Just like paisley ties, football is a game of cycles, TCU coach Gary Patterson says
TCU coach Gary Patterson is regarded as one of the top defensive minds in college football. He isn’t arguing with those who feel great defenses are finally catching up to the high-scoring offenses these days.
He even backed that claim up by offering a fashion analogy. Yes, fashion.
“It’s kind of like a paisley tie,” Patterson said. “About every 10 years you pull it back out and it goes away and it’s terrible and then all of a sudden you look around and everyone is wearing a paisley tie. I’m old enough now I’ve gone through three cycles of paisley ties.”
Well, he’s lived through multiple cycles of football either being offensively-dominant or defensively-dominant. There’s no question the game tends to favor the offense in terms of rule changes but there were signs of defenses leading the charge in Week 1.
Virginia Tech pulled off a 17-10 upset of North Carolina and quarterback Sam Howell. UNC averaged more than 40 points a game last season. Alabama rolled to a 44-13 victory over then-No. 14 Miami, a team that averaged 34 points a season ago.
Other top 25 matchups were low scoring, too. Georgia won a defensive battle over Clemson 10-3, while Penn State won 16-10 over Wisconsin. Washington, which opened the season ranked No. 20, was held to just seven points in a 13-7 loss to Montana.
Patterson believes the game simply goes in cycles. Some years are about the offense, while others are about the defense.
“Everyone has gone to a portion (three-man front) to slow down the big play,” Patterson said. “The answer to that is people get bigger — people in the Big 12 are getting bigger now. You start having more tight ends. It just keeps cycling.”
Just like the paisley tie.
Injury updates
Patterson provided a few injury updates during his weekly news conference Tuesday, saying the team is expected to get reinforcements for the Cal game on Saturday.
Defensive tackle Terrell Cooper was expected to return to practice this week as well as right guard Wes Harris.
Patterson said there is no update on cornerback Noah Daniels, arguably the team’s best NFL prospect who sat out the opener against Duquesne.
He provided the same news on sophomore safety DeShawn McCuin.
“It’s about managing a two-game series,” Patterson said. “Then you have an off week [following the Cal game].”
Receiving votes
TCU remains on the outside of the AP Top 25 poll.
The Horned Frogs are the first team in the “receiving votes” category, receiving 80 points this week. Auburn, which checked in at No. 25, received 83 points.
Oklahoma remains the top-ranked Big 12 team. The Sooners are No. 4 in the country followed by Iowa State at No. 9. Texas is the league’s only other school ranked as the Longhorns are No. 15 following their victory over Louisiana.
Expansion chatter
The Big 12 will reportedly receive applications for membership from Houston, BYU, Cincinnati and Central Florida this week. The conference is expected to approve those schools for membership.
Given that nothing is official yet and the fluidity of realignment, Patterson didn’t have much to say on the subject.
All Patterson said: “They’re all good programs.”
