TCU Horned Frogs Season Preview

Coming off an undefeated season and becoming the first ever non-BCS team to appear in the Rose Bowl was quite the achievement for Gary Patterson. The Horned Frogs made E. Gordon Gee look like a royal goof after he called TCU "Little Sisters of the Poor" by knocking off his Big Ten champion Wisconsin Badgers 21-19 in the grand daddy of them all.

A 13-0 season was put forth in dominating fashion outside of a game here and there. TCU had their best player in program history in Andy Dalton who won 42 games in four years—the second best win total in history behind Colt McCoy (46).

Laundry List of Solutions?

There are a lot of studs missing from the Rose Bowl team though. Besides the great Mr. Dalton there is a bevy more including: defensive end Wayne Daniels, strong safety Tejay Johnson, defensive tackle Kelly Griffin, nose tackle Cory Grant, wide receiver Jeremy Kerley, wide receiver Jimmy Young, wide receiver Bart Johnson, left tackle Marcus Cannon and center Jake Kirkpatrick.

That is a laundry list of players gone and who the hell has the program to reload all of that talent? I will tell you who, the Horned Frogs!

New Quarterback, Same Success?

The quarterback position is so vital in college football that the team with the better QB seemingly always wins the close ball game.

Sure, having the more talented team or the better defense may have the same argument, but as of late it is what you get out of your quarterback that turns an average team to a very good team to eventually a BCS/National Championship contender. 

Casey Pachall will step in and is a true sophomore despite being the ninth rated QB out of high school two years ago behind a few guys named Russell Shephard (LSU WR) and Nathan Scheelhaase (Illinois).

Pachall only runs 4.65, but at 6’4” has a solid arm that can torch an opponent’s secondary.  Especially with the targets he has, things will be just fine in Fort Worth.

If he struggles expect Yogi Gallegos to get immediate playing time under center. He has backed up Dalton the past two years and has seen quite the snaps in mop-up duty. 

Pool of Youthful Talent

The three headed monster in the backfield consists of Ed Wesley, Matthew Tucker, and Waymon James.

James was just a freshmen sensation a year ago, but has speed to kill in the backfield. He can blow by any defense and get to the corner at will.

Tucker is a solid 6’1”, 210-pounds who has a nice burst and also has a nice ability to break arm tackles on his way to pay dirt. He reached that end zone seven times a season ago and James reached it five times.

Ed Wesley is the starter and despite being just 5’9”, 210-pounds he is a little bowling ball that ran for over 1,000 yards and 11 TDs. Wesley has a ton of speed as does this entire corp of backs which is loaded with youthful talent.

The Loss of a Playmaker Should Not Loom Large

 The receiving corp can get the job done with Boyce, Hicks, and Dawson. Josh Boyce is a stud and at just 6’0”, 195-pounds, he can do it all.

Only decent size, he makes up for it with an extra gear and great pair of hands. Boyce is a solid route runner with the ability to make yards after the catch. TCU is known for that with all of the speed demons they have. 

Jeremy Kerley may be missed at times on crucial third downs since he was a guaranteed catch if he was open, but there are other viable options that have the talent to become productive.

Success None the Less

The line will take a small step back without Cannon or Kirkpatrick, who were two of the better blockers in program history. Two starters return up front and with a healthy and improved stable of backs, expect production to only increase.

Dalton will certainly be missed and it may show in the first game of the season if they fail to keep up against Baylor’s high octane offense.

TCU will most likely become a running team on first and second down and on third downs they will throw a ton of smoke/jailbreak screens to let their playmakers do all of the damage after the catch. More success running the bacon will open the playbook up to last season where they could call any play in any situation.

If TCU ever struggles to run the ball they have the talent to thread the needle if need be due to the wealth of talent that Patterson has brought in.

Co-coordinators Justin Fuente and Jarrett Anderson will share their duties for a second consecutive season. The simple loss of what Dalton did, such as reading a defense having the pocket presence on the road, as well as just his overall leadership is what will be missed most.

Ferocious Depth

This defense better be prepared for Robert Griffin and the Bears in the opener (in Waco,) or else TCU may have more losses in one week then they did for the whole ’10 season.  

All-American safety Tejay Johnson and pass rusher Wayne Daniels will surely be missed, but in Gary Patterson TCU trusts. The defensive guru has been amazing, bringing in speedy athletes who know how to finish ball games out. Tank Carder and Tanner Brock are two All-American caliber players who can replace what is missing. 

The front four still must become dominant and it may be up to defensive end Stansly Maponga. The sophomore notched 2.5 sacks and 32 tackles a season ago. Last season's Second Team Freshmen All-American and Second Team All-Mountain West candidate is ready to break out this upcoming season. 

The other three big hogs up front must play up to their potential in order to reach anywhere near the same success they had last year. Jeremy Coleman, DJ Yendrey, and Matt Anderson are also underclassmen (experience) and must improve throughout the season for this TCU D to stay the same as it was last year (Top Ranked Pass D, Fifth Ranked Rush, First Ranked Total Defense).

They all have solid speed but are not the biggest, baddest dudes we have seen, so they will certainly need to grow a true nose for the ball. Coleman has a ton of talent and at 6’2”, 290-pounds he has shown flashes of brilliance.

Best Coach in America?

The LB corp will not be able to make any plays if they are being blocked at the second level by offensive linemen. Luckily, they have world class linebackers who can track down anybody in the backfield.

The secondary is the biggest mystery because of the loss of Tejay Johnson. Who is going to be making all the plays back there? 

They surely do not lack the talent, it is just so unproven right now. The IQ and awareness of these players have been surreal, so I question if that will stay the same for Patterson’s 4-2-5 defense in the opener against Baylor’s speedy, lanky wideouts. 

The defense as a whole is certainly talented, but not nearly as much as a season ago. They had a few studs and All-Americans at each level.

TCU must prove to the nation that despite not getting the most talented recruits, that with the speed demons that Patterson receives they can outperform anybody in America. He has certainly proved us all wrong for several years now as an ESPN The Magazine based off percentages voting Gary Patterson as the best coach in college football. 

Drama's Forecast

The loss of the interior linemen and the stud safeties (Johnson & Ibiloye) hurt. How much of a step will they take backwards defensively? A little, a lot or nothing at all?

The Mountain West schedule is certainly tougher now that Boise State has joined. Traveling to Boise where they have streaks of 32 straight home wins, 62 regular season home wins and 46 straight conference home victories, it will be near impossible to come out victorious against them. Though Patterson has split the two meetings against Chris Petersen.  

Outside of that trip and Waco in the opener and possibly at Air Force (only by a TD) they will be clear cut double digit favorites in every game.

The BYU game may be a tough one in Arlington but chances are they will come away with a victory. An 11-1 or 10-2 season may not be mean a BCS Bowl appearance, but they can still have a solid season by finishing it off with a bowl victory and a top 15 finish.

Returning Starter: 5 Offense/ 5 Defense

Projected Record: 10-3, 6-1

Projected Finish: Second in Mountain West

Projected Bowl: MAACO Bowl