The five most pivotal games for TCU football this season
The 2022 season is just over a month away as new head Sonny Dykes leads a new era of TCU football.
Coming off a 5-7 season, the second in the last three years, Dykes will aim to get the Horned Frogs back to their winning ways after taking over for longtime coach Gary Patterson. Making a bowl game and being a factor in the Big 12 race are reasonable goals if TCU can manage the schedule.
There are reasons for optimism. Oklahoma is one of the other two Big 12 teams with new coaches; Oklahoma State and other perennial powers are looking to replace plenty of production. Thus, there is ample room for Dykes to get off to a solid start.
Here are five games that will be pivotal to the Honed Frogs’ success:
At Colorado, Sept. 2
You know what they say about first impressions? Dykes will want to start the season and his TCU tenure strong. But this could be a tricky opener. The Buffaloes are coming off a disappointing 4-8 season and also looking to bounce back. It’ll be a Friday night game on the road in a hostile environment. There are certainly easier ways to start the season. It should be a good test for the Horned Frogs right out of the gate.
There will be teams that will be tougher and more talented that could go here. A win and it’s easily one of the biggest moments for Dykes this year.
Vs. Oklahoma, Oct. 1
Arguably the top home game of the year, the Sooners will be under new head coach Brent Venables, the former Clemson defensive coordinator. Former coach Lincoln Riley took a number of key pieces like Caleb Williams with him to USC, but there’s still plenty of leftover talent. The Sooners had the second most first-place votes at Big 12 media days. Marvin Mims is one of the top receivers in the country and Central Florida transfer Dillon Gabriel gives Oklahoma a proven quarterback.
TCU has lost the last eight games against Oklahoma and will have ample motivation to snap that skid. It could also be one of the last times TCU faces the Sooners as the program will depart for the SEC in 2025.
At Texas, Nov. 12
The Longhorns have become a trendy pick to win the Big 12 in Steve Sarkisian’s second season. Some of it is understandable as Texas returns Bijan Robinson and receiver Xavier Worthy. Former No. 1 prospect Quinn Ewers is expected to start at quarterback and that doesn’t even mention the Longhorns’ No. 5 recruiting class according to 247Sports. Texas could be the most talented teams TCU faces.
Since joining the Big 12, TCU has dominated this series. The Horned Frogs are 7-3 against the Longhorns since 2012. Want extra incentive? Patterson is on Sarkisian’s staff and Texas is also slated to depart for the SEC, this is one of the most intriguing games on the schedule.
Vs. Texas Tech, Nov. 5
Deciding between SMU and Tech for this spot was tough as Dykes has ties to both schools. He was the former head coach for the Mustangs, but was also the receivers coach in Lubbock from 2000-06. The Red Raiders also have a new head coach in Joey McGuire. Every program is jostling to position itself as the new power once Oklahoma and Texas leave, which should make this game more intense.
The Horned Frogs have won four of the last five and want to continue that success with new regimes taking over.
At Baylor, Nov. 19
This list wouldn’t be complete without including the defending Big 12 champions. In a year where the conference has so many question marks, the Bears appear the closet to a sure thing on paper. For the first time, Baylor is predicted to finish atop the conference in the preseason polls. That’s a credit to third-year coach Dave Aranda. TCU was one of two teams to knock off the Bears last year as Chandler Morris had an all-time performance to lead the way.
TCU has won six of the last seven matchups. If Baylor wants to repeat, the Bears must go through the Horned Frogs who will have no problem playing spoiler again.
Notable omission: SMU certainly has a case for making this list, especially since the Mustangs have beaten TCU in back-to-back years. However, a lot of that has to do with Dykes as the series between the two Metroplex programs hasn’t been particularly close since 2000. It’s still an important game, but just a notch below the others.