Steven Johnson: No. 13 TCU proves legitimacy with comeback win over No. 8 Oklahoma State
There’s always hesitation to really buy into programs that are considered outside of the blue blood group in college football.
If you’re not an Alabama, Georgia or an Ohio State there’s a little more you have to do to really get people to believe.
After all, how many September and early October darlings have we seen start fast only to fade as the schedule begins to get tougher? Is this team really good or are they just beating up on bad teams?
If you had that trepidation before TCU’s thrilling 43-40 double overtime over No. 13 Oklahoma State, it’s understandable.
For Horned Frogs fans and pundits across the country, it’s time to trust your eyes. TCU is a good football team and one capable of winning a wide-open Big 12.
“(This win) means we have a bunch of good players. It really does. Guys doing what we’re asking them to do and they’re talented guys,” head coach Sonny Dykes said.
Dykes has reiterated after nearly win that he had extreme belief in the pure talent of the roster. It was one of the most attractive things about the opening when he left SMU.
While the quick turnaround will be a surprise to some, Dykes isn’t among them. After starting 5-0, he challenged the team to be ready to live up to that potential as their ranking and the quality of the schedule increased.
There’s pressure that comes with success and TCU showed it has what it takes to handle it after trailing by double digits most of the afternoon against a Top 10 team.
“We talked about this way of climbing up the ladder. As you have more success then more is expected of you. You’ve got to be able to carry that load,” Dykes said. “It felt like it was a little bit of a hard load early, like we played a little tight.”
The Horned Frogs are ahead of schedule..
“I didn’t see this coming,” linebacker and team captain Dee Winters said. “We were ranked at the bottom of the Big 12 conference, but I think that gave us extra motivation because we felt like we had to prove ourselves.”
Meanwhile Oklahoma State entered the season ranked 12th, the Cowboys were expected to be one of the contenders for the Big 12 and maybe more.
Yet OSU could never deliver the finishing blow as TCU blanketed Spencer Sanders and the Cowboys late in the second half. As the game continued, theHorned Frogs began to take control of the game.
Quentin Johnston looked every bit the future NFL receiver with 180 yards and some clutch plays down the stretch. He helped set up the game-tying touchdown and caught a touchdown pass in overtime.
“He really has the burning desire to be a great player. He’s not an Instagram guy, not a big social media guy. He just likes to play football,” Dykes said. “He’s been blessed with a lot of talent and honors it by working hard and doing what he’s supposed to do. When you have young people that are built that way its pretty special.
“I wish I had a lot more time with Quentin, I’m afraid I’ll be watching him on Sundays next year.”
Adding onto the offensive showcase was Max Duggan, who had three more touchdowns and more than 300 yards of total offense.
Kendre Miller continues to emerge as one of the premiere backs in the country with the game-winning touchdown in double overtime behind an offensive line that has been as good as advertised in the preseason.
“Kendre and Max were going to be the guys down the stretch that were gonna win it for us. I thought our offensive line played as good as I’ve seen an offensive line play in a long time. We ran the football really well today,” Dykes said.
Everything about Saturday was tough for TCU. The offense scored just one touchdown until the fourth quarter. The defense allowed two easy touchdown runs by Spencer Sanders early. The sure-handed Derius Davis muffed a punt and had just eight yards receiving.
The Horned Frogs stayed the course, showing how much faith they’ve established with Dykes early on.
“Guys didn’t quit, our staff has been getting in our heads to think ‘next play, move on’. They’re nailing it to our heads to be great. When you have a staff like that it’s great and that’s what you want for a team,” linebacker Dee Winters said.
TCU has shown it can play from behind, it can win on the road in a tough environment and confirmed it has one of the best offenses in college football.
At the halfway point of the season, the Horned Frogs have checked just about every box you could want in a quality team halfway through October.
Even the defense showed real signs of progress with improved pressure from the defensive line and a secondary that features two quality corners in Josh Newton and Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson.
The Horned Frogs had a feeling the roster had enough difference makers to contend. The victory over the same team that blasted them by 46 less than a year ago was monumental.
“We’ve had pieces for years to put a team like this and execute at the level we’re doing. To actually see that emotion it’s an exciting feeling for us and the new coaching staff,” Johnston said.
Let’s lay everything out that we’ve seen from TCU halfway through the season.
Good offensive line? Check.
An experienced quarterback with pro-level weapons? Check.
A defense that can make just enough plays against spread offenses? Check (I think).
While plenty of football has been played, it’s still kind of early right? The Horned Frogs still have a backend schedule that features another ranked opponent next Saturday, road games at Texas and Baylor and a trip to Morgantown, West Virginia where they have historically struggled.
TCU understands that very well and it’s one reason to be encouraged that the Horned Frogs can carry on that success in the final six games.
“Our reward is we have to play ranked Kansas State coming off a bye. Congratulations,” Dykes said. “It’s going to be important for us to emphasize this is a one week at a time, what have you done for me lately business. Historically our teams have gotten off to good starts and not finished well. This is a different team, we’re going to write a different story.”
This story was originally published October 16, 2022 at 5:00 AM.
