The TCU Horned Frogs had a very good thing going in 2014 and 2015, winning double-digit amounts of games, winning bowl games against tough opponents, and making incredible offensive plays under pressure. Then came 2016, and the music stopped. TCU labored through a very difficult season which baffled head coach Gary Patterson, who is widely regarded as one of the better coaches in college football. Was 2016 a learning experience for a team which is primed to get better, or was it indicative of a program in decline after two extremely productive seasons led by a special quarterback, Trevone Boykin? We’re about to find out a lot more about TCU as a program.
How Did They End 2016
The Horned Frogs could not handle Kansas State, but they were able to decisively beat Texas on the road. The Liberty Bowl against Georgia – another team which fell well short of fulfilling its potential last season – gave TCU a chance to score a win against an SEC team, but it didn’t happen. The offense was as inconsistent as it had been for most of the season, and the defense lost ground in the fourth quarter against Georgia’s offensive line. The Horned Frogs struggled in many ways, not just one, and that was the biggest concern for Patterson heading into the offseason.
Offseason Changes
Co-offensive coordinator Doug Meacham went to Kansas, a move which surprised everyone in the Big 12. The fact that Meacham (who had been pursued by North Texas for the Mean Green’s head coaching vacancy in recent years) sought another job was not surprising. The fact that he took a coordinator job was more surprising. The fact that he moved to another Big 12 school was the true shocker in the larger process. What this does is leave Sonny Cumbie as the offensive coordinator. It is now his show with Meacham out of the way. This could leave TCU without a second voice in the offensive game planning process, but on the other hand, it could enable Cumbie to find a groove as a leader on the TCU coaching staff. A good argument can be made in either direction, and it will be interesting to see how this drama plays out.
Team X-Factor
Kenny Hill was asked to replace Trevone Boykin last season. Hill made a splashy debut in 2014 at Texas A&M, but that 2014 season never replicated what he did in Week 1 against South Carolina. His career went steadily downhill, and he transferred to TCU in hopes of a fresh start. That hope did not translate into high-level football, but in 2017, Hill gets one more chance to put the pieces together in his career. He has to be great for TCU to have a chance at a big year. There’s no other way to say it.
What To Expect From The Horned Frogs This Year
Hill, with another year of teaching and development under his belt, might be ready to make small but meaningful improvements which will help TCU become better than it was in 2016. The Horned Frogs have to be more consistent on offense if they want to reach their potential.
Record Last 5 Seasons
2016: 6-7
2015: 11-2
2014: 12-1
2013: 4-8
2012: 7-6
Schedule & Outlook
TCU has two easy games in September and two tough ones. They’ll beat Jackson State and SMU, but going to Arkansas and Oklahoma State is going to be tough. If they can get through the month at 3-1, that would be fantastic. It won’t get much easier after that as they’ll host West Virginia and then go to Kansas State. They could easily be at .500 or worse if they haven’t changed from last year.
The good news is that they should win four of their final six – and maybe five of six – if they can beat Texas.
It is a stretch to think TCU will figure everything out, but it is not a stretch to think that Hill and the offense will be moderately better than in 2016. This team won’t win 10 games, but it won’t finish .500, either. It can win eight or nine games.
Regular Season Win Total Prediction: Over 7.5
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