TCU went 7-0 to start last season. Duplicating that won’t be easy this season.
College football is right around the corner and the Star-Telegram is bringing you its Top 25 teams going into the season.
Today we look at No. 15 – TCU.
Top 25 to date
LSU (25); Texas (24); Central Florida (23); Oregon (22); Florida State (21); Boise State (20); USC (19); Mississippi State (18); Michigan (17); Virginia Tech (16).
Nuts and bolts
Location: Fort Worth
Coach: Gary Patterson (160-57, 17 seasons at TCU)
2017: 11-3, 7-2 Big 12 (defeated Stanford 39-37 in Alamo Bowl)
Last league title: 2014
Three things to know
1. New signal caller. TCU is in the midst of a quarterback competition in fall camp. Shawn Robinson is the odds-on favorite to replace Kenny Hill, but don’t write off Penn transfer Michael Collins quite yet.
Whoever is the quarterback will inherit weapons ranging from receiver KaVontae Turpin to running back Darius Anderson. The question facing the Frogs, though, is rebuilding an offensive line that had four contributors land in NFL camps.
But co-offensive coordinator Sonny Cumbie is a rising star in the industry and should have the offense ready to go.
2. Tenacious D. Patterson is known for his defenses and this year’s should fare well. Ben Banogu is an NFL-type talent at end with solid interior players such as Ross Blacklock and Corey Bethley.
The linebacker corps will be led by Ty Summers, who could become the school’s all-time leading tackler in the Patterson era this season.
The secondary has holes to fill, but talent with returnees such as Jeff Gladney and Niko Small.
3. Tough stretch. TCU won its first seven games last season. That won’t be easy to duplicate this season.
The Horned Frogs have a tough stretch early on in the season, starting with a game against Ohio State in the third week. The next four games? At Texas, vs. Iowa State, vs. Texas Tech and vs. Oklahoma.
If TCU gets through the opening seven games 7-0, it’ll be in the conversation for the CFP and have a shot to run the table in the regular season.
Three games to watch
1. Sept. 15 vs. Ohio State (AT&T Stadium). It’s hard to find two football programs who have had more success than these two in the past decade. Will Ohio State’s scandal prove beneficial to TCU?
2. Oct. 20 vs. Oklahoma. The Sooners visit Fort Worth for a rematch of the Big 12 title game last season. How this game goes will have implications in the Big 12 and possibly CFP picture.
3. Nov. 10 at West Virginia. Will a spot in the Big 12 title game be on the line? Likely so between the two teams regarded as the two biggest threats to Oklahoma repeating as Big 12 champs.
This story was originally published August 13, 2018 at 3:30 PM.