game. This feature maintains the importance and drama of the regular season.

The automatic bid gives every team in the country an opportunity to win a national championship in football.

Imagine if the Temple Owls win the MAC this year and are given the opportunity to play Ohio State. The Owls would probably get blown out, but I can assure you Al Golden would embrace the opportunity to play the Buckeyes.

Five at-large teams would be selected to complete the sweet 16 following the conference championship games.

The first three rounds of the tournament would not be broken down by regions and would not be played on a neutral field. The highest seed (No.1 seed is the highest and No.16 is lowest) would host each game.

Can you imagine if TCU was given the opportunity to host three playoff games? And what if a program like USC had to come into town? I don’t anything about the campus at TCU, but it is safe to say it would bedlam there.

The possibilities are endless. The exposure some of these schools will receive is better than any non-conference schedule they previously played.

The remaining two teams would meet at a neutral field to determine the first National Champion. And when the game ends fans can debate about the play calling, the referees or anything else they want. But they will not be able to debate the national champion.

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TCU-Wyoming: Can the Cowboys Lasso the Horned Frogs?

Pete Misthaufen — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:49:22 -0500

Wyoming is a huge (31.5) home underdog to TCU on Saturday for a very good reason.

TCU is the only team in the country in the top 15 in both offense and defense.

Wyoming, under first-year head coach Dave Christensen, has an underachieving offense and an average defense, as evidenced by BYU's 52-0 thumping of the Cowboys in Laramie two weeks ago.

Wyoming has little outside of history on its side for any chance to upset the world of hurt that is TCU football this season.

Wyoming defeated TCU two years ago in Laramie.

Last season, the Cowboys, although winless unless in conference play, went to Tennessee and stopped the Vols from reaching bowl eligibility.

Wyoming defeated a nine-win Virginia squad in 2007. In 2005, Wyoming went to Oxford and defeated the Mississippi Rebels.

Once upon a time, Wyoming was actually a major program. Wyoming went to a Sugar Bowl, Fiesta Bowl, three Sun Bowls, and a Gator Bowl, all before Jimmy Carter took the oath of office.

Wyoming has experienced a revival once in a while.

In 1988, Wyoming reached No. 10 in the AP poll before losing to the high-flying Houston Cougars.

In 1996, Wyoming lost in the WAC championship game to the Cotton Bowl-bound BYU Cougars, only to be left out of a bowl, even with a 10-2 record.

Wyoming last went to a bowl game in 2004, when the Cowboys defeated UCLA in the Las Vegas Bowl.

Not much was expected from Wyoming this year under their new head coach. After all, Wyoming had not won a conference game since 2007 and had not won one on the road since 2006. The Cowboys have done both this season.

So, the very fact that Wyoming is 5-5 with a shot at bowl eligibility is shocking to say the least.

Wyoming held Texas in check for a half, letting folks know that something was in the works.

The first real shocker came when Wyoming upset UNLV in Laramie. Most MWC observers had UNLV moving up to the middle of the conference this year.

Wyoming did go on a three-game losing streak while facing three of the conference's top four teams.

But it was last week's amazing comeback at San Diego State that really gives the Cowboys hope for the future. The Aztecs are another program attempting to return to respectability and were fighting for a bowl game. Wyoming, down 27-6 to start the fourth quarter, came back with 24 unanswered points to get the win.

After a near certain loss to TCU, Wyoming looks to reach bowl eligibility with a win over Colorado State in the rivalry known as the Border War. The Rams, after starting the season 3-0, have lost seven in a row, falling back after last year's relatively successful season.

TCU faces a few difficulties on the way to the win over the Cowboys.

The game is played at 7,200 feet, the highest altitude stadium in all of major college football.

The weather looks to be cold and nasty, with a wind chill factor near zero degrees.

The Wyoming fans are well-known in the Mountain West Conference for being the rudest and crudest folks around, not unexpected from a bunch of rough-and-tumble cowboys and roughnecks.

Unlike this other hostile factors, the Wyoming football team will not be able to mount a serious challenge to the Frogs, though.

52-3

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