TCU football can still reach all its goals, but Iowa State could end everything
It all comes down to this for TCU football.
Starting with Saturday’s matchup against Iowa State, the Horned Frogs begin a four-game gauntlet that will define whether the season was a success.
Win out, and there’s a good chance the Horned Frogs (6-2, 3-2 Big 12) are playing for a conference title. However, one loss would be all it takes to eliminate TCU from Big 12 and College Football Playoff contention.
Typically, most teams say to treat every game the same, but TCU head coach Sonny Dykes acknowledged he has made it clear what’s at stake in the most important month of the season.
“It’s Week [11] and we’re down to a four-game season,” Dykes said Tuesday. “When you put it that way, I think the players can see the entire situation and see how important it is to play and practice at a really high level when you can just put it into a month.”
It’s been a yearlong grind for this roster dating back to spring football and all the offseason workouts. TCU had a number of goals it wanted to accomplish, and the first one was to make it to November in prime position to contend for the league title.
“All the work we’ve done leads up to this next month,” Dykes said. “That’s where you want to be as a program. Our goal every single year is to be playing meaningful games in November. What I mean by that is games that affect the conference standings and games where we have an opportunity to reach the Big 12 championship.”
TCU’s difficult closing stretch
While the Cyclones (5-4, 2-4) are no longer in the league title race, three of TCU’s final four opponents are in the top four of the Big 12 standings — No. 8 BYU (8-0, 5-0), Houston (7-2, 4-2) and No. 25 Cincinnati (7-2, 5-1).
The Horned Frogs will have ample opportunities to shake up the Big 12 title race, but before they can think of making a late-season surge to Arlington, they must handle their business against an Iowa State team that is reeling.
The Cyclones started the year 5-0 and looked like Big 12 contenders, but injuries and a tough slate have caused Iowa State to go on four-game losing streak, including a head-scratching loss against Colorado.
It still doesn’t change the stakes for TCU.
“They know this more than anything, it’s about one game,” Dykes said. “Iowa State is the most important game we’ll play this year. Our guys understand that that’s the only thing that matters, and they’re not looking forward.”
Not looking ahead to a potential top-10 matchup at BYU will be essential for TCU, as the Cyclones are fully capable of pulling off the upset behind quarterback Rocco Becht and the strong running back duo of Carson Hansen and Abu Sama.
Chase Curtis, Bud Clark set tone
TCU veterans like tight end Chase Curtis and safety Bud Clark, who were on the 2022 national runner-up team, will play a vital role in setting the tone for the pivotal stretch.
“You would like to have the same mindset for every game, but what we’ve been saying is, ‘They remember November,’” Curtis said. “You really have to turn it up in November. ... We’re 6-2 right now, and these next four games matter the most.”
Clark echoed those sentiments as the defense prepares to face Iowa State’s unique offense.
“You’ve got to turn everything up,” Clark said. “Like Chase said, you’ve got to win November, and that’s what we’ve been focusing on. This is where teams can break apart or come together. We’re 6-2, but there are also undefeated teams that will play each other and knock each other off. We have a great fighting chance.”
The Horned Frogs already got some much-needed help from West Virginia, which handed Houston its second conference loss Saturday. TCU faces Houston on the road Nov. 22.
The top two teams in the league, BYU and No. 9 Texas Tech (8-1, 5-1), play each other Saturday in Lubbock. The Cougars will either suffer their first league loss or the Red Raiders will pick up a second conference loss. Either result would greatly help TCU, which sits seventh in the Big 12 standings.
One thing that bodes well for TCU was the timing of the bye week. Dykes estimated that TCU could’ve been without six offensive starters if it had to play last Saturday, but the break allowed the Horned Frogs to get healthier.
“I thought we were fortunate to have the bye week when we had it,” Dykes said. “It came at the right time. I think our guys are fresh. I think we’re going to have a chance to be fully healthy and play with everybody, which is good. It couldn’t have come at a better time.”
TCU and Iowa State play at 2:30 p.m. Saturday at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The game will be broadcast on Fox.
