Season Preview - Texas Christian

Wahooze's Season Preview continues with the team's difficult out of conference road trip: TCU

Saturday, September 22nd

With the exception of Boise State, no non-BCS conference team has had more recently sustained success than Texas Christian University. Since coach Gary Patterson took the reins in 2000, the team has been a mainstay in the top 25, regularly beaten BCS opponents, and been a member of 14 different conferences. Their calling card has usually been a stout and speedy defense, but recently with Andy Dalton and Casey Pachall at QB the Horned Frogs have been scoring in bunches. 2012 marks the Frog's return to a major conference, as they've replaced Texas A&M in the Big 12, which should be a substantial transition for the team. Now, each week they'll be playing the caliber of opponents they used to see only once or twice a year. Can they handle it? Most likely. Can they win the Big 12 this year? Potentially. Do they have a lot to prove regardless? Absolutely.

TCU returns most of their firepower on offense, with Pachall leading a group of talented backs and receivers - with only a minimal history of failed drug tests! Backs Waymon James and Matthew Tucker and wideouts Josh Boyce and Skye Dawson should keep pace with the Big 12 competition in terms of speed and talent, but will be tested regularly at a higher level than in previous seasons. Still, the Frogs should have no issue scoring assuming they can adequately replace their losses along the offensive line. While that's never a simple task, I think TCU will be up to the challenge brought by their new conference brethren. Luckily, their only opponents before UVa are Grambling St and Kansas, so hopefully the Wahoo's D will be a big step up in terms of athleticism (particularly among the front seven). Could UVa take advantage of an inexperienced line and slow down the Horned Frogs' attack? Potentially...

On defense, a lot of the issues rest in the secondary, where suspensions (drugs) and graduation (probably still somehow drug related) have depleted the returning talent for the unit. However, there's turnover (more drug busts) within the DL and LB ranks as well, so the Frogs will be looking to replace playmakers quickly and effectively all over the starting 11. That being said, the roster is still a talented one and Patterson being the coach that he is, the defense should be in decent (if not great) shape early in the season. The Hoos catch them very early though, so it'll be interesting to see how Lazor's (hopefully clicking on all cylinders) offense is able to fair in this road test. TCU is not an easy team to beat, no matter how many of their players get kicked out for drugs. Few outside of the orange and blue will give the Wahoos a shot here, but frankly I feel better about it than the GaTech game. Early season out of conference road game? History says we show up flat. PHILLIP SIMS MIKE ROCCO PERRY JONES DOESN'T GIVE A DAMN ABOUT YOUR HISTORY.

So Early it's Silly Prediction: Hoos 26 Frogs 24